Ten Year Town

Join Troy Cartwright as he sits down with hit songwriters, musicians and music city execs to discuss their journey through Music Row, the uncertainties of getting started and what it takes to stay at the top.

Ten Year Town is a music podcast hosted by Troy Cartwright, with 164 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Troy Cartwright hosts Ten Year Town, a music show with 164 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Ten Year Town

  Thoughts on My Grand Ole Opry Debut

  Aug 17, 202611 min

  There's a circle of wood in the middle of the stage at the Grand Ole Opry House. They cut it out of the floor of the Ryman and carried it over when the Opry moved, so that anybody standing in the middle of that stage is standing on the same boards Hank stood on. This week, I get to stand on it. These are a few thoughts I have about that. About my ten years in Nashville, an Opry debut, and the two songs I'm playing — including one called "Shoulders," which is about the fact that I didn't get anywhere by myself. It's about my dad, who's been a fan since before there was anything to be a fan of. It's about a kid at home who was born in May and is going to learn what a life looks like by watching mine. Somebody carries it forward so you can stand on it. Then it's your turn to carry it on. New Episodes every Tuesday. Find the host Troy Cartwright on Twitter , Instagram . Social Channels for Ten Year Town: Youtube Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok This podcast was produced by Ben VanMaarth. Intro and Outro music for this episode was composed by Troy Cartwright, Monty Criswell, and Derek George. It is called "Same" and you can listen to it in it's entirety here . Additional music for this episode was composed by Thomas Ventura. Artwork design by Brad Vetter. Creative Direction by Mary Lucille Noah.

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  Ten Year Town

  Michelangelo, the Sistine Chapel, and Why the Bullsh*t Is Ancient | Ten Year Town Bonus Episode

  Aug 10, 20267 min

  Michelangelo didn't wake up one morning wanting to spend four years painting a ceiling. He was a sculptor. But the Pope had a ceiling, and the Pope had money. In this bonus episode, Troy Cartwright reads an essay about an artist named Aaron Reese, who bought a newsstand at 39th and 4th in New York City to sell his ceramics — and about the uncomfortable, ancient intersection of art and commerce that every working artist has had to figure out. There was never an Eden where artists made exactly what they wanted and everybody showed up. Aaron Reese has an old newsstand. Michelangelo had a pope. And I have an Instagram. This piece started as a letter I wrote for my newsletter, Letters to Myself, at https://troycartwright.substack.com — short things like this, whenever they come to me. All free. New Episodes every Tuesday. Find the host Troy Cartwright on Twitter , Instagram . Social Channels for Ten Year Town: Youtube Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok This podcast was produced by Ben VanMaarth. Intro and Outro music for this episode was composed by Troy Cartwright, Monty Criswell, and Derek George. It is called "Same" and you can listen to it in it's entirety here . Additional music for this episode was composed by Thomas Ventura. Artwork design by Brad Vetter. Creative Direction by Mary Lucille Noah.

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  Ten Year Town

  Wyatt Flores on Stillwater, Music Row, and his new album Scared of Heights | Ten Year Town Ep. 130

  Aug 3, 202633 min

  Wyatt Flores is a country artist and songwriter from Stillwater, Oklahoma. He has over 1.4 billion career streams, RIAA certifications including 2x Platinum for "Please Don't Go," and a debut album, Welcome to the Plains, released in 2024. His new album, Scared of Heights, produced by Charlie Handsome, Jacob "JKash" Hindlin, and Gian Stone, is out now via Island Records and MCA. In this episode, we discuss Wyatt's journey from his first paid bar gig in Oklahoma — and writing "Travelin' Kid" in a barn that same night, then refusing to play it for nearly a year — to dropping out of school without telling his parents, getting labeled a TikTok artist and touring into debt to prove it wrong, and the Music Row co-writes where he felt like a box someone had to check. We also get into the making of the new record. There are, of course, many other stops along the way. -------------------------------------------------- This episode is also sponsored by The Graphic Guitar Guys . They create eye-catching custom guitar wraps for some of the biggest artists and festivals in the music industry. Their work is perfect for adding a unique touch to album pre-sale bundles or VIP package items—check them out and discover how they can transform a guitar into a show-stopping work of art. --------------------------------------------------- Troy Cartwright is a Nashville-based artist and songwriter originally from Dallas, Texas. His songs have collectively garnered hundreds of millions of streams, and he is currently signed to Big Machine Music for publishing. Cartwright has written songs recorded by Cody Johnson, Lee Brice, Nickelback, Ryan Hurd, Josh Abbott Band, and has upcoming cuts with several A-list artists. #WyattFlores #ScaredOfHeights #CountryMusic #RedDirt #Songwriting #Nashville #Oklahoma #Stillwater #DriveAllNight #HateMyself #HalfTheMan #TenYearTown #TroyCartwright #MusicPodcast #NewMusic New Episodes every Tuesday. Find the host Troy Cartwright on Twitter , Instagram . Social Channels for Ten Year Town: Youtube Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok This podcast was produced by Ben VanMaarth. Intro and Outro music for this episode was composed by Troy Cartwright, Monty Criswell, and Derek George. It is called "Same" and you can listen to it in it's entirety here . Additional music for this episode was composed by Thomas Ventura. Artwork design by Brad Vetter. Creative Direction by Mary Lucille Noah.

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  Ten Year Town

  Dylan Scott: From Bastrop, Louisiana to Seven #1 Hits | Ten Year Town Ep. 129

  Jul 27, 202643 min

  Dylan Scott is a country artist and songwriter from Bastrop, Louisiana. He is a multi-Platinum artist with seven number one singles at country radio, including the triple-Platinum "My Girl," "Nobody," "New Truck," "Boys Back Home" (with Dylan Marlowe), and his most recent chart-topper, "What He'll Never Have." He has nearly 5 billion career streams, a CMT Music Award for Breakthrough Video of the Year, and a GMA Dove Award. He is currently signed to Curb Records. In this episode, we discuss Dylan's journey from signing a record deal while still in high school — and learning the hard way that a deal doesn't "make it happen" for you — to almost quitting after three failed singles, until a phone call with his future wife convinced him to keep going and inspired him to write "My Girl," his first number one. We also get into the question his wife asked him on the way to a t-ball game that changed how he measures success, and his brand new single, "Dear Big City." There are, of course, many other stops along the way. -------------------------------------------------- This episode is also sponsored by The Graphic Guitar Guys . They create eye-catching custom guitar wraps for some of the biggest artists and festivals in the music industry. Their work is perfect for adding a unique touch to album pre-sale bundles or VIP package items—check them out and discover how they can transform a guitar into a show-stopping work of art. --------------------------------------------------- Troy Cartwright is a Nashville-based artist and songwriter originally from Dallas, Texas. His songs have collectively garnered hundreds of millions of streams, and he is currently signed to Big Machine Music for publishing. Cartwright has written songs recorded by Cody Johnson, Lee Brice, Nickelback, Ryan Hurd, Josh Abbott Band, and has upcoming cuts with several A-list artists. #DylanScott #TenYearTown #CountryMusic. New Episodes every Tuesday. Find the host Troy Cartwright on Twitter , Instagram . Social Channels for Ten Year Town: Youtube Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok This podcast was produced by Ben VanMaarth. Intro and Outro music for this episode was composed by Troy Cartwright, Monty Criswell, and Derek George. It is called "Same" and you can listen to it in it's entirety here . Additional music for this episode was composed by Thomas Ventura. Artwork design by Brad Vetter. Creative Direction by Mary Lucille Noah.

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  Ten Year Town

  The Engagement Trap: Why Great Art Doesn't Chase Attention

  Jul 20, 202611 min

  What happens when a company—or an artist—starts optimizing for engagement instead of trust? In this solo episode, I unpack why Netflix's biggest competitive advantage isn't its algorithms or its catalog, but the relationship it has with its audience. That same tension exists in music, where creators are constantly tempted to simplify, explain, and optimize their work for platforms that reward attention over originality. We talk about the difference between commodities and premium brands, why record labels used to function as curators, how streaming changed the value of recorded music, and why the best songwriters refuse to sand off the very edges that make their work memorable. Ultimately, this episode is about resisting the pressure to make art that's easier to consume—and instead making work that's harder to forget. New Episodes every Tuesday. Find the host Troy Cartwright on Twitter , Instagram . Social Channels for Ten Year Town: Youtube Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok This podcast was produced by Ben VanMaarth. Intro and Outro music for this episode was composed by Troy Cartwright, Monty Criswell, and Derek George. It is called "Same" and you can listen to it in it's entirety here . Additional music for this episode was composed by Thomas Ventura. Artwork design by Brad Vetter. Creative Direction by Mary Lucille Noah.

  ListenShow Notes

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