Matraca Berg on the Nashville Hit Machine, streaming economics, and getting busted by bro country.

We often treat commercial success as the final destination of a creative life, but for legendary songwriter Matraca Berg, it was just the first act. She was the first woman to have five different country No. 1s in a single year and her songs have been recorded by everyone from Linda Ronstadt, Trisha Yearwood, and Deana Carter to the Chicks, Chris Stapleton, and Reba McEntire. Matraca’s catalog defines generations of American songwriting.

We sit down the GRAMMY-nominated member of the Songwriting Hall of Fame to explore the realities of achieving massive success while battling paralyzing stage fright, the transition from the multi-platinum physical sales era of the 1990s to modern streaming, and how she keeps her creative tank full as the industry has changed around her. In a culture obsessed with youth and immediate output, Matraca offers a grounded, reassuring perspective on aging within an art form, artistic alignment, and learning to trust.

In This Episode:

• Matraca Berg
• Ep 147 - Jeff Hanna
• Sudie Calloway
• Mel Tillis
• Joni Mitchell
• Bluebird Cafe
• Clint Black
• Nanci Griffith
• Ep 60 - Lori McKenna
• Bobby Braddock
• Harlan Howard
• Ashley McBryde
• Gary Harrison
• Ep 28 - The Wood Brothers
• Zach Berkman
• Tiger King
• Chris Stapleton
• Ella Langley
• Jessi Colter
• Waylon Jennings
• Maggie Gyllenhaal
• Peter Sarsgaard
• Hill Country Barbecue
• Jake Gyllenhaal
• Minnie Pearl

Go Deeper:

• Watch: View this entire conversation on YouTube.
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• Connect: Join the conversation on Instagram.

The Hosts:

The Other 22 Hours is hosted by Aaron Shafer-Haiss (Producer/Mixer) and Michaela Anne (Songwriter/Creative Coach).

• More about Aaron’s work.
• More about Michaela Anne’s work.

Credits: 

Produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Original music written, performed and produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Part of the Bluegrass Situation Podcast Network.