“I learned things but, at the same time, I had things I already knew re-affirmed,” Matthew Francis Andersen said of his recent “dream co-writing session” with Texas songwriter Hayes Carll. Anderson took the grand prize in the 2012 American Songwriter Lyric Contest for his song “Blue Line,” which competed with five other winners for the [...]

OmniSound Studios, one of Nashville’s leading recording studios for the past 25 years, will serve as the “official studio partner” for the American Songwriter Lyric Contest for 2012 and 2013. “We are proud to offer our legendary and historic Grammy award producing studios to the grand prize winner of the lyric contest,” said Chris Holloway, general manager [...]

“We all have our different writing style. But what I appreciate about Corb’s style is that it is clever and witty and smart — smarter than most — and not in an obnoxious way but, to me, in an interesting way. Stephen Hawking writing songs would be a drag.” – Hayes Carll on his friend [...]

PBS will air a new episode of Austin City Limits this Saturday. Filmed in Nashville, it focuses on the eleventh annual Americana Honors and Awards ceremony, held this past September at the Ryman Auditorium. Alabama Shakes, Booker T. Jones, Richard Thompson, Hayes Carll, The Mavericks, and Jason Isbell are among the eighteen artists who perform [...]

Corb Lund describes the process of writing lyrics like this: “It’s like pulling individual hairs out of my head, one by one until I’m left with a mohawk, and the mohawk is the song. Very painful.” We talked to the Americana artist about his approach to his craft, his acclaimed album Cabin Fever, co-writing with [...]

Brandi Carlile performed at the Cannery Ballroom in Nashville on Friday as part of the 2012 Americana Music Festival. Meanwhile, at the adjoining Mercy Lounge, a Levon Helm all-star tribute concert was raging, highlighted by a performance of “The Weight” by Hayes Carll, Paterson Hood and Jason Isbell.

  We are currently accepting entries for the November/December Lyric Contest. This will be last Lyric Contest of the year in which you’ll be eligible to win a “Dream Co-Write” with award-winning singer-songwriter Hayes Carll. Carll, who wrote American Songwriter’s #1 Song of 2011 “Another Like You,” shares his thoughts on songwriting, co-writes and more here. Enter now for [...]

Listen on Spotify Bob Dylan, “Talking Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues” With his current dour demeanor, it’s easy to forget how funny Dylan can be. He and his make-believe family go on one doozy of a picnic in this Bootleg Series howler. The talking blues format was borrowed, but the jokes are all Dylan’s. Choice [...]

American Songwriter is excited to announce that the Grand Prize “Dream Co-Write” for our 2012 Amateur Lyric Contest will be with award winning singer-songwriter Hayes Carll.  Carll, who wrote American Songwriter’s #1 Song of 2011 “Another Like You” shared his thoughts on songwriting, co-writes and more here. Click the link below to enter your lyrics for [...]

Want to win a co-write with Hayes Carll? Enter out 2012 Lyric Contest. How old were you when you first started writing songs? I was probably 14 or so when I wrote my first one. I was really just scribbling down lines more than writing songs back then. I wasn’t really sure what medium they [...]

For the past decade, Hayes Carll has spent the bulk of his time on the road, peddling his boozy, brainy country songs to audiences across the country. And like every road warrior, he’s got a few peculiar habits when it comes to passing the time between gigs. “I listen to a lot of right-wing talk [...]

A great American songwriter once wrote, “Jingle bells/ Batman smells/ Robin laid an egg.” We may never know the author of that timeless composition, but here’s 20 more great holiday songs whose origins are not in doubt. Season’s greetings, y’all. 1. Paul Simon – “Getting Ready For Christmas Day” 2. Hayes Carll – “Grateful for [...]