From Nowhere to Nashville – The small-time country artist’s keys to success
Andy Miller had never picked up a guitar until the summer after he graduated from high school in Ellaville, Georgia. After a couple of years of learning a few things from his dad and YouTube videos about playing the guitar, Miller began to play at parties and at the local bar for fun.
“Then while I was working one day,” Miller said, “my dad said to me, ‘you think you might want to go to Nashville?’”
Later that day, Miller was on the phone with Ellaville native Brent Cobb, who had just sold a song to Luke Bryan.
Miller moved to the Music City just two weeks later.
Small town artists like Miller know that becoming a famous Nashville recording artist won’t come easy, but they do have the idea of how to get there: talent, hard work, and most importantly - connections.
Nearly two years after Miller has moved to Nashville, he is working for Nashville recording artist and Georgia native Craig Campbell (“Outta My Head”) selling merchandise to sellout crowds across the country. Although this was not his plan, he knows this is “a step in the right direction.”
“I got this job just because of the people I’ve gotten to know while I’ve lived here,” Miller said. “I can’t even tell you how pivotal that is to meet people.”
Trea Landon’s story doesn’t differ much. At the age of 17, the Claxton, Ga. native played his first show at Rum Runners, a college bar across the street from Georgia Southern University.
“It was intimidating before [the show], but the minute I started playing, I knew that’s what I wanted to do.” Landon said.
Like Miller, Landon is now living in Nashville pursuing his dream of becoming a professional country artist. He agrees that it’s a business that revolves around networking.
“You’ve got to have talent, but 70 percent of [getting noticed] is about who you know. It’s a ‘luck of the draw’ type thing.” he said.
Landon attributes getting to where he is today by just meeting the right people, and he knows that’s what will ultimately get him to the next step in his career.
On the other hand, Roger Jackson, another small town Georgian and Nashville recording artist, believes that meeting the right people is only half of the battle to stardom.
“I…feel that [knowing people] refers to life in general, not just the music business,” he said. “You just have to work hard, then work hard some more…You have to be patient, ‘cause the wheels turn very slow in this business.”
Jackson is no stranger to the “weekend tour.” He travels hundreds of miles a weekend to play for just a couple of hours a night and make back the money he spent on gas. On a normal weekend, he can be found playing in Buckhead, Savannah, Statesboro, and other college towns, but he knows these shows are an important step in showing his fans that he is a hard worker.
Jackson understands that everyone in Nashville is talented and a hard worker, no matter where they come from.
“When I moved to Nashville, everyone was very nice and everyone is very talented,” he said. “I've met some great writers and written tons of songs there.
