The music industry is panicking about AI in 2025, and I get it. But before we spiral, let's look at history. In this episode, I break down the "Quartz Crisis" of the 1970s—when Swiss watchmakers faced extinction from cheaper, more accurate Japanese technology—and how they not only survived but thrived by doubling down on craft and human artistry.

The parallels to Nashville's songwriting community are striking. AI can churn out background music and sync tracks, but it can't replicate the human stories, the cultural legacy, or the one-of-one artistry that makes music matter.

In this episode:
• The Swiss watch industry's comeback strategy and what songwriters can learn from it
• Why derivative music is most at risk (and how to avoid making it)
• The case for treating music like treasure, not content
• 3 things new artists should focus on to AI-proof their careers

If you're a songwriter, artist, or just someone who cares about the future of music, this one's for you.

📧 Email me: troycartwright.music@gmail.com
📝 Read more on my Substack: Letters to Myself

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.

Tom Douglas is an ACM Award-Winning and Grammy nominated songwriter signed to Sony Music Publishing. Tom has had his songs cut by many legendary artists including Tim McGraw, Lady A, Keith Urban, Eric Church, and more. His song “The House That Built Me,” recorded by Miranda Lambert, went on to win the Song of the Decade Award at the Academy of Country Music Awards.

On this episode, Tom shares his journey, from moving to Nashville two different times, to having his first Number 1 be a solo-write, how he stays inspired, and much more.

#countrymusic #tomdouglas #mirandalambert #musiccomposition #songwrtiing

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.

Hayes Carll is a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter originally from The Woodlands, Texas. He has written and recorded multiple albums, including KMAG YOYO, Lovers and Leavers, and Trouble In Mind. The 2010 film Country Strong featured his song “Hard Out Here,” and artists like Kenny Chesney, Lee Ann Womack, and Brothers Osborne have recorded his work. His song “Chances Are” was nominated for Best Country Song at the 2016 Grammy Awards.

In this episode, we discuss Hayes’ upbringing, how his time in Crystal Beach helped shape him, the influence of songwriters like Ray Wylie Hubbard on his career, and many other stops along the way.

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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.

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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, Nickelback, Ryan Hurd, Josh Abbott Band, and has upcoming cuts with several A-list artists.

#hayescarll #Songwriter #TenYearTownPodcast #TroyCartwright #TexasCountry #Americana #SingerSongwriter #FolkMusic #CrystalBeach #Galveston #TheWoodlands #OldQuarterAcousticCafe #TexasMusicRevolution #KHYI #LostHighwayRecords #RayWylieHubbard #DrunkenPoetsDream #TroubleInMind #LittleRockAlbum #ChancesAre #DownTheRoadTonight #JimmyBuffett #BobDylan #WillieNelson #TownesVanZandt #JohnPrine #SongwritingProcess #CreativeOutput #CoWriting #MusicCareerAdvice

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.

J.T. Harding is a songwriter originally from Grosse Pointe, Michigan. He has written multiple No. 1 hits, including “Smile” recorded by Uncle Kracker, “Somewhere With You” recorded by Kenny Chesney, and “Sangria” recorded by Blake Shelton. His catalog also includes cuts by artists such as Keith Urban, Darius Rucker, Jake Owen, and others. In addition to his songwriting career, Harding released a memoir in 2022 titled Party Like a Rockstar, chronicling his path into the music business. He is currently published by Sony Music Publishing Nashville.

In this episode, we discuss J.T.’s journey from Michigan to Nashville, the stories behind some of his biggest hits, his creative process, and many other stops along the way.

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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.

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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, Nickelback, Ryan Hurd, Josh Abbott Band, and has upcoming cuts with several A-list artists.

#JTHarding #Songwriter #KennyChesney #BlakeShelton #UncleKracker #SomewhereWithYou #Sangria #CountryMusic #Nashville #Songwriting #HitSongs #PartyLikeA Rockstar #TenYearTown #TroyCartwright #MusicBusiness #CountrySongwriter

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.

We’ll be back with a new episode next week. In the meantime… here is a replay of one our favorite Ten Year Town stories.

Stephen Wilson Jr. is a country singer and songwriter originally from Southern Indiana. He is signed to Big Loud Records and has toured with HARDY, Brothers Osborne and more. Stephen’s debut album “Son of Dad” was released in September 2023 to critical acclaim. In addition to his success as an artist, Stephen has had cuts as a writer with Old Dominion, Brothers Osborne, Caitlyn Smith and others.

In this episode we discuss Stephen’s journey from rural Indiana to middle Tennessee, his previous career as a scientist, his career change to songwriter, and the inspiration behind his record.

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.

Happy thanksgiving everyone! We’re off this week. This is a re-airing one of our favorite episodes from this year.

Ben Rector is a singer songwriter originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Over the past decade, he has built a dedicated fanbase through consistent touring and a catalog of self-written, self-released albums. His 2015 album Brand New debuted in the Billboard Top 10, with the title track going RIAA Platinum. He is currently on tour and just released his new album The Richest Man In The World.

In this episode, we talk about Ben’s journey from indie beginnings to chart success, the business of being a fully independent artist, the pitfalls of the attention economy, and many other stops along the way.

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.

Katie Dean is a music executive originally from Augusta, Georgia, with over two decades of experience in country radio promotion. She previously served as Senior Vice President of Promotion at Universal Music Group Nashville, where she helped lead radio campaigns for artists including Parker McCollum, Jordan Davis, Jon Pardi, and many others. In 2023, she became the label head of Leo33, where she has played a key role in developing CMA Award nominee Zach Top.

In this episode, we discuss Katie’s path through the music industry, how radio promotion really works, her role at Leo33, the rise of Zach Top, and the current landscape of country music labels.

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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.

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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, Nickelback, Ryan Hurd, Josh Abbott Band, and has upcoming cuts with several A-list artists.

#KatieDean #Leo33 #RadioPromotion #CountryMusic #ParkerMcCollum #JordanDavis #JonPardi #ZachTop #MusicIndustry #Nashville #TenYearTown #TroyCartwright #CountryRadio #MusicBusiness #ArtistDevelopment

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.

Ward Davis is a singer, songwriter, and musician originally from Monticello, Arkansas. As a songwriter, his work has been recorded by Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Cody Jinks, Trace Adkins, and many others. He has several critically acclaimed records in his own right, including Black Cats and Crows and songs like "Get To Work Whiskey" and "Another Bad Apple."

In this episode of Ten Year Town, we talk about Ward’s path from Arkansas to Nashville, his evolution as an artist, and the stories behind some of his most powerful songs.

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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, Nickelback, Ryan Hurd, Josh Abbott Band, and has upcoming cuts with several A-list artists.

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.