This Special Event gives you the opportunity to submit your songs for the chance to be handpicked by
Kirby Mathews, VP of Publishing at one of Nashville's hottest artist development companies and publishing houses,
Back Blocks Music. The winner receives a Golden Ticket Invitation that will open the door to an exclusive one-on-one meeting to play your songs for the VP!
HOW IT WORKS: Unlike a traditional pitch, this is a competition with one songwriter ultimately receiving the Golden Ticket Invitation. Kirby will listen to every submission and select her top contenders. Each contender will receive a special
Rising Star Award attached to the selected song. From those contenders, Kirby will choose one writer to receive the
Golden Ticket Invitation. The winner will be announced during our live countdown event,
The Big Reveal..
AI REQUIREMENTS: Please submit songs with human-authored lyrics and human-authored melody only. AI is permitted for backing tracks and/or vocals.
A special note from Kirby about AI productions: AI backing tracks are okay, but they shouldn't be average - especially the vocals. Find some new AI vocalists because we keep hearing the same voices on every Country song.
WHAT TO SUBMIT: You may submit as many songs for this event as you wish. It's highly recommended that you pay attention to the details below about style and references before submitting.
STYLE: Open to anything interesting and original, with an emphasis on today's commercial Country. Fresh lyrics and concepts that current artists would want to record are encouraged. Pop Country is welcome, but submissions should still lean Country rather than pure Pop.
REFERENCES: For a better understanding, Kirby recommends listening to the songs from Back Blocks'
roster of artists who are all actively touring throughout the U.S. and abroad. Dig deeper into the background of these artists to find out more - for example, Ethan Burdick tours with Jelly Roll on select dates. Listen on Spotify to today's commercial Pop Country hits for a sense of current lyrical themes, melodies, and production trends.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: Make sure your songs (MP3 and typed lyrics) are in your Song Locker.
*In the Pitching area, choose a song from the Song Locker drop-down.
* All submissions will be prompted for AI transparency.
* There is an optional Note to Pitch Guest field if you feel more info is needed.
*SU credits will be needed to complete the submission.
CONTENDER NOTIFICATION: Kirby will be listening throughout the submission period. You will receive an email from SongU.com when she makes a decision on your song, letting you know if it was passed on or selected as a contender. (Make sure your emails from SongU.com are not sent to your junk/spam folder.) Our guests often review several songs more than once before deciding, so you may receive multiple emails in a short time. This does not reflect when your song was first heard.
LIVE WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT: The Big Reveal! Watch the SongU homepage announcements and instructor-led course schedule after the submission deadline for SPEC-480. This is a live Q&A with Kirby and the announcement of the Golden Ticket Invitation winner. Register through your Live Course Activity page. The session will be recorded, and a transcript provided.
By submitting to this Special Event, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to the
Event Terms.