Songwriter Spotlight: Bob DiPiero on Staying Present in a Changing Nashville

 

“Indian Summer,” “Little Rock,” and “Southern Voice” all have something in common: being penned by Bob DiPiero, a wonderful, larger than life character and someone who has been staple in the songwriting community for four decades. DiPiero is responsible for the stories behind songs that have been cut by some of the greatest country artists of our time, including George Strait, Reba McEntire, and Brooks and Dunn. He has a way with words, ideas and melodies that has provided this generation with incredible records to dance to, cry to, and certainly make memories to.

Prior to taking the stage at New York City’s quaint Joe’s Pub, DiPiero sat down with The Shotgun Seat to tell us stories about his biggest hits and how forty years in the business has shaped him as a person and a songwriter. He didn’t grow up listening to Cash, Willie, or Waylon, who many in the industry are quick to name-check; instead, he found himself a member of rock and roll bands.

“I go all the way back to seeing the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, that was my spiritual conversion,” he says. “From that moment on that was it, it was all I wanted to do, and it was all I ended up doing. Songwriting just came out of watching the Stones and the Beatles and these guys write their songs, so I guess I’ll be a songwriter, blissful ignorance, I’ll do that. I think it’s worked out alright,” he laughs, “I haven’t had to get a day job yet.”

All joking aside, DiPiero gets serious when discussing the state of the songwriting industry in current times. “It is brutal out there now,” he says. “I think there are 80% less songwriters that can actually say they are making a living songwriting compared to five or ten years ago. The young writers are coming up and it is their normal. They don’t know about the money that was generated and could be generated without streaming.”

“It is a bad situation,” he continues, “and I think it’s going to take a lot. I think it is going to take the government to change our laws.” Taking an active role in changing legislation, DiPiero supports NSAI and the efforts they take, meeting with politicians monthly to discuss the state of the songwriting community and its revenue streams.

 

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Back in Nashville, DiPiero sees the change in the genre happening all around him. “I think it is natural; the only thing that doesn’t change is that everything changes,” he says. “You just have to embrace it, and I can only speak for myself, but I just embrace the change.” He discusses witnessing the talent that is coming to Nashville; the writers are young and driven and due to the beauty of the internet they can easily draw inspiration and teach themselves what works in the craft and what doesn’t.

“You have to be able to adapt,” he says. “That is why I have the long career that I have, I am a student I just keep learning. Unfortunately I have a lot of friends who have written in the past who haven’t been so able to change and who have resisted it and it’s been bad for them.” He advises young songwriters, “It is always tough, this business. It’s unbelievably competitive but if you are meant to do this, you’ll do it.” He says it’s important for up and coming songwriters to remain persistent without being a pest and to remain honest with themselves. Authenticity is key, he says, especially in Nashville.

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Bob DiPiero, Lee Thomas Miller, Drew Baldridge and Tim Nichols performing at CMA Songwriter Series on May 25th 2016

For over ten years, he and many others have been dedicated to bringing a small part of Nashville to the Big Apple. The CMA Songwriters Series was originated by DiPiero a decade ago when the CMA Awards were held at Madison Square Garden. Being on the board at the Country Music Association, he was approached to bring a songwriter event to the city as well. Feeling that the songwriting community wasn’t being highlighted, he found the intimate Joe’s Pub to host this event. Country music doesn’t typically come to mind when thinking of New York City, but the CMA Songwriter Series over the course of the past ten years has been a way for artists and songwriters alike to bridge that gap. Dierks Bentley, Brandy Clark, Tim Nichols, and on this night for the first time Drew Baldridge are just some names who played their first NYC shows at this round.  “I think what has happened over 10 years there has been a tipping point here in NY, it is like preaching the hillbilly gospel, it is better for someone to see the songwriter show then try and describe it.”

With fifteen number one hits under his belt, we asked if he has a favorite song out of all of the ones he has written. “A personal favorite of mine is a song I wrote with Vince Gill called ‘Worlds Apart,'” he says. “When we wrote that song we were both going through very traumatic breakups.” The song peaked at number five on the charts; Gill won a Grammy award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for the song. “I always felt kind of naked when I listen to it because it was just so real,” DiPiero says.

DiPiero also shared the backstory on his Brooks & Dunn co-write, “Indian Summer.” After going on the road many times with the duo, DiPiero noted that after they would perform, Brooks would come onto the bus soaking wet; while others might be exhausted from a show, Brooks would ask DiPiero, “Alright, what ya got?” “Indian Summer” started just this way, on Brooks’ bus. After discussing the initial concept, they called Dunn to come over from his bus and work on the melody. Ultimately, the song was finished days later through text messages between DiPiero, Brooks and Dunn. “Sometimes songwriters wear antennas and we just try to pull it in,” DiPiero says. “If we can stay out of the way of everything else we can come up with something.”

DiPiero continues to write in Nashville, even venturing out of country music, most recently writing a song with pop star Fancy called “Boys Like You,” which features the vocals of Ariana Grande and Megan Trainor. When chatting with us about writing a song for the pop genre he explained, “What I believe is, a great song is a great song and you can dress it up in any kind of clothing, you can do it country, an EDM version of a great song, if the bones are there it’ll be a great song.”

 

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