{"podcast":{"title":"Music of America Podcast","slug":"music-of-america-podcast-6383665","podcast_index_feed_id":6383665,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/music-of-america-podcast/","website_url":"https://www.musicofamericapod.com","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/aedb743a-8cfb-4e97-a0f9-b805f7c61a0a/Tom-s-Logo-JPEG-copy.jpg","author":"Tom Pollard","episode_count":750,"summary":"Each week we feature a daily guest from a featured state of that week. We begin with Alabama and end the season with Wyoming artists. Monday - Friday a different guest from the music industry will be on hand talking about their craft, from artists to producers, manufacturers, promoters....Every day a different guest...every week a different state. (www.musicofamericapod.com)","last_synced_at":"2026-07-27T12:17:21.869020+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/music-of-america-podcast-6383665"},"episode":{"title":"GHOST WRITERS - SOUTH DAKOTA - SEASON 3","slug":"ghost-writers-south-dakota-season-3","published_at":"2026-04-24T05:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/music-of-america-podcast-6383665/ghost-writers-south-dakota-season-3","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/music-of-america-podcast-6383665","url":"https://musicofamericapod.com/ghost-writers-south-dakota-season-3","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/79e6b324-63eb-4d9c-8871-2284a06f9363.mp3","summary":"Songwriting duo Ghost Writers discuss their transition from South Dakota roots to the Nashville music scene. The conversation explores the craft of writing hits for major country artists and the creative drive behind their new project.","meta_description":"Explore the songwriting journey of Ghost Writers, from South Dakota farms to Nashville hits for artists like Luke Bryan and Reba McEntire.","key_points":["Main idea: Ghost Writers is a collaborative songwriting project born from a shared desire to create music that satisfies personal artistic standards","Practical takeaway: Successful songwriting requires studying an artist's distinct identity and finding the specific 'puzzle pieces' that fit their unique style","Failure mode: Relying solely on record labels for direction can be difficult, as labels often withhold crucial information about song tempos and existing album themes","Industry insight: The Nashville ecosystem relies heavily on long-standing relationships between songwriters, engineers, and producers","Personal motivation: The drive to write 'worthy' music often supersedes the pursuit of commercial success or industry trends"],"chapters":[{"start_ms":410000,"title":"The Creative Drive","summary":"The duo discusses the importance of writing music that is personally satisfying and worthy of being recorded."},{"start_ms":720000,"title":"Musical Roots","summary":"A look back at early musical influences and the transition from playing drums to songwriting."},{"start_ms":1030000,"title":"From Farms to Songwriting","summary":"How shared upbringing on South Dakota farms influenced the creation of their song 'Backbone'."},{"start_ms":2020000,"title":"Memories of the Road","summary":"Reflections on early touring experiences and opening for major acts like Alabama."},{"start_ms":2340000,"title":"The Shift to Ghost Writing","summary":"Discussing the decision to focus on songwriting as the industry landscape and label priorities change."},{"start_ms":3390000,"title":"Navigating the Nashville Machine","summary":"The challenges of writing for various artists and the importance of understanding an artist's unique identity."},{"start_ms":3720000,"title":"Legacy and Storytelling","summary":"A discussion on the impact of hit singles and the role of personal history in songwriting."}],"topics":["Songwriting","Country Music","Nashville","South Dakota","Music Industry","Ghost Writers","Music Production","Music History"],"duration_seconds":4379,"processing_state":"processed","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/music-of-america-podcast-6383665/episodes/ghost-writers-south-dakota-season-3/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/music-of-america-podcast-6383665/ghost-writers-south-dakota-season-3.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}