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The CLIMB Show by Brent Baxter, Team SWPro on October 14, 2025
Here are the winners of Songwriting Pro's "Play For A Publisher" event for September 2025!
First of all, thank you to each of you who took a chance, took positive action, and submitted one or more songs to this event with Kirby Mathews of Riser House Music. Ya’ll are just plain awesome.
There were a lot of worthy songs sent in, and it was tough to leave so many out. If your song wasn’t chosen this time doesn’t mean that it isn’t a good song.
You know, one time I turned a song in to my publisher, and they didn’t know what to do with it, so they didn’t want to do anything with it. My co+writers wanted to demo it, and the publisher said they wouldn’t pay for a demo.
The song was called, “Crickets,” and we got it cut by Joe Nichols. It’s the title track to one of his albums.
That’s right. The song my publisher wouldn’t even pay to demo got cut, anyway. (My cowriters did an out-of-pocket guitar/vocal, and we pitched it ourselves.)
Welcome to Nashville. So while each and every song was heard and every effort was made to pick the ones that have the best chance of catching Kirby’s ear… I could be wrong. That’s just the way the music biz works. So if your song wasn’t selected, it doesn’t mean you should give up on it.
Okay, here are the Top Ten (in no particular order):
"DOIN' NOTHIN'" by Amy Denson
"X-BOX" by Elizabeth Eckert, Derek James & Brad McKinney
"DEAR WOMAN" by Jayne Sachs
"FOREVER FOR A LITTLE WHILE" by Doug Folkins, Justin Love, Troy Castellano
"FLOATIN'" by Lew Garrison, Nolan Sotillo
"HELL BOUND FOR LYNCHBURG" by John Roberton
"HOLY SMOKES" by James Hawkins, Aaron Loy, Sam Fink
"SOMETHING IN THE WATER" by Kris Crepeau, Greg Wilson, Jesse Felder
"CAFE' COWBOY" by Kris Tiscareno, Mike Parker, Paul Lombardo
"I'LL GO TO TEXAS" by Patrick Dodge, Tori Martin, Meagan Allen
You can hear each Top 10 song with a CLICK HERE. Let us know what you think!
Kirby and I look forward to meeting with you (online) on October 21! Keep your eyes open for the invitation in your email.
Of course, these weren't the only good songs sent in for the event. Here's the list of the "Top 20" songs. These were the next 10 songs, just outside of the Top 10. Any of these songs could have ended up in the top 10 - they were right in there fighting it out for a spot in the Top 10. And there were several that were SO close to making this list, too. So please be encouraged, and keep on writing!
Okay, here are the 10 "Top 20" songs (in no particular order):
"HOMETOWN WITHOUT ME" by Graham Cossick, Kelly McKay, Steve Smentek
"MISSOURI, SHOW ME" by Blake Bard
"WON'T BE YOU TONIGHT" by Doug Folkins, Annika Catharina, Aidan Johnson-Bujold
"GRANDPA'S TRUCK" by Lew Garrison, Brock Berryhill, Josh Pruno
"IN MY SHOES" by Jennifer Katusha
"WANNA WRITE A COUNTRY SONG" by Jim King
"DOIN' ALRIGHT" by Patrick Dodge, Jay Brunswick
"ALMOST HAD TO DIE" by Scott Miller, Lee Johnson
"NATURAL" by Wayne Pope
"I LAND" by Will Gunnell, Jr.
You can hear each of the "On Hold" songs with a CLICK HERE. Let us know what you think!
God bless,
Brent
PS- Thanks for stopping by Songwriting Pro! I appreciate it. As a matter of fact, I want to give you a gift just for your visit. It's my FREE PDF e-book, "6 Ways To Make Your Songs More Commercial." It'll help you write songs that artists want to sing and fans want to hear. You can get this awesome gift at 6simpleways.SongwritingPro.com.
Who is Brent Baxter?
Brent is an award-winning songwriter with songs recorded by Alan Jackson (the top 5 Country hit "Monday Morning Church"), Randy Travis, Lady A, Joe Nichols, Ray Stevens, Steve Cropper, Andy Griggs, Buddy Jewell, Lonestar, Gord Bamford (the #1 hit and CCMA Single Of The Year "When Your Lips Are So Close"), The Sound (the #1 hit and Dove-nominated Southern Gospel Song Of The Year "Can I Get A Witness"), Wilburn & Wilburn (#1 single), The LeFevre Quartet, Dave Adkins (the #1 Bluegrass hit, "She Put The Go In Gone) and more!
