A Sample Of Our Work
Posted: March 24, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentAnybody Better Than Me
from the upcoming Swanson’s album, produced at Nashville Trax, with
Brent Mason all guitars; Jenee Fleenor violin; Bill Watson producer, arranger, bass guitar; Jim Riley drums; Steve King Keyboards; Britini Black background vocals
Lead vocals by The Swansons ©2025 The Swansons Music
Here’s another by the Swanson’s, also produced here at Nashville Trax with the same producing/musician team:
Forever
L to Rt: Jenee Fleenor, Bill Watson, Angie Finley, Joe Finley, Jim Riley, Brent Mason
Additional samples of our work can be found here:
Like what you hear? Would you like us to help produce your project? Call or text us at 615-319-8616
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We Can Provide the Tracks! Nashville Tracks!
Posted: September 1, 2024 Filed under: Home Music Production, Music Industry News, Nashville Session Musicians, Uncategorized | Tags: bass guitar, Fiddle, nashville tracks, pedal steel, track, tracks Leave a commentText us at 615-319-8616
Or vist Nashville Trax
Or e-mail nashtrax@bellsouth.net
Need Pro Session Musicians on your Project? 1 track, several tracks or your song fully produced, our Nashville Trax team will work with you!
We can provide the best of the best Nashville session players on your song(s).
Fiddle
Background Vocals
Pedal Steel
Akademia Hall of Fame Inducts The Greatest Gift!
Posted: September 20, 2023 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentCongrats to long time Nashville Trax clients, The Greatest Gift, on their recent induction into the Akademia Hall of Fame!
They play approximately 240 concerts per year. They have recently achieved Platinum status on one of their releases. They have brought many souls to Christ. They have won other prestigious awards throughout their career. No question they deserve it!
Your Music Produced and Played by Professionals!
Posted: December 12, 2022 Filed under: Music Industry News, Uncategorized Leave a comment
Music Producer Bill Watson and the session musicians here at Nashville Trax can do it! …Demo, Single, LP, or a full blown album!
In business since 2004- eighteen years with roots extending even beyond that- we’ve thrilled a long list of clients, and we can make that same jaw-dropping-level project happen for you!
Please take a look through the pages of this blog, It details what we’re all about and features many samples of our work.
“Before I go into details on this new project, I’d like to thank you guys for the tracks you played for my last project. I had a vocal recording session with my co-writer last Sunday and after recording some good vocals and mixing things down the song sounds very nice with your tracks. just absolutely stunning job. Thanks!”- Walter Troubadour, Alsace–Lorraine, France
To get the ball rolling on your project, give us a call or drop a text to: 615-319-8616
Chelsea, one of the highly talented singers at Nashville Trax…rock, blues..great harmony/backgrounds..maybe she’ll sing on your project?
Britt sings great pop, gospel, Christian..fantastic harmony and background vocals. Got a song for her? Text us 615-319-8616
Vinyl is back! Are Hula Hoops and Bobby Socks Next?
Posted: January 12, 2022 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentWeren’t we done with “records” “cassingles” and the like a couple decades ago? Didn’t new and supposedly better tech push those and many other “no longer useful” items into a huge pile to decay on the scrap heap of history?
Not so fast.
The Recording Industry of America reports that vinyl record sales, which first overtook CD sales in 2020, have been increasing for a decade now. And they’re up substantially over the two year pandemic period, by as much as an additional 200%.
But it’s not just vinyl records making a comeback. Another once nearly extinct item, the cassette tape, has also increased year-after-year in sales that now total in the six figures over this past twelve month period.
As more and more listeners choose vinyl and cassettes, the case for songwriters to make a portion of their work available in these old school formats is building, and some singer-songwriters already have.
For example, the Los Angeles based duo, The Swansons, have recorded three full albums here at Nashville Trax, are midway through a fourth, and just re-released their popular second album done here, titled Bam!, on vinyl…. red vinyl, no less.
Yes, far more people have cell phones to play an mp3 than have record players or cassette tape players at this point in history, but even if your vinyl record sales don’t track quite strong enough to turn a profit, there’s a certain coolness factor to having product in a retro format that can make releasing on cassette, on vinyl, or both, a good business decision regardless. It’s also uncommon enough, with many people, including members of the press, not realizing the comeback is on, that it can help your act obtain articles and interviews.
Since we are discussing old things becoming new again, there’s this kinda sorta related fact:
Did you know that all growth in the music business is coming from decades old songs? Yes, really. Newly written and produced material is actually experiencing a decrease, proof and details here:
Is Old Music Killing New Music?
But what what does this interesting, little known fact, mean for songwriting, if anything? Your songwriting?
Not much. Make no mistake, the trend line may not be in their favor, but the numbers that “new music decline” are based on were huge so even with a decline, new Christian, country and pop artists are still enjoying plenty of radio airplay and are still building lucrative careers. There is plenty of opportunity to write and market your songs in those genres.
If you’re an independent songwriter/performer you don’t want to sound dated of course, that’s often the kiss of death for someone plugging their latest tune. But food for thought: if you can incorporate the best aspects of the material that was popular in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s into your writing- the super catchy hooks, the cool arrangements, while having your demos produced with a modern spin, you may tie into something of a hybrid nature that can grab airplay and sell in big numbers to both the diminishing demographic that loves the new songs, and also appeals to the older demographic that is tiring of listening to Heart’s These Dreams” on their local oldies station for the 3,000th time.
That influence can be subtle, it can be overt, such as the Kidd Rock riffing on Sweet Home Alabama in “All Summer Long”, or downright blatant the way De Jay Silver recorded a rap tune that sampled bits of the Alabama country hit “Dixieland Delight”.
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The first step to releasing your songs on mp3, CD, Vinyl or cassette is to have a professional recording produced. Nashville Trax can guide you through the entire production process. Interested? Drop us an e-mail at nashtrax@bellsouth.net
The Swansons Rock Revelry!
Posted: May 1, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Bill Watson, Brent Mason, Nashville Based Musicians, nashville trax, The Swansons Leave a commentThe Swansons out of Southern California, regulars at venues such as Sunset Station in Las Vegas and Whiskey A Go Go in Los Angeles, perform their first show in the Nashville area at Revelry, . backed up by Nashville Trax session musicians Brent Mason on guitar, Bill Watson on bass guitar, Jim Riley on drums, Jenee Fleenor on Fiddle, Steve King keyboards and Mike Douchette on steel.
Need A Steel Guitar Track for Your Project? Or the Best?
Posted: September 23, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentSimply e-mail NashTrax@bellsouth.net
“What a great performance! Thanks for the quick turnaround and for the stellar track. This is totally what I was after.” Dave F.
Song: New Colors.
Pedal Steel
Getting YOUR pedal steel guitar track online is easy!
1, Export your current mix as a .wav or mp3 file (start your bounce at zero).
2. E-mail or dropbox it to nashtrax@bellsouth.net
3. E-mail any notes you have or let our session pro decide what to play.
4. Pay via paypal.com to nashtrax@bellsouth.net
THAT’S IT!
You’ll soon receive a steel file you can drop in and will automatically line up.
Mr, Johnny, a Nashville legend..
Steve Sturm, 7 years with Travis Tritt.
Timmy Basieski…a great young player breaking out in the Nashville recording scene.
We have the player you need!
Need to add the best Pedal Steel Guitar track Nashville has to offer to your project? And at a reasonable price? Questions? Text 615-319-8616 NOW!
Is Your Songwriting Dated?
Posted: August 26, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentWhen your song is pitched, there are many things that can knock it out of contention.
One of those things is your presentation sounding, or even looking, dated. That can be in the writing itself, or in the subject matter, or the demo recording.
It’s often the kiss of death if an A&R person is thinking, “This could have been a hit back in the 80’s, not now”. But that happens… a lot.
If it’s friends and family you’re writing for, no problem, write what you like, nothing here applies to you. But if you’re hoping for a cut with a major label artist you likely have little choice but to “run the A&R gauntlet”. They are the gatekeepers, so to speak, between you and the final decision maker, either the artist, , their manager, their produce, the record label or all of the above.
Many writers get mentally entrenched in what was popular in their formative years, not realizing how much radio hits have changed over time. Or maybe its not recognizing how much influence their formative years still have on their writing, even when intentionally attempting to craft something more modern.
The instruments change. The way records are mixed changes. Listen to 3 or 4 hits, country, pop or whatever genre you prefer, from the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s 80’s etc. on up to current hits. you’ll hear dramatic differences every 10 to 20 years.
Lyrics change. The culture changes. The population ages.
One thing to be very careful about is when you attempt to reference something familiar and/or universal in your song. If you reference a famous movie star, will the younger people who buy most of the records even know who you are talking about? Stadiums and teams get re-named. Products go out of production, stores go out of business. Slang and cliches fall out of favor and new terms take their place. In the 70’s most Americans knew who The Duke was- John Wayne- not so much now.
Even a dated approach can lessen your chances. Mailing in a cassette tape for example. Cassettes have not been popular or used much in the music industry in over twenty years. Even CDs have largely given way to mp3 files, although some A&R still request pitches on CD. Most communication these days occurs via e-mail, not the postal service,. Mailing in a cassette or an inquiry letter will impart the impression that you are old, out of touch and clueless.
Musically things have changed greatly too. Today’s country radio is a far cry from the music of Johnny Cash or Tammy Wynette. Twangy guitars and minimal, basic drums have been replaced with mostly rock and pop sounds.
Review your catalog or have it reviewed by someone who won’t pull punches. Be sure your songs are similar in terms of lyric content and overall sound to what’s getting played on radio right now. If not, updating or writing new songs is in order.
The best way to stop living and working in the past is simply to listen to more modern music regularly. In your early years you probably listened to a steady diet of what are now oldies. Can you honestly say you’ve embraced the modern music you are hoping to get a break with in that same way? If not, that may part, or all, of your problem.
Life Is So Unfair! Releases this week!
Posted: August 14, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentThe Thompsons, a family band from Canada had Nashville Trax produce this track titled, Life Is So Unfair, this past winter and it’s finally being released, you can hear it on Spotify.
Lead singer Danielle.
“Life Is So Unfair” written by Danny and Danielle Thompson.
Produced by Bill Watson for Nashville Trax.
For more about this exciting band visit
And be sure to attend one of their shows listed on the site!
The Thompson’s Band Video- Music Cut At Nashville Trax- Released!
Posted: June 19, 2019 Filed under: Samples of Our Work, Uncategorized Leave a commentRecorded, Mixed and Mastered For the Canadian Women’s Trucker Association, by producer Bill Watson of Nashville Trax:
How To Make Your Self-Produced Album Sound A Lot More Professional
Posted: August 17, 2018 Filed under: Studio Services, Uncategorized | Tags: help making CD, help prodicg album Leave a comment
The four CDs above were released this year and Nashville Trax helped make them happen. Yet the we helped was different for each project.
Planning your next album? Interfacing with Nashville Trax can help make it more professional than any music you’ve created before.
Here are four different ways artists chose to work with us to achieve a better result than they could muster on their own:
The upper left CD by The Greatest Gift was an eight song album, one of many we’ve done for this Christian, three-piece vocal group. The group’s songwriter sent us his rough originals recorded with just piano and vocal.
We charted his songs and cut all new music tracks. The group then added their vocals to those tracks in a local studio near them in the New England area and mixed the project there.
As we’ve worked with them on several CD projects, they’ve gone from playing on Sunday’s at their local church to appearing on television, winning awards and scoring hits on the Gospel charts.
Lower Left: The Swansons first album: We cut all the music tracks using our Nashville Trax A Team. Based in the Los Angeles area, the Swansons came to Nashville and cut their vocals here at Nashville Trax then we mixed here in Nashville using three different mix and mastering studios, including here at Nashville Trax.
Country This has garnered considerable radio airplay in the United States and birthed two charting singles. We are now (1-31-23) about half way through producing their 3rd followup album. In between we produced their “Bam” and “Amazing Love” albums.
Upper Right: Rootstock was an album project we added individual instrument tracks as needed, steel on several songs, fiddle on a few songs, etc. providing musical muscle.
Lower Right: This group is based in Norway. We cut every instrument track, they added their vocals at a studio in Norway, sent them back to us where we mixed and mastered. This Christian group reports that CD sales are going extremely well with many hundreds sold the first few days, nearly recouping their investment within hours of release.
In each case the group or artist mentioned above possessed a high degree of talent, but no one is an expert at everything. We were able to provide top notch equipment, world class musicians, professional engineering and guidance in a symbiotic fashion, to make their projects superior to what they could have accomplished alone.
We can help you too! e-mail nashtrax@bellsouth.net with a description of your project, what you wish to achieve and how you believe we might help out. Or text/call producer Bill Watson at 615-319-8616.
The Greatest Gift’s New Video, Music Recorded at Nashville Trax!
Posted: April 3, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentThey started working with Nashville Trax a few years ago, just another local Christian act playing at their local church.
Some 70 + Nashville Trax Produced songs and performance tracks later, they signed a development deal, have been on radio throughout the U.S. and made the Grammy ballot!
Music Credits:
Steve King: Piano & String pads
Jenee Fleenor: Violins
Jim Riley: Drums
Bill Watson: Bass Guitar
Tom Wild: Guitars
Music Engineered and Arranged by Bill Watson
This project is a great example of how we interface with artists and studios outside of Nashville.
Working with this Christian group’s rough piano/vocal, Bill Watson charted the music. Upon completion he forwarded it to a studio near the group where they recorded vocals, mixed and did the video.
Some clients do vocals then Dropbox the files back for mixing here, such as the album we did recently for a Christian group in Norway.
You can do your demo, your single or your album the same way!
Take advantage of our musicianship and production skills, add your vocals without leaving your home area!
Interested? Text 615-319-8616 OR e-mail nashtrax@bellsouth.net with details about your project.
A Songwriting & Recording Blog 