Thank you so much for chatting with us! What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given about pursuing a career in music? The best advice I’ve ever received is 1.) believe in your music and 2.) hope “they” forget to say no. The music business is beyond challenging, driven most by preference, and the best tool you have is to remain confident in what you're doing. “Hoping they forget to say no” is really all about the sheer amount of rejection you receive as an up & coming artist, musician, and songwriter. You just “hope” they forget to say “no” one time, which allows the next door to open.
You’ve played a lot of stages with a lot of big artists, is there anyone you’ve been star struck by? I’ve been blessed to open for many incredible acts, but without a doubt, my favorite was meeting Neal McCoy. When touring, you don’t get much time to yourself, and certainly don’t get much time to get to know others as you go from town to town. But, Neal was different and he invited my wife and I to dinner with him & Billy Dean. We really got to know each other as people; not just the guy singing songs. Neal even came out to watch my show…and that’s something I will never forget. He’s a real man of honor and dignity and I’m blessed to have had that opportunity.
You recently released your new single, “No More” that you also wrote. Tell us about the writing process and where the idea came from. The short version is this song idea came out of a challenge from a publisher in Nashville that has really invested in my development as a writer. Specifically, I was asked to share my favorite country song from the ‘90s that was upbeat, and my immediate answer was “That Ain’t My Truck” by Rhett Akins. So, I had the title of “No More” in my list of potential hook ideas for a bit, and thought I could write the opposite of the story Rhett wrote. Same premise: the girl makes the decision on who she wants to be with, but also leaves some space for the listener to apply their own thoughts and experiences that would feed into her decision. Most importantly, the good guy wins, and that’s the message many need to hear today.
Is there any news of a forthcoming album? I’ve really been sharpening my writing skills the last four years, and I have some pretty cool things happening with songs in my catalog. One of the coolest things is seeing other artists take these songs to the studio, and I have a handful of very personal songs that I share to my live audiences which are slated for release by me soon.
What is the one thing you can tell us that most people don’t know about you and might surprise us? Surprise? Hmmm…I’m a pretty normal guy that just loves music. I’ve had a lot of life experiences which have really molded me into who I am today, but I’d say a lot of people don’t know I was a firefighter/EMT for many years. I used to grab my guitar and sing in the engine bays during shift when we weren’t out on runs.
At the end of the day, what do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people take away from your songs? One of the greatest things to experience as a songwriter/artist is to witness fans sing the songs back to you. For me, those moments are the pinnacle of achievement to know those lyrics resonated so much with the listener they remember & feel it. Being relatable & authentic are the most important things in my lyric writing. My hope with any song I write is it touches the listener in a way that sparks emotion. A smile, a tear, a deep breath, or just jumping out on the dance floor, emotions are good for the soul.
How do you drink your coffee? Highly caffeinated with sugar free French vanilla creamer!
What’s on your pizza? Do you fold your pizza or eat it straight on? Ranch or no ranch? My preference has changed over the years, but my current favorite pizza is cauliflower crust with turkey pepperoni. It is the bomb!! No ranch on the pizza….only on salad and chicken wings.
If I was your bartender, what would you order? Every venue I perform at regularly knows I’m a Jack Daniel’s & Coke guy. Preferably, Coke Zero, but if not available, Diet Coke. No ice!
What’s your favorite breakfast? A little restaurant my family frequents has a breakfast special called the “Sunrise” and it is my favorite! Biscuits & sausage gravy, 2 eggs sunny side up, and bacon. It’s a guilty pleasure after church.
If you could be sponsored by one food/drink brand, who would it be & why? Currently, I would have to say Coke Zero would be my choice for sponsorship. I make my health & fitness a priority, and I really like the fact that I can just get a good ole’ Coke without all of the sugar.
Singer/Songwriter Trace Thompson is based out of Greenwood, IN, but travels to Nashville, TN monthly for co-writes & shows. Trace really jumped into the artist lane in 2018 when he released his debut album Get It Right, which landed on nationally syndicated radio, as well as earning him over 30 award nominations across multiple platforms resulting in 6 different awards since the release. Trace has performed on hundreds of stages to an audience of thousands, with over a dozen national acts including Randy Houser, Midland, Chase Rice, Dillon Carmichael, Billy Dean, Neal McCoy, Colt Ford, and Justin Moore.