Meet the Songwriters
Nashville Songwriters
Neil Medley
Neil Medley grew up in Louisville, Kentucky and always gravitated towards storytellers like John Prine and Guy Clark. He began writing his own songs as a teenager. After graduating from the University of Kentucky with a degree in journalism, Medley packed his bags and moved to Nashville to pursue a career as a songwriter. Drawing from the inspiration of his predecessors like Bruce Springsteen, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan and Merle Haggard, Medley’s approach to writing places an emphasis on lyric imagery and attention to detail. In 2021, Neil reached his first career No.1 song milestone with Jake Owen’s “Made For You” and most recently with Luke Bryan’s chart topper “Country Song Came On.” He has also celebrated cuts with artists such as Jon Pardi, Cody Johnson, Kid Rock, Joe Nichols, Miranda Lambert, Josh Abbott Band, and currently has Hudson Westbrook’s current radio single “House Again.”
Ryan Tyndell
Ryan Tyndell was born and raised in Jacksonville in East Texas. He attended Stephen F. Austin University to major in English, but his music calling was just too strong. Ryan hit the road playing various clubs and bluegrass festivals. After making his way to Nashville, Ryan’s songwriting and producing career took off. Ryan was nominated for a Grammy for co-writing Eric Church’s #1 hit, “Springsteen”. Other credits include “We Were” by Keith Urban, “Everything She Ain’t” by Hailey Withers and other notable artists like Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan and Clay Walker among many others. In addition to his success as a songwriter, he has produced critically acclaimed records for Ryan Beaver, Tucker Beathard, and Charlie Worsham. Ryan
and his family have recently moved back to Texas, and he celebrates being back home.
Jordan Walker
Native Texan, Jordan Walker, grew up in the small town of Vernon, Texas. He says he grabbed musical influences from wherever he could get them. His musical heroes include everyone from George Strait and Keith Whitley to pop sensations like Justin Timberlake and Rob Thomas. While he was in college in Wichita Falls around 2010, he put together a 4 piece band and toured all around Texas and the surrounding states. That eventually led to him falling in love with the art of songwriting, and he made the move to Nashville. Walker signed with Sony Music Publishing in 2019. He is a co-writer on 3 top 10 singles, including two songs that reached the #1 spot on country radio. The first was the multi-week chart topping single “When It Rains, It Pours” by Luke Combs which has been certified by RIAA as a diamond single and the other #1 was “Backseat Driver” by Kane Brown. He has songs recorded by multiple artists during his time in Music City including Cole Swindell, Cody Johnson, Jordan Davis, Chris Young, Trace Adkins, Drew Baldridge and many others.
Texas Songwriters
Garrett Jacobs
Garrett Jacobs hails from Bossier City, Louisiana, and has been chasing music his entire life. After moving to Nashville in 2018 with very few possessions and a guitar, he began writing songs and carving his own lane between Blues, Country, and Soul music. Since signing with Sony Music Publishing in 2021, he has landed cuts with artists like Lee Brice, For King and Country, Caleb Lee Hutchinson, and many others. Creativity comes first with Garrett Jacobs, and it is no doubt that he will continue to make waves and push the boundaries of music as time goes on. This trailblazer is a force to be reckoned with and his recent single “This Thing We Call Love” is just the tip of the iceberg.
Bryce Leatherwood
Growing up in Woodstock, Georgia has provided Bryce Leatherwood a deep connection to his music. He now chases a dream that began in the 8th grade when his grandfather handed over a much-loved Greatest Hits CD by Conway Twitty. While attending Georgia Southern for college, Bryce formed a band and performed at college venues, but bigger things were on the horizon. Bryce competed in and won NBC’s competition show, The Voice in 2022. But while he’s come a long way in a short time, the singer-songwriter won’t forget his raising. “My music is a true representation of where I came from,” he says. Bryce is a next generation traditionalist who recently released his self-title debut album.
Julianna Rankin
Raised on classic country and the blues in Shiner, Texas, Julianna Rankin finds herself influenced by a spectrum of artists ranging from Keith Whitley, Bobbie Gentry Waylon Jennings & Bonnie Raitt. Her journey into the industry began in 2018, when she took a headfirst dive towards discovering her artistry while attending Texas A&M University. Since then, Julianna has made her home in New Braunfels, Texas. Her debut single, “New Money” landed in the Top 40 on the Music Row Radio Chart, with her current single, “Devil Had Blue Eyes” following at equal success. Julianna credits a strong circle of talented musicians and local collaboration for recent successes.
COME ENJOY GREAT MUSIC
The Cleburne Education Foundation invites you to the annual singer/songwriter music event. Come and hear your favorite country songs and experience the backstory from the writers. Nashville Lights showcases the talents of highly acclaimed Nashville songwriter/singers. In addition, the show will be opened by up-and-coming Texas singer/songwriters.