We caught up with Cody Gentry, a rising artist in the South Carolina music scene, to learn more about his journey, influences, and the stories behind his music.
Q: What was the first album you ever bought?
A: The first album I ever bought was Crush by Bon Jovi. I was in 4th grade, and I carried it in my book bag to school every day. It was a time when country music wasn’t so cool, so I kept all my country music at home so I could listen where I knew none of my friends would catch me!
Q: Is there anything special about this album or how you got discovered?
A: Some people might know that this album was produced by Dean Miller. People might not know that he discovered me through the comedian Bert Kreischer sharing my music. It was at a time when I wondered if the path to music was the right one. The only reason this record got made was because these people liked my music, and that is the biggest compliment I could receive.
Q: How did you start writing songs?
A: I started writing songs as a cheap hobby for a poor man. After I wrote a few, I realized I actually had something to say. After that, I realized I had a lot to say. I have a great group around me that I love playing music with. They all excel in their instruments and have fun doing it. Our main goal is to have fun.
Q: Who are your greatest songwriting influences?
A: John Prine was the greatest songwriting influence. I listened to him my entire childhood, and it never left me. The great David Childers in North Carolina gave me the push I needed and the confidence to chase it seriously. I’ll always owe a lot to those two guys in particular.
Q: What do you love about songwriting?
A: I love being concise. If I can take a story and strip it down to the bare bones, I know I’ve done my job. There is no better example than “Last Cruise of the Coral Sea.” My dad left us with a large stack of journal entries and poetry after he died, and I was able to consume his thoughts and feelings. I wrote this song after reading them. It was a hard song to write, but it’s my favorite.
Q: What advice do you have for aspiring musicians?
A: Do it and keep doing it. Leave your ego at the door and make the music you want to make. Don’t take anything too seriously.
Q: What’s the funniest comment you’ve received while performing?
A: “Can you turn down? We’re watching the football game here!”
Q: Can you tell us about your band members?
A: Lauren Link, my cousin, has been singing her entire life. We started singing together around 2018. Calling her a background singer is like calling Van Gogh a house painter. Ethan Talley plays bass, and we have been playing together since early high school. We normally travel as a trio, but we have just added a multi-instrumentalist named Daniel Beachy (who should be in Nashville) and a young highly-talented drummer named Hayes Swillen.
Q: Who is your go-to artist when you need inspiration?
A: That depends on the day! I always go back to Prine, though.
Q: What’s your favorite song to perform?
A: It would probably be “High as a Pine.” My brother is on bass, and we had so much fun playing it. It was the one that was responsible for my entire album.
Q: What are your plans for the future?
A: Touring and another album!
Q: What does “Blue Ridge Gold” mean to you?
A: The name Blue Ridge Gold is from a line in “Foothills of My Father.” With the environment in the upstate changing constantly, the only part that stays golden are the stories. Since this album is full of those stories, it is now a part of the world that won’t change.
Q: What’s the craziest thing that’s happened on tour?
A: Cars on fire, semi-truck tires blowing and cracking my windshield, being a bystander in a high-pursuit chase. All pretty normal stuff for I-85 though! We’re heading up north this summer, so I’ll report back.
Q: Who are you listening to lately?
A: I’ve been listening to a lot of Chalino Sanchez and Gary Stewart lately. The weather has been great, and the way these guys sing is so raw and unhinged. Makes the day feel a little reckless.
Q: Which song holds the most personal significance to you?
A: “Mountaineer.” My wife said it was the first song she heard that made her believe I could do this for a living. I wrote it all in about 5 minutes. The flood gates opened and have been providing ever since.
Q: How do you feel about the music scene in South Carolina?
A: I love the lowcountry scene. It seems like so many artists stick around the Charleston area and really cultivate the area and blend genres in a really cool way. We are starting to see that trend in the upstate with the scene planting roots and growing!
Q: What would you like to see more of in the music industry?
A: More listening rooms! Smaller venues with an emphasis on up-and-coming artists.
Q: What’s your favorite venue to play?
A: The Fiddle & Bow Music Hall in Honea Path, SC. The best listening room I’ve ever played. Tell them I sent you.
Q: Which South Carolina artists do you recommend?
A: So many! Matt Phillips is a great songwriter and guitar player. Chase Killough in Rock Hill is amazing. Darby Wilcox, obviously. Do Shovels & Rope and SUSTO still count?
Q: How do you feel about the internet’s impact on music?
A: I know it’s not a popular opinion, but I love what the internet has done for music. It makes finding new artists so easy. There are a million negatives to it, but it has definitely helped me. This venue crisis is pretty scary. We are seeing some really great venues shut their doors. I don’t know a lot about it, but I do know that fewer venues is never a good thing!
