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Songs I Grew Up On: Troy Cartwright
Here at The Nash News, we created an original series called Songs I Grew Up On to chat with country artists and discover what music inspired them when they were young. The charming Troy Cartwright was our first artist to kick off our new series. Cartright spoke about how important it is to grow up with music because it can provide the right words for what you are experiencing at a time when you can’t explain how you truly feel.
1. “Motorcycle Drive By” by Third Eye Blind (1997)
Troy brought up how he would take CDs from his cousin’s collection when he was a kid. He explained that music was about access during this time – there wasn't anything like Spotify yet, so he had to “borrow” CDs from others. For this Third Eye Blind song, he acknowledged its angst and noted the lyrics’ poetic nature. Something about it resonated with him as a young teen.
2. “21 Summer” by Brothers Osborne (2016)
“This track carries pure nostalgia,” said Troy. It’s a song that brings warmth to the listener and inspires him. Troy expressed his love and fascination for music that evokes feelings of nostalgia.
3. “For Nancy” by Pete Yorn (2001)
Troy recalled coming home from school and watching TRL on MTV. He noticed a “long-haired dude playing a guitar” who he later found out was Pete Yorn and thought Yorn was an iconic artist. Ever since seeing him, Cartwright has remained inspired by Yorn and keeps in touch with his work. “This song was very helpful to me,” Troy explained, referring to him finding his own path as a music artist.
4. “Feelin’ Good Again” by Robert Earl Keen (1998)
“I wanna do this,” Troy realized when he was first shown this song during his high school years. Troy joyfully shared his aspiration for Robert Keen’s music and stated that the delivery of Keen’s work “seeped its way into” his songwriting.
5. “Springsteen” by Eric Church (2011)
For this song, Cartwright jokingly discussed that when he discovered Eric Church, he realized that people could make careers happen in country music. He expressed his appreciation for Church and his music. “He carved his path, and that’s what we are all trying to do,” said Troy.
At the time of this episode from Songs I Grew Up On, Troy anticipated his soon-to-be-released EP Halfway To Houston. It has now been released, and our review for his album can be found here. Cartwright expressed his excitement for putting out a body of work. “It makes a statement,” he said. A meaningful song for him from the EP is “God is Good;” it’s an important mantra for him in his life.
To hear more of country music’s best new releases, head to our Playlists Page and follow The Nash New Releases playlist on Spotify. For the latest in country music news follow The Nash News on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, and don’t miss our brand new newsletter!
