Stu Basham Talks New Single "Who Died And Made You John Wayne?"

Independent singer-songwriter Stu Basham is starting off 2023 with new music. Basham represents the thousands of music hopefuls in Nashville pursuing their dreams. "There’s nothing I’m more passionate about than creating and playing music. It’s what motivates me to get up early each morning and write," shares Basham. Now with a new single, he wants people to get a bigger picture of who he is and what he aims to do.

Growing up in Oregon, Basham always knew music was the path for him. "I’ve wanted to do music since I got a cheap keyboard for Christmas at age 5. I’ve wanted to play in bands ever since and have tried all types of genres from jam band, pop, indie rock, and now I feel like I’ve found a home in country music," says Basham. He went on to add, "I didn’t find country music until my 20s because I wasn’t raised around it. I had friends play a few songs but it wasn’t really until I met my wife and she turned me onto '90s country (music she grew up on) and mainstream country of the 2000s. She planted a seed that finally came to the forefront a few years ago and I fell in love with the music."

It wasn't until a few years ago that Basham and his family began their adventure in the industry. "My wife, only daughter (at the time), and I moved to Nashville in late January 2020. As we were getting settled, I started my new job, and then the tornado happened, on my wife’s birthday of all days. Then Covid happened so that was difficult," Basham admits. While the times proved daunting, that didn't stop the determined singer. He states, "I’ve proceeded to write several hundred songs since then and am super proud to be releasing some of my favorites. In June of 2022. I started doing a few writer's rounds in 2022 as well but decided to put more effort into recording and producing these tracks."

Basham, in trying to make himself stand out from the rest of the pack, coined the nickname "Captain Country." He explains, "My photos reflect pilot gear and the background is Cornelia Fort Airpark in Nashville. To expand on it I wanted to create a catchy and fun nickname for myself, something that reflects the music I make and also my background as a pilot. So that’s where 'Captain Country' came about." Basham not only uses social media for his own music but also highlights other music releases as well. 'Co-Pilot Picks" showcase his favorite new song from rising artists. "I wanted to stay on brand with the whole 'Captain Country' thing but also spotlight artists who deserve to be heard," he notes.

Basham's new song "Who Died and Made You John Wayne" feels different from other songs out right now. Basham went on to say, "I was actually writing a completely different song and in the verse, I just came up with that line. I stopped for a minute and said to myself, 'That’s a really good title or song starter. I should save this for a different day.' So two days later I started writing it and I couldn’t be more excited for this song." It certainly has the cowboy flare he was looking to find.

As for the rest of the year, Basham has plenty of tricks up his sleeve. "My plans are to keep building on the momentum from 2022 and continue to release more songs each month that hopefully people relate to," he shares. "I also want to connect more with the songwriting community in Nashville and start co-writing with more people."

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