Troy Cartwright’s Ten Year Town Podcast Hits 100 Episodes With Liz Rose. A Milestone Moment for Nashville Storytelling
- All Country News
- Aug 26
- 3 min read
In a city built on late nights, long odds, and the relentless pursuit of the next great song, reaching 100 episodes of a podcast might feel like just another mile marker. But for Troy Cartwright’s Ten Year Town podcast, this milestone is more than a number, it’s a reflection of Nashville itself.
Launched in June 2023, Ten Year Town has become one of Music City’s most vital platforms, a place where the curtain is pulled back and the grit, grind, and grace behind the songs are laid bare. Hosted by Cartwright, a singer-songwriter who knows firsthand what it means to spend years chasing a dream in Nashville, the podcast has quickly become a compass for anyone navigating the creative life.
For its landmark 100th episode, Cartwright welcomed GRAMMY-winning songwriter Liz Rose, one of Nashville’s most decorated and respected voices. Rose, who famously co-wrote some of Taylor Swift’s earliest hits along with chart-toppers for Little Big Town and countless others, reflected on her unconventional path into songwriting.
“If I changed anything, I wouldn't be where I am, which is so amazing,” Rose shared during the episode. “If I had started writing at 20 and not 30, I wouldn't have written a song that Taylor Swift heard and loved and wanted to write with me.”
It’s this blend of honesty, vulnerability, and wisdom that has set Ten Year Town apart. Each week, Cartwright guides guests, ranging from industry titans like Tom Douglas and Chris DuBois to rising stars like Stephen Wilson Jr. through conversations that dig deeper than surface-level success stories. The result is unfiltered storytelling that captures both the heartbreak and the hope that define Nashville’s creative community.
At one point in the episode, Cartwright asked Rose if songwriting is something that can truly be taught or if it’s innate. Rose didn’t sugarcoat her response.
“Honestly, I think you're either good at it or you're not,” she said. “And for some reason, I was lucky and I could rhyme. Partially it can be taught… but when you’ve lived, when you’ve been immersed in songwriters, it’s easier to go, ‘Oh, I know how this goes.’ Still, at the end of the day, I have to write what’s in my brain. Plus, I had a lot of drama back then, so I had a lot to write about.”
Her words are a reminder that even Nashville’s most celebrated writers start in the same place as everyone else facing the blank page with nothing but their stories and scars.
For the Nashville community, podcasts like Ten Year Town aren’t just entertainment; they’re essential archives. They preserve the oral history of Music Row, spotlight the voices behind the hits, and remind aspiring writers and artists that the long road to success rarely comes with shortcuts. In an industry built on connection, Cartwright’s podcast has become a bridge linking generations of storytellers while offering rare transparency into the craft that fuels country music.
With 100 episodes in the rearview and an impressive lineup of future guests ahead, Ten Year Town has solidified itself as more than a podcast. It’s a record of the dreams, doubts, and dogged determination that keep Nashville running.
And if this milestone episode with Liz Rose proves anything, it’s that sometimes the stories behind the songs are just as powerful as the songs themselves.
You can watch the milestone 100th epiosde below.
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