Troy Cartwright’s Ten Year Town Podcast Pulls Back the Curtain on Music City’s Hardest Truths

For many aspiring artists, Nashville is the dream factory—the heartbeat of country music, where stars are born and hits are written. But for singer-songwriter Troy Cartwright, the real stories worth telling live outside the spotlight, in the in-between moments, the near-misses, and the long, winding road that defines a career in music. That belief is the beating heart of his podcast, Ten Year Town.

Named after the all-too-familiar Nashville phrase that nods to the city’s slow-burn success stories, Ten Year Town doesn’t focus on chart-topping singles or overnight fame. Instead, it leans into the quiet, gritty resilience of the artists and songwriters grinding it out behind the scenes. “The journey itself is where all good things are derived from,” Cartwright says. “That’s exactly what we want to highlight.”

The podcast’s origin was as organic as a writing session on Music Row. Born out of countless late-night conversations with fellow creatives, Cartwright realized these deeply honest chats—filled with setbacks, self-doubt, and small victories—deserved a wider audience. “I’ve had a similar version of this conversation so many times over the years,” he reflects. “It felt really natural to expand it into a podcast format.”

But it wasn’t until a kitchen table brainstorm with his creative director, Mary Lu, that the show found its name. “She said, ‘It should be called Ten Year Town,’” Cartwright recalls. “And the rest, as they say, is history.”

What sets Ten Year Town apart is its tone. Cartwright doesn't approach interviews like a host chasing a headline. Instead, he brings the same openness and curiosity he might carry into a first-time co-write. The result? Unfiltered, vulnerable conversations that feel more like sitting in a songwriter’s circle than a polished podcast studio. Whether it's emerging voices or seasoned veterans, each guest brings a piece of the puzzle that is life in the music business.

Some moments have stuck with Cartwright long after the recording stopped. One such example came from a conversation with breakout songwriter Stephen Wilson Jr., whose simple yet powerful advice—“Slow down”—struck a deep chord. “That’s the start of a much longer and very inspiring story that he tells,” Cartwright notes. “But it’s one that has really stayed with me.”

When asked to recommend a single episode, Cartwright points to his sit-down with Tom Douglas, a legendary writer whose storytelling and soul bring the podcast’s ethos into full focus. “He really understands what it’s all about—what the songwriter is chasing,” Cartwright says.

Ten Year Town may not chase virality or celebrity gossip, but that’s precisely why it matters. It’s a love letter to the process, a mirror held up to the heart of Nashville, and a quiet anthem for every artist still on their way.

Whether you're an aspiring songwriter, a long-haul dreamer, or just someone who believes in the beauty of persistence, Ten Year Town is more than just a podcast—it’s a testament to the road less glamorous, but deeply rewarding.