SongWriter. Producer. Publisher. Preservationist
Emmy Award-winning songwriter, Trey Bruce, moved to Nashville just in time for the 1990’s country music boom. Trey was a rock drummer from Memphis so…..what could go wrong? He credits a copy of Springsteen’s “Tunnel of Love” as the bridge he had to cross to make the trip, lyrically & spiritually. Shortly after arriving in Nashville, he signed with MCA Music and his first demo became a hit single. After 3 years at MCA, in 1993, Trey co-founded a small indie publishing company, Big Tractor Music, with record producer Scott Hendricks and there he received 16 ASCAP Awards, an Emmy Award for best original song, and the first 5 of 10 #1 singles, multiple top 5 & 10 hits and an Academy Of Country Music Song of the Year nomination. During the Big Tractor years, Trey developed a love for coffee and long nights in the studio so he became a record producer.
Over one thousand songs, projects, and demos later, Trey left Big Tractor in 2005 to start a publishing joint-venture with Chrysalis Music and became Head of A&R and Creative in the Nashville office. At Chrysalis, Trey signed and developed new artists, such as GAC’s KingBilly, Big Machine's Chris Janson, Warner's Charlie Worsham, American Idol’s Kree Harrison, and TJ & John Osborne of Brothers Osborne. Trey wrote an abundance of new songs with everyone from Duff McKagan, Scott Weiland, Carrie Underwood, Randy Travis and Richard Marx. Trey built an impressive catalog of roughly 500 songs in 5 years.
In 2013 Trey started his own music publishing and artist development company, Galore Entertainment. Long story short…Trey loves writing and producing music. The paragraph above is a quick scan of over 25 years in the music business from Nashville to around the world and back! It would take a river of coffee and a mountain of guitars to really tell the story of this true troubadour prisoner!
Experience
Chrysalis Music - Nash/LA - 2005-2010 - Publisher/Songwriter
Over 500 copyrights were created in this period, more than 20 cuts in rock and country music formats, 3 #1 & top 5 singles in Australia and Canada. In this period copyrights have been recorded by: Carrie Underwood, Duff McKagan’s Loaded, ZZ Top, Chris Janson, Kree Harrison, KingBilly, and Richard Marx.
Model Horse Music/Chrysalis Music - Nashville -2005-2010-Director of A&R & Creative Affairs
This is a publishing co-venture between Chrysalis Music and Trey’s publishing company, Model Horse Music. Responsible for seeking out new talent (artists & songwriters), for creative approval regarding artist signings, for developing the talent, hiring the creative staff, for creative functions and budgets of the Nashville office. Responsible for building the catalog that grew from 1 to nearly 900 songs in this time period. During this period Trey discovered, signed & developed to Model Horse/Chrysalis, the artist list below as developing teenaged artist/writers: Charlie Worsham - now on Warner Brothers. Chris Janson - now on Warner Brothers. Brothers Osborne - now on Universal. Kree Harrison - became American Idol Season 12 Runner-Up.
Big Tractor Music - Nashville -1993-2004- Songwriter/Co-Owner/Publisher
In this period, copyrights were recorded by Randy Travis, Diamond Rio, Faith Hill, Marty Stuart, Reba McEntire, Deana Carter, Trisha Yearwood, and Lee Roy Parnell. Over 1200 copyrights were created in this period, 5 #1 singles, and multiple top 5 and top 10 Billboard chart singles, Emmy Award for Best Original Song, Academy Of Country Music Song Of The Year nominee - “Forgive”. 13 ASCAP awards for the Most Performed Songs of the Year.
MCA/Universal Music - Nashville - 1990-1992 - Songwriter
(3) top 15 hits, (1) #1 single - “Look Heart No Hands” by Randy Travis
Producer - 1993-Present
Record Labels include: Capitol Records, Big Machine Records, Universal Records, Universal Records UK, MCA Records, Sony Records, RCA/BMG Records, Roadrunner Records, and Chrysalis/GAC.
Trey’s Songwriter Discography in Brief: Randy Travis, Reba McEntire, Trace Adkins, American Idol, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Duff McKagan’s Loaded, Alabama, Carrie Underwood, Marty Stuart, Faith Hill, Trisha Yearwood, Daryl Singletary, Diamond Rio, Black Stone Cherry, Chris LeDoux Deana Carter, Lorrie Morgan, Clay Walker, LeAnn Rimes, Rebecca Lynn Howard, US Summer Olympics, Access Hollywood, All My Children, The Guiding Light, Biggest Loser, VH1 Behind The Music, Late Night with David Letterman, Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, Nashville, The View, VH1 Washington Heights, Today Show, The Voice, Oprah Winfrey, ZZ Top.
Trey was a member of ASCAP for over 20 years and has been with BMI since 2015. Trey’s also been a member of NSAI, NARAS, and CMA. Trey was The Nashville Scene’s 2014 Person of the Year as part of an ensemble cast for saving Historic RCA Studio-A on Music Row, Nashville. Trey is a founding board member of Music Industry Coalition, served as Vice-Chair for the Board of Historic Nashville Inc., serves on the board of The Franklin Theatre in Historic Franklin Tennessee.
Services
Production
I can bring your song to life as the record you hear in your head, whether you're going for a targeted sound or trying to experiment your way into a new sonic landscape, release-ready for any distribution platforms...and have fun doing it.
Development
I can usually tell, in one hour, if a singer has what it takes to be a true artist. Those are the ones worth the work that goes into honest development. I've gone the path of developing teenagers that go on to win and be nominated for CMAs, ACMs, and Grammys.
Consulting
With 20+ years of music publishing and A&R experience, working with artist managers and labels, producing records, securing deals in good and bad times, chairing various boards and committees...There are no ideas or start-ups to small to advise.
