Thomas Rhett’s dad, Rhett Akins, is one of the most successful songwriters in Nashville these days, so it only makes sense that when Thomas was first starting to write, he wrote with his dad every chance he got. But at the same time, he also managed to forge his own path as a writer and build his own songwriting relationships. “Obviously, every time Dad had an opening slot, like if he was writin’ with three people and one of the guys bailed out, I would always get called, which was kinda nice, ‘cause he was just tryin’ to teach me the ropes. I had written songs with him before but I had never had like really written a real song.”
At the same time, Thomas says, “I kinda found my own niche of song-writers and none of us had ever had a cut, we were all new song-writers, and so we were just experimenting with new ways of writin’ songs and then I started gettin’ cuts of my own without him.”
Thomas says it’s cool to be able to go back and write with his dad now that he’s had some success as a writer on his own. “It’s cool that he was kinda the one that I started out writin’ with and now we still write together, but we also write with a bunch of other people.”
Thomas’ latest single, “Make Me Wanna,” is one he wrote without his dad, with his songwriting buddies, Bart Butler and Larry McCoy.
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Thomas Rhett – evolution writing with dad :40
“In the beginning I was writin’ with anybody and everybody that would write with me. But obviously, every time Dad had an opening slot, like if he was writin’ with three people and one of the guys bailed out, I would always get called, which was kinda nice, ‘cause he was just tryin’ to teach me the ropes. I had written songs with him before but I had never had like really written a real song. I probably wrote with him ten or twelve when I first started and then I kinda found my own niche of song-writers and none of us had ever had a cut, we were all new song-writers, and so we were just experimenting with new ways of writin’ songs and then I started gettin’ cuts of my own without him. Then we came back and startin’ gettin’ cuts together, which was really cool. It’s cool that he was kinda the one that I started out writin’ with and now we still write together, but we also write with a bunch of other people.”
WHAT HE’S DOING THIS WEEK – JANUARY 12, 2015 – MONDAY
Thomas Rhett has been deep in rehearsals for Florida Georgia Line’s “Anything Goes Tour” which kicks off on Thursday (1/15) in Toledo, Ohio. The tour plays Dayton, Ohio at Ervin J. Nutter Center on Friday (1/16) and Charlottesville, Virginia’s John Paul Jones Arena on Saturday (1/17).
THOMAS RHETT – THE FACTS
BIRTH DATE: March 30, 1990 – (He’s 24)
HOMETOWN: Valdosta, Georgia
WIFE: Lauren – His school sweetheart. They were married in October 2012.
DEBUT SINGLE: “Something To Do With My Hands”
DEBUT AND CURRENT ALBUM: It Goes Like This – RELEASED: October 29, 2013
CURRENT SINGLE: His new single “Make Me Wanna” sits at 10 on the Mediabase country charts this week
GRAND OLE OPRY DEBUT: May 19, 2012
LATEST MUSIC VIDEO – 2014 – “Make Me Wanna”
RECENT TWEETS:
Thomas Rhett @ThomasRhett · January 10
Getting pumped at rehearsals for #anythinggoes. 1 week @FLAGALine
Thomas Rhett @ThomasRhett · January 9
If you haven’t already, it’s time to tune in to the #CMTKickoffParty! #HOMETEAM @cmt https://instagram.com/p/xqBj01uoOw/
Thomas Rhett @ThomasRhett · January 9
About that time #CMTkickoffparty