Interview: Jimmy Thrasher
Songwriter, producer, podcast host, and public speaker Jimmy Thrasher talks to Louder Than The Music about his recent collaboration with Steventhen Holland on the single, "Open Our Eyes," plus his varied career in the music industry.
For those who haven't heard of you before, can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got involved in making music?
Yes, and thank you Dave for the interview. I think it is safe to say I am a man of many hats. I work full-time as a CFO, Safety Manager, and Certified Engineering Technician for a Regional Fire Protection Company, serving the southeast United States. In addition, I am also a Public Speaker, Podcast Host, and a Christian Life Coach including Grief Support. On the Music side of things, I am a Songwriter/Producer and along with my wife Melissa, we own Thrasher Sound, LLC. which is the parent company for our three Labels and our Publishing Company. Melissa also works full time, so to say we stay busy, would be accurate.
I was born and raised in the historical music area of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Oddly enough, my big opportunity didn’t happen here in Muscle Shoals first, it happened in Nashville, TN. It was from the traction I gained in Nashville that opened doors for me in my home area of Muscle Shoals, AL. I received my first invitation to travel to Nashville to co-write and it seemed like a dream come true. Oddly enough, it wasn’t the co-write that opened the door. The co-write was awesome, but after the co-write, I stopped for lunch, and I was approached by a stranger who asked if I was a musician? I said I use that word lightly, but I am a Songwriter. He then asked me to have lunch. Over the course of lunch, he answered every question of how to become a songwriter that I had ever wondered about, and he offered tons of additional information I needed to know to take my next step. This moment in my life was a God Ordained meeting for which I will forever be thankful.
Now, twelve years later I’m on my second music deal in Nashville. I have thirty Singles that have been recorded, three of which are #1 Singles that I co-wrote and co-produced on the CDX Southern Gospel & Positive Country Chart. My wife Melissa and I also have another #1 as a Label, and a major Bluegrass Artist cut vocals on a #1 Bluegrass song here in our studio. “I Still Need Jesus” by Steventhen Holland was an 11 Week #1 on the CDX TRACtion Southern Gospel & Positive Country Chart and appeared on other Charts as well.
Tell us about your new single 'Open Our Eyes' with Steventhen and what the inspiration behind it was?
The subject matter of our debut song, 'I Still Need Jesus,' had been weighing on my heart for some time when we co-wrote that song. In this instance, the subject matter for 'Open Our Eyes' had been on Steventhen’s heart for a couple of years when he brought the idea to me. After hearing Steventhen sing the part of the song he already had written and then hearing him share his heart, I got it.
One thing that hit my heart was Hebrews 13:16, “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Lyrics included in the song such as, “See the need to love those forgotten, for the hurting and broken hearted….” demonstrates this truth. Another passage that spoke to me was Luke 10:25-37, the story we all know, the Parable of the Good Smartian. The heart of the song is that God would open our eyes to see those hurting around us so that we can be the hands and feet of Christ in those people’s lives.
How did you and Steventhen first write together, and is there more to come from this partnership?
Steventhen is a National Public Speaker, and I am a Regional Speaker who has also spoken Internationally. A mutual friend knew my desire to grow into a National Speaker and knew that we both were songwriters, and both run non-profit ministries. He felt lead to connect us, so he made that happen. Steventhen stopped by to visit, and we talked about everything we do and the similarities. We decided to start working together working on our music which led to us writing “I Still Need Jesus” in 2024 followed by “Open Our Eyes” written in 2024/2025.
Steventhen has also been instrumental in helping me strive to become a National Speaker through his Consulting Business for National Speakers which can be found on steventhen.com under the Consulting Tab. We look forward to working together on future music projects as well as ministry projects as opportunities allow.
Who else have you written songs with?
That’s a good question Dave. I have written with a wide range of co-writers. It’s kind of like I was on hold for my entire life, waiting on music to happen, and then suddenly, in 2014 the door opened slowly, and then in 2016, the door was flung open. I signed with Dan Hodges Music in Nashville in 2018 for a three-year consulting and pitching deal. This was when things were beginning to take off for me. At one time during this three-year period, I was writing with 18 different co-writers at once. I remember driving from Muscle Shoals, AL. to Music Row in Nashville TN. on Saturday’s, co-writing three songs, and then driving back home, those were very long days. The most well-known writers I have co-written with would be Yaron Gershovsky of the Manhattan Transfer, Billy Lawson, Michael Anthony Curtis, Doug Stokes, Coy Fulmer, and Doc Walley. The core group of co-writers that I have been writing with over the past four years would be Yaron Gershovsky, Lisa Jason, Katie Barbour, and Steventhen Holland.
Away from songwriting, you're involved in many different things - tell us about your career?
I am a very busy person, thankfully. I am a CFO, Safety Manager, and Certified Engineering Technician for a Regional Fire Protection Company, serving the Southeast United States. In addition, I am also a Public Speaker, Podcast Host, and a Christian Life Coach including Grief Support. Our combined Music and Ministry efforts have reached over 60 Countries in 480 Cities on six Continents. Our dream and goal are to be able to write and produce our music and podcast on a full-time basis while also speaking and ministering live in person on both a national and international basis.
What message would you like people to take from your music?
The core of everything we do, be it writing songs, podcast episodes, books, movie ideas, or traveling and speaking, the core goal of it all is to offer hope, encouragement, and the salvation message of Christ to hurting people. When someone hears our songs, we want them to feel that someone else understands how they feel as they face their struggles and to receive encouragement and hope. We want our songs to make a real difference in people’s lives.
If you could work with any songwriter, who would it be and why?
Hmm, that’s a tough one. There was a point in time when I was writing with eighteen different writers at once. The process of writing, recording demos, and pitching songs to Artist who didn’t co-write the song is a long and arduous process. I came to realize that co-writing with Artist and more specifically, co-writing with Artist on their next Single, is what gives me my greatest success. With that said, and in a dream world, if Mac Powell, Bart Millard, Jason Crabb, or Brain Free were to miraculously come across my number, call me up, and say hey Jimmy, I want you to co-write my next Single with me, well then, that would be swell.
What is your favorite album of all time?
Anything Third Day, I can’t pick just one album, or even just one song. One can always hope for a comeback album, maybe that would be my favorite.
You're stuck on an island, it's hot, you only have enough battery life left to listen to one song on your phone. What track is it?
'Revelation' by Third Day.
What does the next year hold for you?
We are working towards filling our speaking schedule. I speak on several different categories and my wife Melissa, and I offer day-long workshops. We are constantly working to grow our podcast show, the Jimmy & Melissa Thrasher Podcast Show, and I am working to complete my first book. We continue to write songs with our core group of writers and artist, and we look forward to being able to do it all on a full-time basis at some point. To find out more information about our work or to book us to speak or for any of our music services you can find us at jimmythrasher.net
