“Weezer, Good Charlotte, Linkin Park and Cold Play usually, but I liked stuff like Nirvana and Pearl Jam too.” I shrugged and sighed. “None of that translates very well into what I’m trying to do here in Nashville.”
“I love every band you just named, and can tell you most of their good songs, but I also like Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Alan Jackson. My tastes are diverse. I even listen to Eminem sometimes.” He chuckled. “But I’ll deny that if you ever tell anyone.”
“I wish I actually liked country music. That would make this process a whole lot easier. It figures that my only connection in the music industry is someone that produces the exact opposite of what I want to sing.” I sighed and drained my beer, immediately requesting another one from the bartender.
“You’re very talented. I wouldn’t have agreed to work with you if you weren’t, even if your father is one of my oldest friends. You’ve got something that needs to be shared with the world, but if your heart isn’t in it, then we’re both wasting our time.” Sawyer shrugged and sipped his glass of whiskey. “I like to believe I have a good ear for talent and if we can get the sound right, I believe you’ll have a very long career in Nashville.”
“I don’t really have anything else at this point, unless you want to make me the only rock star on your roster.” I chuckled and took a drink of my beer.
“No, I don’t have the right connections to make that work. We’re at a point where something has to happen, though. I get a lot of creative liberties because I’ve produced a lot of top ten hits, but eventually they’re going to want me to move on to something else.” He sighed and shook his head. “You’ve got to figure out if this is the right direction for you. If we have another session like today, I’ve gotta pull the plug.”
“So, I guess I’m going to have to sing the most cookie cutter song in history or go back to Chicago with my tail between my legs.” I exhaled sharply.
“Look around you.” He motioned to the bar. “What do you see?”
“Drunk people?” I leaned back and quickly scanned the bar.
“Right over there.” He pointed to the corner. “Don’t they look happy?”
“They do…” I nodded and stared at the couple he pointed out.
“It might be a cookie cutter song, but just imagine if it was playing right now. Don’t you think they would feel like it was some slice of destiny?” He lifted his drink again and sipped it.
“Maybe.” I turned back towards him. “I don’t know. I just want to feel a connection to what I sing.”
“Hit the big time, then you can sing anything you want. Even Garth Brooks did a rock album to get it out of his system, but he was a superstar first.” Sawyer drained his glass and put it on the bar. “Figure out what you want, but come back with something, or we’re going to have to shake hands and admit that this was a mistake.”
“That’s fair.” I sighed and nodded.
“I’ve gotta head to Texas tomorrow to try and sign a new artist, so you’ve got a few days, like I said. It’s up to you now.” He patted me on the shoulder and started walking towards the door.
After Sawyer left, I took more time to survey the bar. There were a lot of happy couples and some of them did appear to be falling in love. It brought back memories of my last relationship, and that soured my thoughts. I kept drinking as the night wore on, but I focused on the music that people played on the jukebox. It wasn’t music that I liked, but there were a lot of songs about drinking, smoking, and love. Those themes were present in the atmosphere that surrounded me. If I was going to make it work, I had to embrace the culture. I had to get my accent right. I had to become the very incarnation of everything I hated. It had to consume my life.
I can do this. Fuck it. I don’t have a choice, do I?
“Are you ready?” Sawyer walked up to me as soon as I walked into the recording studio.
“I am.” I put the highest level of twang I could in my voice. “I’ve been practicing.”
“Sounds good.” He smiled and nodded.
“How did your trip to Texas go? Did you sign that artist you were after?” I tilted my head to the side inquisitively, continuing to utilize my new accent.
“I did.” His smile got even wider. “She’s going to be the next big thing—well, after you, of course.”
“Of course.” I chuckled. “Because I’m about to set Nashville on fire.”
I walked into the soundproof room and sat down. The first cut wasn’t perfect, but the second one was better. By the fifth take, I had nailed it perfectly. It sounded like a real country song, with every twang necessary to hit the notes like I was George fucking Strait. When I belted out the last line of the song, I looked up to see a look of surprise on Sawyer’s face. The surprise faded, and his jaw dropped. After recovering from the momentary shock, he stood up and clapped. I stood up and walked to the door, pushing it open and before I could even say anything, he was shaking his hands and stumbling over his words.
“That’s so good. Holy shit, Brendan. You killed it! I guarantee you I can get this on the radio.” He walked over to the audio engineer. “Mix the last track and email me a radio-ready copy. I’m getting this in circulation immediately.”
As soon as my new song hit the airwaves, it was like an explosion. The first few tracks we had sent to the radio stations were played late at night, but they never got played during the day. My new song was actually requested. There was interest in my album, which we really hadn’t started. The new song was just meant to be a single, but there was a lot of work to do once interest picked up. I gave up on writing my own songs and just relied on songwriters to produce cookie cutter bullshit. There was no passion in them, but they fit the style of my first song, so I just churned them out as fast as possible. My first royalty check came in, and I was able to stop waiting tables. I lived and breathed country music for the first time in my life.
This may not be what I wanted, but I can’t stop now that I have momentum on my side.
3
Lauren
Accompanying Song:
“Cowboy Casanova” by Carrie Underwood
Three months later
I came to Nashville with the full support of my parents and took the world by storm. They were already calling me Garth Brooks in a dress.
No, not really. It was a total disaster and it was only getting worse.
My parents were skeptical when Sawyer showed up and wanted to sign me to his label. He was a legitimate agent and a legendary producer, but they were still concerned about me moving to Nashville on my own. I had never really considered a future in music, but it was hard to turn down the opportunity. I was being ridiculed at school, teased by everyone who had heard the song on YouTube, and Sawyer offered me a way out. The signing bonus was enough for me to get my own place and start recording music, so I took the opportunity. Not having to see Billy’s smirk every time I went to school was enough motivation to give it a shot.
“I’m really sorry.” Sawyer exhaled sharply and shook his head. “I really thought Shattered Heart was going to be a hit once it hit the airwaves.”
“I don’t understand.” I looked at the surveys he put in front of me. “It was so popular on YouTube. Why don’t people like it?”
“Everyone loves the YouTube version. Hell, there are tons of people still posting the original version your friend recorded. It’s more popular than the version we recorded. I think there was just something gritty and real about the original version of Shattered Heart.” He leaned forward and put his elbows on the edge of his desk. “We’ve got to get something like that in rotation for your second song. What do you have in your notepad that you haven’t showed me?”
“You’ve seen everything.” I sighed and felt my shoulders slumping forward. “I’ve been trying to work on some new stuff, but I don’t have a complete song yet.”
“We could try to get some songwriters in here to work on some stuff for you, but it won’t be your voice. People want the heart
broken girl that was sitting on the edge of her bed. They don’t want the product we’ve tried to create.” He pointed at the surveys. “That tells the whole story.”
“Maybe they just liked hearing it for free and they don’t want to pay for it.” I sighed again. “Or maybe I’m just a one-hit wonder without an actual hit.”
“No, I’m not ready to give up quite yet.” He shook his head back and forth. “Let’s bring in some songwriters to record some stuff in the interim, and you keep writing. Maybe we’ll find a hit somewhere in between.”
“Okay.” I nodded and shrugged. “Whatever you think is best, you’re the expert.”
I said my goodbyes to Sawyer and called my parents as soon as I walked into the lobby. I tried to keep them updated, even when things weren’t going great. They were supportive and wished me the best, even if they didn’t exactly like the fact I gave up on school to move to Nashville. It was nice not being a complete leech, but the modest signing bonus I got wasn’t going to pay the bills forever. I had already been forced to take a retail job on the side to stretch the money out. Luckily, I had a lot of experience moving merchandise, so it was an easy job. I finished up the conversation with my parents, told them that I missed seeing them, and then headed towards my car. When I got close to the door, it opened and a man walked in wearing a cowboy hat and a tight flannel shirt.
“Well howdy, miss.” He spoke with an accent that would have made a Texan jealous and flashed a smile that made my stomach churn—in a good way.
“Hey, don’t I know you?” I tilted my head to the side.
“You might.” He nodded and kept the smile plastered on his face. “I’m Brendan Tanner.”
“Oh my god!” I almost jumped, and my eyes got wide with surprise. “You sing that new song I love—Barstools at Midnight!”
“Yeah.” He chuckled. “That’s me.”
“Does Sawyer represent you?” I looked over my shoulder towards Sawyer’s office and back to Brendan.
“Yeah.” He nodded again. “Are you a singer too?”
“I am.” I extended my hand. “I’m Lauren Williams.”
“Oh yeah…” He took my hand and narrowed his eyes. “The YouTube girl.”
“Yeah.” I felt the smile drain from my face. “That’s me.”
“Well hey, if Sawyer represents us both, maybe I’ll see you around.” He brought my hand to his lips and lightly kissed my second knuckle.
Brendan walked towards Sawyer’s office and I felt my head spin. He was absolutely gorgeous underneath his Stetson hat. I had seen his face on my satellite radio when his song played, but it barely did him justice. He was easily six foot seven with muscles that his shirt could barely contain. I really liked his new song. It made me want to visit a bar in the late hours of the night and fall in love. It was similar to a lot of other songs that tried to mix the old style twang of country legends with the upbeat new style that had become popular, but his way of doing it was amazing. I couldn’t believe Sawyer represented us both.
Meeting Brandon filled me with a little bit of hope. I drove to the studio, but instead of sitting down behind the microphone, I started writing a new song. It didn’t have a title yet, but the first thing that popped in my head was His Stetson Hat. Over the course of several hours, I wrote a love ballad that I was proud of, and by the time it was done, I had practically named our babies. I read through it and started to get nervous. I really didn’t want Brendan to think I was some sort of obsessed fan that wrote a love ballad about our first meeting. I tucked the song into my notebook and looked at my watch.
Crap, I’m going to be late for my shift.
There was something about meeting Brendan that inspired me. Knowing that he was a new artist signed with the same agent that brought me to Nashville filled me with hope. Brendan had already started to get notoriety and he was probably going to win the Rising Star Award later in the year if the articles I read were right. I wrote several more songs over the next few weeks and started recording them. I felt like I finally had the foundation for my album in place. The only thing that was missing was a radio single. None of the new songs I wrote compared to the one tucked away in my notebook, so when Sawyer came to the studio, I pulled it out and started singing. When the last line of His Stetson Hat was sung, I looked up and saw a smile on Sawyer’s face.
“Wow, that’s really good.” Sawyer pushed open the door of the soundproof studio and shook his head in disbelief. “When did you write that?”
“A few weeks ago.” I smiled and nodded. “I’ve been working it out in my head since then.”
“Well, Ms. Williams.” His smile got wider. “I think we’ve found the follow up to Shattered Heart. It’s got a new feeling to it and I think the audience will connect. There’s one thing missing, though…”
“What’s that?” I blinked in surprise and stared at him.
“Let me think on it, but I’ve got an idea. Come see me tomorrow.” He walked back towards the door. “Don’t change anything. The song is perfect, but we need to figure out the right marketing to make it into a hit.”
I recorded a few more cuts of His Stetson Hat to make sure we had some options to go with. I played guitar, but they would mix it with drums, bass, and a few other various instruments to make it sound right. I hoped the produced version wouldn’t take too much away from what I had recorded. That seemed to be the problem with the professional version of Shattered Heart. It just wasn’t gritty enough once they added all the background noise.
The next day, I headed to see Sawyer. I wasn’t sure what he had in mind, but I was eager to find out. If he could get the song on the radio and people liked it, then there was a good chance that I would be well on my way to a successful career in country music.
“Welcome!” Sawyer stood and motioned for me to enter his office when I arrived. “Please, have a seat.”
“Thank you.” I smiled and sat down across from him.
“So, I’ve been thinking.” He leaned back in his chair. “We have what I believe to be a hit, but you’re still virtually unknown outside of your YouTube song. We need to get some buzz around this new song.”
“That sounds like a great idea.” I nodded enthusiastically. “What did you have in mind?”
“I’m going to suggest something that you might find a little strange, but I believe it will help your career in more ways than you realize.” He nodded and smiled.
“Okay?” I tilted my head apprehensively.
“You’re the heartbroken girl that sang about a man that did her wrong. People connected with that. His Stetson Hat is a different direction. It’s all about discovery and finding someone new. We need to capitalize on that, but in order to do so, you’re going to need a man underneath the hat.” He leaned forward. “You need a boyfriend.”
“Um…” I raised an eyebrow. “I’m not dating anyone.”
“No, I’m sorry. I don’t mean a real boyfriend. You need someone that will get people talking. Relationships worked wonders for Taylor Swift and I’m sure you’ve seen how much publicity Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton got after their marriage fell apart.” His smiled again with another nod of his head. “That’s what we need—the power of love. New love for the heartbroken girl. It’ll help the fans connect with you.”
“Whoa.” I blinked and tried to process what he said. “A boyfriend, but not a real boyfriend?”
“Right.” He chuckled. “You don’t think all of the relationships you see in the tabloids are real, do you? Sometimes they’re nothing more than a charade. That’s what I’m suggesting. We put on a show for the tabloids, get them talking, and it’ll create buzz for both of you.”
“Gosh, this is definitely not what I thought you were going to suggest when I walked into your office.” I shook my head in disbelief. “I mean, who would I be pretend-dating?”
“Another up and coming star. Someone that is a little more popular than you, but they could really benefit from a relationship and a few headlines. Brendan
Tanner.” He nodded and opened a folder on his desk. “He’s already got one song that is getting played pretty often and we’ve got another one in the works.”
“Um…” I felt my heart start to race.
Holy shit.
“I’m throwing a party for some of my artists this weekend and I’m inviting the press. It’s the perfect opportunity to stage something.” He nodded and shrugged. “Will you at least consider it?”
“Yeah.” I quickly shook my head up and down. “I mean, I need to think about it, of course.”
Not really, but I should at least pretend to be apprehensive.
I was sold on the plan the moment Sawyer suggested it. Brendan Tanner was a wet dream in a Stetson hat. I would never be able to tell him that he was the inspiration for the song, but I was more than okay with having a fake relationship with him. Hell, I was more than okay with having a real relationship with him—based on what I had seen so far at least. I left Sawyer’s office with my head spinning. I started thinking about all of Taylor Swift’s relationships, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert during the good years, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw—a dream that just kept on going. It might not be a real relationship, but there was a chance it could be. Just being close to Brendan Tanner was worth it, even if it didn’t work out in the long run.
Oh god, what am I going to tell my parents?
4
Brendan
Accompanying Song:
“Crazy Town” by Jason Aldean
“What the hell, Sawyer? Have you lost your fucking mind?” I stared at him with disbelief after he told me his plan for a fake-relationship with Lauren Williams.
“You want buzz, don’t you? You want to capitalize on the success you’re seeing right now? The best way to do that is to get people talking about you. Your song is on fire. This will push you towards superstar status.” Sawyer opened his desk drawer and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. “Want a drink?”
“Yeah, I feel like I fucking need one right about now.” I exhaled sharply and took the glass when it was full.
Mr. Twang_A Fake Relationship Romance Page 2