The Press Room

Rolling Stone Recognizes Songwriter Musician
Songwriter Musician named to Rolling Stone’s prestigious "Best Music Books of 2024" list.

Press Release
Songwriter Musician documents three decades of Nashville's stars, songwriters and session greats at decisive, unguarded moments in their careers.

Google Doc

Step into the heart of Nashville's music scene with veteran photographer Ed Rode, whose 192-page photo documentary, Songwriter Musician, documents three decades of Nashville's stars, songwriters and session greats at decisive, unguarded moments in their careers. Alongside these images, Rode’s personal narratives reveal the unseen moments behind the camera, adding a unique layer of context.  Also, artist biographies place each subject into the broader story of Nashville’s creative musical community.

• First Edition

• Dimensions: 11 x 11 inches

• Format: Hardcover with Spot Gloss and Foil Finish

• Binding: Museum Quality Smythe Sewn, Casebound, Square Back

• Limited Availability

Inside its pages, you'll find a teenaged Taylor Swift spinning and smiling, beaming as superstardom barrels her way. “I Fall to Pieces” songwriter Hank Cochran stretches back on a well-worn hammock, in the exact spot where he searches the sky for timeless hits. Michael Rhodes wraps his arms around his favorite bass, a tool that’s anchored sessions for greats from Johnny Cash to Elton John.

The subjects span generations and genres, each portrait precisely capturing the individual, their humanity, and their artistry.

Available through

EdRode.com

We Are Storytellers
Guest: Ed Rode, Iconic Nashville Photographer and Author of “Songwriter: Musician Behind the Curtain with Nashville’s Iconic Storytellers and Players” Host: John Chisum

Rolling Stone Names Rode’s Book to Best Music Books of the Year List — Well before country music was having its current mega-moment, photographer Ed Rode was documenting the folks who were making it. His gorgeous book …

Emmy Winning Filmmaker Interviews Ed Rode — A Portrait Photography Masterclass with Ed Rode

WKRN Channel 2 News segment on the book and exhibit at Nashville’s iconic Bluebird Café

WSMV 4 TV Interview with Ed Rode on Songwriter Musician

Billboard Magazine — Photographer Ed Rode Brings Country Royalty, And Its Behind-The-Scenes Creators, Into Focus

WSM Radio Interview on Coffee, Country & Cody — Bill Cody, Charley Mattos, and Kelly Sutton get real with Ed Rode about Songwriter Musician.

WKRN TV Interview — Local on Two hosts chat with Ed about Songwriter Musician.

The Ledger — Pictures worth a thousand songs: Photographer Ed Rode captures three decades of songwriter culture

News Channel 5 — He's photographed music legends. Ed Rode puts 34 years of work into book.

American Society of Composers,  Authors & Publishers (ASCAP) — Rode’s images offer an intimate look at the heart and soul of music through the writers behind some of the world’s best-loved songs.

American Songwriter Magazine — Photographer Ed Rode Shares Glimpse into World of Songwriter Musicians Through Alluring Photo Book

MusicRow — Ed Rode Chronicles 30 Years Of Nashville Talent In New Photo Documentary Book

Songwriter Musician showcases over 150 artists in more than 130 photographs, spanning various generations and genres. Each image captures the unique humanity and artistry of its subject, complemented by Rode’s personal stories and artist biographies. These elements together place each artist within the broader narrative of Music City. 

Included among the artists are:

• Willie Nelson

• Lainey Wilson

• Dolly Parton

• Patsy Montana

• Waylon Jennings

• Jessi Colter

• Alan Jackson

• Marty Stuart

• Johnny Cash

• Jimmy Buffett

• Neil Diamond

• Peter Frampton

• John Prine

• Brad Paisley

• Don Henley

• Dierks Bentley

• Ashley Gorley

• Rhiannon Giddens

• Hank Cochran

• Harlan Howard

• Keb’ Mo’

• Bobby Braddock
  
  Take a look inside the book here.
  
  For access to images for editorial reproduction, please contact Ed Rode.

Headshot

Book Cover

Take a look inside the book.

A nationally recognized photographer based in Nashville, Ed Rode has spent most of his career, camera in hand, chasing meaningful moments in music history and making them permanent. 

He isn’t only — or even primarily — a music photographer. Over the course of nearly four decades, Rode has captured sports legends, movie and TV stars, travel destinations, whiskey brands, and restaurant chains. But he moved to Nashville in 1990, just as country music's neo-traditionalist era was shifting into the shadow of arena fireworks, as legends were entering their golden years, and as Nashville itself was prepping for unparalleled change. 

Growing up in the Midwest, Rode thought he might become a history teacher, relaying the narratives that emerged and lessons learned. But a high school photojournalism mentoring program showed him another way to hold onto history. A Master of Arts degree in Photo Communications from Ohio University helped fine-tune his skills. And a fresh-from-grad-school job as a staff photographer for The Nashville Banner, the city’s afternoon daily, brought Rode to Music City to find and tell stories. 

In Nashville, Rode saw that history was unfolding all around him, and that meaningful moments were going undocumented. So for decades, he made sure to put himself — and his camera — where the moments were.

From that first newspaper post, Rode built a career and a reputation as a photographer with a storyteller’s eye and a historian’s instincts. His work has appeared in numerous national publications; in exhibits from the Nashville International Airport to the legendary Bluebird Cafe; and on album covers for artists including Willie Nelson, The Chicks and Peter Frampton. 

Ultimately, Rode did become a teacher, too. Along with instructing, lecturing, and advising students at Vanderbilt University, O’More College of Design, Western Kentucky University, and Northwestern University, Rode works as a full-time instructor in the Journalism and Mass Communications Department at Murray State University, teaching young artists how to find their stories, focus their storyteller’s eye, and click.

For Music Lovers
“This book is for music lovers who appreciate the art of storytelling. It’s for anybody who wants a look inside Nashville’s creative music machine and the stories behind it."

"I love capturing moments and I want my photos to tell stories. There is so much hard work from these artists that takes place behind the scenes. I hope this documentary gives people an appreciation for their incredible effort and talent and what it’s like to make music — in Music City."


How It All Began

"I started working for the afternoon newspaper in Nashville in 1990. One of my first assignments was to shoot a No. 1 party. As I walked into the room, there stood Chet Atkins. I grew up listening to him — my dad played fingerstyle guitar — so this was, personally, a full-circle moment. For some reason, Chet took a liking to me and we struck up a friendship. We’d sit in his office on Music Row and talk about everything from guitars to songwriters to Nashville’s music scene. I was hungry for a documentary project. Chet had an answer: you need to chase the songwriters and musicians — they're the backbone of this community. He picked up the phone and made calls. A chain reaction began. One songwriter would introduce me to another, and I found an incredibly open, collaborative and creative culture.”


Creative Chemistry:
Ed’s Connection to the Artists

"I feel like we have similar creative processes. They sit down with a blank page and a pencil, and I open up my camera and put a roll of film in. We both start with nothing and create things that didn't exist before. That to me is the kinship — the creative process we share."

“With all the fireworks of big arena shows, it's easy to forget that it's ‘the song’ that drives the music. Every tune we hear on the radio or through our sound systems starts with songwriters.”


Life's Playlist

“If you ask me about different time periods in my life, I can connect each to a song. High school, college, grad school, meeting my wife — there's always a song that marks those moments. Many people have the same experience. Music is so universal, and being able to connect these artists to their songs and the stories behind them helps you see their work in a new light.” 


A Project with a Pulse:
How Ed's Lifelong Work Continues to Evolve
“This project was always there, quietly running in the background as I built my commercial photography career over three decades. I've always felt a deep connection to the songwriters and musicians in this community. It’s such a privilege to document them. The dedication and passion they bring to their craft shape my work and inspire me in so many ways. Their stories deserve to be celebrated, and I'm so grateful to be able to share them with the world.”

Ed Rode
Author + Photographer
Ed Rode Photography, LLC
ed@edrode.work
615-541-9433

Chris Sommerdyke
Project Manager
Ed Rode Photography, LLC
chris@edrode.com