Conversations with Kendall Goodman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kendall Goodman

Kendall, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Thanks for having me! I knew I always wanted to do music, but I didn’t what genre or that I could be a songwriter who writes in multiple genres. Moving to Nashville 9 years ago definitely taught me that I could do just that, but it’s been a slow build of all the different genres emerging from there and learning how to sharpen my pen in each sound. I started coming to LA every 2 months and have stuck with that for years now because I love working in both cities. Back in 2019, I graduated from Belmont University and am very grateful to the school of music business and my songwriting professors because I really didn’t know how to get into the industry from Jacksonville, FL. BU gave me opportunities like being Warner Chappell’s inaugural songwriting intern, a finalist for the Grammy U songwriter showcase, and working for Milk & Honey mgmt in LA for a semester (then again in Nashville). These experiences pushed me to go network, double down on sessions and start getting cuts. I kept at that til I could really dive in on artists I believe in, a few being: Reyna Roberts, Danielle Bradbery, KINGS, Nox Holloway, and Alex Coles.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There are always struggles! That’s life. I get told no, I pivot, I refine when I need to, I feel the growing pains, dream too big that it hurts my own feelings sometimes dealing with patience… (lol) the list goes on. Ego has been an interesting part of struggle because I need it for confidence and showing up fully but I can’t let it get in the way of learning new things and reading the room. I think just showing up everyday in some way has kept me going. There are very real high highs and low lows that I’ve just had to hold closely to my work/life balance and prioritize when to push and when to rest.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a songwriter and I have a few artist projects (TheGraysonProject, Navyhue, KELLAB). I’m most proud of the (120+) songs that I’ve written that have been put out into the world and the artists that I’ve had the privilege of building with. Supporting an artist or band and having their support in return has been so sweet as a songwriter in this wild business. I love diving in on artist projects that I believe in and collaborating with wonderfully talented people in pop, country, R&B, alternative, rock and sync. I’d say I specialize in Melody but reading a room is an important skill because some days I only need to focus on the lyric side and give space to an artist that just needs a little guidance or words thrown out. Lyrically, I love playful concepts and clever lines no matter the genre… which I think sets me apart in a way. Genre versatility allows me to carry what I’ve learned from one genre to another which in my experience can produce something fresh sonically. A newer skill set as of the last 4 years has been vocal production but I want to be so much better. It’s been great for when I need to run tracks in a session or send my vocals over to producers.

What are your plans for the future?
Ultimately my goal is to be a badass mom and songwriter writing for my dream list artists! I can’t wait to see where music takes me in the future but I hope it’s global. Writing on ITZY’s Kill My Doubt already did that with some billboard charts, but knowing that some of these recent and upcoming releases could also have global impact is very exciting. I’d love to go overseas for writing trips too!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kendallgraysongoodman?igsh=aTBweW1zejB3ejRy&utm_source=qr

Image Credits
Headshot- Jessica Amerson,
Studio shots- seeker music
KINGS hug- Jessica Christian
Reyna Roberts hug- Arielle gray