Rod Picott

Infobox Musician
Name = Rod Picott

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Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Roderick Picott
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Born = 11/3/1964
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Origin = Nashville
Instrument = Guitar
Voice_type = Baritone
Genre = folk/Americana/alt country
Occupation = Singer, songwriter, record producer
Years_active = 2000–present
Label = Independent
Associated_acts = Slaid Cleaves, Amanda Shires
URL = http://rodpicott.com
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Rod Picott is a soulful songwriter whose genre toggles between Americana, alt-country, and folk. His ability to tell stories that are deep and personal makes him an "underground" favorite.

He moved as a child to South Berwick, Maine where he went to school and became friends with Slaid Cleaves. The two collaborated musically for years. Their co-write "Broke Down" was the one of the most played songs on Americana radio in 2000.

His newfound success allowed him to quit his job hanging Sheetrock part-time and become a full-time musician.

But before "Broke Down" became popular on Americana radio, Picott had a long journey. He left South Berwick at) and moved to Colorado for voice training.(1) It would be another six years (1994), before Picott and his then-wife packed everything from South Berwick and made the move to Nashville. (2)

However Picott's narrative writing style wasn't suited to the Nashville publishing houses. (1,2)It was also during these early years in Nashville that he got divorced

Picott did catch a break in 1998 when he was signed to Denise Stiff's management company. Stiff had made a name for herself managing Allison Krause and Gillian Welch. (2)

Picott finally made the decision to record an album himself and the result was 2001's "Tiger Tom Dixon's Blues", which featured his version of "Broke Down". A year later he released the follow-up disc "Stray Dogs". By 2004 the two had sold a combined 10,000 copies (1). Later that year he released his third disc, the somber "Girl from Arkansas". In 2005 he released a live album "Travel Log" that featured his friend, dobro-player Matt Mauch. However the album was missing many of the stories that make Picott's concerts special, instead choosing to focus on the music performances.

Over the years Picott has opened for Allison Krause and Slaid Cleaves in addition to headlining his own shows and playing in numerous songwriters' circles.

Picott is currently touring with fiddler Amanda Shires. His latest album "Summerbirds" is readily available world-wide and in addition is putting the finishing touches on a duet album with Amanda for release around October of 2008.

In 2006 Mr. Picott, a long-time Nashville resident, moved briefly to Austin, Texas but returned to Nashville in April 2007. . He tours nationally and internationally.

(1) "When you're out of fashion in Nashville, A songwriter works hard for his independence" by Barry Gramlich. The Record. March 19,2004. Go! Section, Page 15

(2) "Rod Picott: a Yankee in Nashville" by Richard Skelly, Asbury Park Press, Sept. 9, 2003 page E4

Discography

Albums

*"Tiger Tom Dixon's Blues" (2001)
*"Stray Dogs" (2002)
*"Girl From Arkansas" (2004)
*"Travel Log Volume One" (2005)
*"Summerbirds" (2007)

External links

* [http://www.rodpicott.com Official website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/rodpicott MySpace page]