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Famous Texas Songwriter: “Painting Poetic Portraits of Heartfelt Melodies”
Famous Texas Songwriter: “Painting Poetic Portraits of Heartfelt Melodies”
Written by Melissa Orsak
Trannie Anderson’s passion for songwriting started when she was only seven years old, sitting at her little piano in Waco, Texas, and creating Christian-focused artistic anthems. Anderson shares that she has a “knack for painting poetic portraits of small-town living set to dynamic, heartfelt melodies in a fresh yet timeless way. The ability to artfully walk the line of deeply authentic storytelling in a universal fashion has made [me] a key collaborator for many artists.” By age eight, a few ministers in town had heard her songs and teamed up with her to mentor and encourage her development, allowing her to perform during offertories. Despite participating in sports, piano, and other activities, her passion for songwriting prevailed. Her supportive mother, Kyle Stevens, recognized her daughter’s talent and passion and paid composer and arranger Gary Rhodes to provide songwriting lessons and to educate Anderson about Music City, Nashville, Tennessee. By 7th grade, Gary Rhodes helped Anderson record an EP, a small album. She also shared her gifts at talent shows and coffee shops. In high school, Anderson started a band that traveled around Texas and performed at various music festivals.
Anderson attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas, after completing high school. She earned a degree in Entrepreneurship and hoped to make an entrepreneurial living through her songwriting. To develop her skills, Anderson joined Texas Songwriter U, a non-profit organization that supports emerging songwriters through various events, education, co-writes, and an annual competition. Anderson entered the songwriting development program and was selected as a finalist out of hundreds of applicants. Eventually, she was announced as the winner of Songwriter U’s songwriting competition and received great exposure, connections, support, and other opportunities. These opportunities included co-writing with Jack Ingram, performing at a music festival, earning studio time, and more. Having graduated from the program as an alumnus, Anderson will return to Texas Songwriter U as a mentor for the 2024 class of songwriters.
After college graduation, Anderson moved to Nashville, Tennessee, with lofty goals. Anderson is a dreamer but also practical. While in Nashville, Anderson needed to supplement her income while she waited for her career to unfold. She tied her passion to her day job by becoming known as the Country Star Dog Sitter for country stars like Michael Hobby, Dan + Shay, Hunter Hayes, and Brett Eldredge, who needed dog sitting while on tours. Entrepreneur Anderson’s endeavors became so profitable that she turned it into a business called Pup Stars. She hired additional songwriters to support her growing enterprise. This inspired path was vital in helping Anderson reach her dream of becoming a profitable songwriter. It opened doors as she became friends with the musicians’ pet owners and shared her music, building opportunities and a support group.
Anderson dreams big but understands the importance of stepping back and looking at the bigger picture. She found that taking one step at a time every day towards her goal is crucial! Anderson shares, “I write a song every day, meet new people, and I treat people well… I am going to leave the world better than I found it too”.
In 2018, Anderson got her first big break as a country songwriter through an introduction to Sony Music Publishing by the granddaughter of John Wayne and famous country singer and actress Jennifer Wayne. Anderson’s talent and hard work started to pay off, and she soon landed her first publishing deal. Since then, Anderson has written over 60 songs that have been recorded by well-known artists Lainey Wilson, Dan + Shay, Cole Swindell, Gabby Barrett, Nate Smith, Meghan Trainor, Pentatonix, Reba McEntire, Lauren Alaina, and many more. Her collaboration with Lainey Wilson as a co-writer on the #1 hit single “Heart Like a Truck” earned them Song of the Year at the 2023 Nashville Songwriter Awards. “Wildflowers and Wild Horses,” co-written by Anderson and sung by Lainey Wilson, is a current country radio sensation. Anderson’s songs have been featured in several ads and TV shows for popular brands like T-Mobile, Dodge Ram, Wranglers, Tractor Supply, Marshall’s, The CW, Netflix, and many others.
Anderson’s passion for music and her desire to help others have always gone hand in hand. Growing up in Waco, Texas, her family learned the importance of giving back to the community through volunteer work with Meals on Wheels. She also volunteered alongside her mother, a professional golfer, at Mission Waco and CASA, where her mother hosted fundraising golf tournaments. Anderson would play golf and help at the events. Watching her mother invoked an inner desire to find a way to bless others by sharing her talents. Anderson shares, “I learned from my mom to infuse what I love into giving,” which inspired Anderson to participate in many musical philanthropic efforts over the years. Recently, she helped raise funds for the Cleburne, Texas, school district by contributing autographed items for an auction and performing.
Anderson wants to inspire young artists to use their talents to positively impact their communities. She encourages them to think about what they are passionate about and what they are good at and then find ways to combine the two to create something they love while giving back to others. Let Trannie Anderson’s talents and contributions continue bringing music to our homes and hearts, and let our unique songs be heard.
