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Greg Gallo is a Raleigh NC native who's always had a passion for music. Growing up listening to everything from James Brown to Rancid, Gallo moved to Nashville at the ripe old age of 18 to try his chops in the music business. An internship with Raleigh NC based Deep South Entertainment led to the creation of a Nashville DSE hub in his Belmont University dorm room.

After graduating from the Music Business program, Greg partnered with Bruce Burch as an independent songplugger for Burch-Gallo Music. Their clientele included EMI Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing, Kris Kristofferson, Dennis Linde, Richard Leigh, Ash Street music, and a handful of other choice writers/publishers.

Greg's work plugging her catalog attracted the attention of Ash Street owner June McHugh, who hired him as her full time songplugger. In his two years at Ash Street, Greg quickly established himself as a rising star in the publishing world. This lead to his being hired by Craig Wiseman for his company, Big Loud Shirt, where Gallo plugged for two years.

In March 2009, Greg left Big Loud Shirt to form a creative services company and is working with some of the music industry's best and brightest tunesmiths.

I interned for a management company during the summer after my freshman year at Belmont. That was representing some major label artists from the rock world, and some awesome people that learned a lot from. I wanted to continue to learn from them and noticed that they didn't have a publishing arm. My last day as an intern, I asked them if they ever thought about starting a publishing company. They asked me if I wanted to run it. At first, my pay was zero dollars, my expense account was zero, and the budget to sign writers was also zero. But, I got business cards, and access to their network of peers. I was in! We then created a broad pitch to own network and turned it something awesome.

Right now, my main focus is creative consulting (finding/signing/pitching/setting up co writes) for companies. Some have two writers, some have 11. In terms of personal have one writer signed to a joint venture and two on first look (exclusive first look and pitch to own contracts).

Referrals from organizations (NSAI, ASCAP, BMI) and A&R people are the way I've found most writers (currently and previously). Others are through co writing with writers I represent.

5. WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR JOB IS SONG PLUGGING AND WHAT PERCENTAGE IS SONGWRITER MANAGEMENT?

This really varies writer to writer. For established writers, I'd say 75% plugging, 25% pitching... they are mostly self-running machines that need you to distribute their stuff properly...for writers that are between their first cut and their fifth cut, I'd guess 60/40 setting up political co writes/ pitches... for new writers who still need their first cut & some street cred, it's 90/10.... However this really does vary writer to writer with who's looking for what and when they're cutting...

6. HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND PER WEEK WITH EACH OF YOUR WRITERS REVIEWING NEW SONGS, OR DISCUSSING COWRITES?

I think songs can be overly reviewed. You can pick any song apart so much that it's not even recognizable anymore. I work with writers I believe in, and recognize what could potentially make them a brand. Knowing a wide base of co writers helps to pair them with people whose complimentary styles make up for what might be lacking in a developing writer.

Bottom line, I don't review new songs with a writer unless they ask for the feedback. In more cases than not, I've seen this be incredible counter-productive to the creative process.

I like for people to do what they are creative inclined to do. I like to nudge the steering wheel in the right direction while they have their hand out the window. I firmly believe the writers are the talent, not the pluggers. It's our job to be patient.

So, all of you songwriters out there, if you get a publishing deal DO NOT ASK FOR TOO MUCH FEEDBACK!!!! IT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA, BUT IT HURTS YOU IN THE LONG RUN!

Artist co writes and political co writes matter more than ever. Writer draws are drastically down as well... However, the new writer getting $12k a year is much better than the number one writer getting $75/week in 1985...
publishing advances are being treated by publishers much more like exactly what they are, advances on royalties... not a paycheck to chase market share (as was previously being done). Catalog sale multiples are also about 30% of where they were three year ago.

8. HOW MANY DEMOS DO YOU GET PER WEEK FROM UNKNOWN WRITERS? WHO LISTENS TO THOSE?

I get roughly 30 songs a week like this. If they request to submit material, I listen to them but don't respond unless it is something I feel I can work with. Doesn't mean I don't like the person or their music, I just don't have the time budget to respond unless it could be a profitable situation for all involved.

Also, I'm usually listening in my car, so taking notes for feedback is super dangerous.

9. HAVE YOU EVER FOUND A SONG OR SIGNED A WRITER FROM UNSOLICITED MATERIAL SENT TO YOUR OFFICE?

NEVER. I don't and can't listen to those. If a publisher takes unsolicited material, you probably don't want to work with that publisher. If they are that naive to attract a lawsuit, they will probably not be good with the details need to be good stewards of your copyrights. So unfortunately, we don't receive any demos of unknown writers.

10. WHAT ADVICE OR SUGGESTIONS DO YOU HAVE FOR A NEW WRITER TRYING TO BREAK INTO THE BUSINESS?

Be different. Be you. Be unique. Chase your brand, chase your style, and don’t chase a perfect song. The best way to get 20 cuts instead of one is to play by the rules for your first two hundred songs, then tell the rules to go to hell. You will not get an outside cut trying to sound like the previous single. Do not rewrite anything until you've written 200 songs; apply any feedback you get to the next songs. Keep in mind that every great writer I've ever met had their first deal's draw at a level that most people would not be able to live at. So, don't worry about the money of a writer draw, you were writing songs before you knew what a publishing deal even was... so keep writing, and don't use no draw or low draw as an excuse to why you aren't writing regularly.