Teddy Robb is not your average dreamer turned country singer. The Ohio native grew up an athlete and went on to play sports as a business major in college. It wasn’t until he was 19 when he learned to play guitar, with singing coming a couple years later. When Teddy made the decision to pursue a country music career, he found encouragement from his family and friends which helped fuel his drive. Chasing his passion was a bold and admirable move, one that would eventually pay off. Fast forward some years and his plans are becoming a reality. With the release of his self-titled, debut EP in April 2020, Robb took a major step forward in solidifying his career as an artist.
“I hope I look back and I’m proud of this EP forever,” Teddy said of the five-song compilation that serves as his introduction to the world. It’s the product of years of songwriting and finding the perfect songs to fit into the repertoire Robb is creating. “I’ve had these songs for so long, to finally be able to put them out is really exciting,” he said. “I really felt like I tried to put a little bit of my heart into every song.” Listeners will get a well-rounded picture of Teddy through the heartbreak of ‘Tell Me How’ to the flirtatious ‘Lead Me On.’
Putting this record together has strengthened Robb’s passion for songwriting. “I love writing songs. I love to put emotions into music. It’s definitely something I didn’t know growing up that I had,” he recounted. “I have a songwriter’s heart, and when I signed with SMACK[Songs] I think they saw something in me, they kind of knew it almost before I did.” For the EP, Teddy lent a pen to two of the songs, ‘Lead Me On’ and ‘Tell Me How.’ The other three were songs that the singer truly connected to. “I would have a hard time recording songs I didn’t love. So much goes into it. So there’s certain things about each one that I love.”
For the project, Teddy worked with some of Nashville’s best. The record was produced by Shane McAnally, Ben Fowler, and Matt McGinn and features songs written by seasoned writers like GRAMMY-award winner Josh Osborne (Sam Hunt, Kacey Musgraves), Old Dominion’s Trevor Rosen, and hitmaker Jesse Frasure (Thomas Rhett, Florida Georgia Line). “The cool thing about being a writer for SMACK is that I get to be around writers like that, who are just amazing,” Teddy shared, adding how grateful he is to have them as resources. “Getting in the room with all of these amazing writers, you start absorbing it.” Through the years Teddy’s songwriting craft has evolved. He’s found his own squad of co-writers and has taken on a leadership role in some of the writing sessions.
Although there is uncertainty with releasing music during a pandemic, Teddy is pleased with the response to the EP. “We didn’t really know what to expect,” Robb explained. “We just felt like, why not? We’ve got this music that’s ready. It was really cool, actually, to release it during this time because everybody is home and paying attention right now.” Like many others, Teddy has been keeping busy and sharing his music with fans through Facebook Live and Instagram Live performances, including a show on our own Instagram page. “It’s cool! I’m glad we get to do it, but there’s no substitute for playing live and I don’t think there ever will be. There’s something about the energy of hearing guitars coming out of the amps… people drinking beer and having a blast and dancing – there’s no substitute.” On the plus side, he said, “Just think about how much we’re going to appreciate when it does come back.” We couldn’t agree more. At least there’s no shortage of new tunes for us to listen to as artists like Teddy drop new music. If you have yet to listen to Robb’s EP, what are you waiting for?
Teddy Robb’s debut, self-titled EP is available now. Stream it here.
Make sure to follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to stay up to date or catch a live performance!
Missed his live show on NECM? Catch it here.