Biography

Contact Information:
Byron Hill
bhprecordings@gmail.com

MICHAEL COSNER - Stay Country

Originally released 2012
Available on AirPlay Direct June 1, 2018

1-KICKIN' IT DOWN THE ROAD (2:59) (Featured Track)

Songwriters: Michael Cosner, Mike Kenny, and Byron Hill
Publishers & PRO: Triage Music Inc. (BMI), P M K Publishing Co. (ASCAP), Byron Hill Music (ASCAP)/Quinnford Music (ASCAP)

"My co-writers (Byron Hill and Mike Kenny) and I wanted to write something up-tempo and Byron had this title, "Kickin' It Down The Road." It's about a guy that doesn't procrastinate about anything and always gets everything done on time except one thing. "When it comes to getting over you, I keep kickin' it down the road. I gave a copy of this song to Mickey Gilley at a show we were doing and he ended up recording it as the title cut of his current CD!"

2-THE FUTURE AIN'T WHAT IT USED TO BE (3:15)

Songwriters: Michael Cosner, Mike Kenny, and Byron Hill
Publishers & PRO: Triage Music Inc. (BMI), P M K Publishing Co. (ASCAP), Byron Hill Music (ASCAP)/Quinnford Music (ASCAP)

"I was reading a book about Yankees great Yogi Berra and came across this saying of his and thought it would make a great song title. I imagined it as a heartbreak song, but Byron convinced me to turn it around and make it a nice little love song. The production has a very smooth Don Williams feel to it."

3-DOGS LOVE TO RIDE (3:20)

Songwriters: Michael Cosner, Mike Kenny, and Byron Hill
Publishers & PRO: Triage Music Inc. (BMI), P M K Publishing Co. (ASCAP), Byron Hill Music (ASCAP)/Quinnford Music (ASCAP)

"This one's for the dog lovers. The guy in this song loves to take his dog with him wherever he goes. Is it because he just loves hanging out with his best friend or is there another reason? It's revealed at the end in the bridge. This is probably my most requested original song to do live."

4-STAY COUNTRY (3:48)

Songwriters: Michael Cosner, Mike Kenny, and Byron Hill
Publishers & PRO: Triage Music Inc. (BMI), P M K Publishing Co. (ASCAP), Byron Hill Music (ASCAP)/Quinnford Music (ASCAP)

"Initially, when one of my co-writers, Mike Kenny, brought this title, I didn't want to write it. I thought that it would turn out to be a song full of cliches about living in the country. We made a concerted effort not to do that and the result is a really good song about being true to yourself and the way you were raised."

5-G-MAN (2:37)

Songwriters: Michael Cosner, Mike Kenny, and Byron Hill
Publishers & PRO: Triage Music Inc. (BMI), P M K Publishing Co. (ASCAP), Byron Hill Music (ASCAP)

"My producer, Byron Hill, came to NC from Nashville where we, along with songwriter Mike Kenny, holed up in a hotel room in Greensboro to write songs for this film that was set in Post-Depression NC. Byron started playing the signature lick in G-Man and we just began telling the story of these moonshiners always on the lookout for the G-Man. That groove was so cool that the song spilled out in about 30 minutes. We've always felt like this recording might generate some Bluegrass interests."

Production:

Tracks 1-4
Recorded March 26, 2012 at County Q Studios, Nashville, TN. Tracking Engineer: PT Houston. Assistant Engineers: Nick “Ace” Lutz, Jason Domenech. Mixed by Rob Matson at County Q Studios, Nashville, TN
MUSICIANS
Paul Scholten - Drums, Percussion
Mike Joyce - Bass
JT Corenflos - Electric Guitars
Mike Rojas - Piano, Organ
Mike Johnson - Steel
Glen Duncan - Mandolin
Billy Panda – Acoustic Guitar
Thom Flora – Background Vocals
Produced by: Byron Hill
All lead vocals by Michael Cosner

Track 5 (the song "G-Man")
Recorded December 12, 2007 at County Q, Nashville, TN. Engineer: P.T. Houston. Assistant Engineer: J.P. Barker. Mixed by Rob Matson at County Q. Additional recording done at The Reserve, Nashville, TN, engineer: Byron Hill.
MUSICIANS
Byron Hill - Acoustic Guitar, Background Vocals
Glen Duncan - Mandolin, Banjo
*Terry Smith - Upright Bass
Tommy White - Dobro
Jim Hoke - Harmonica
Paul Scholten - Drums
*Terry Smith, courtesy of The Grascals
Produced by: Byron Hill
All lead vocals by Michael Cosner

Biography
Michael began performing when he was 7 years old, doing a song or two with his Father's band The Honky-Tonk Goodtime Band, whenever they played a family-friendly venue. His first live appearance as a youngster was in Mocksville, NC, when he performed on some Flatt & Scruggs songs and sang Ricky Skaggs' "Cryin My Heart Out Over You".

By the time Michael was in his mid-20's, he had become the lead singer for a very successful regionally touring band called Native Son. While with Native Son, Michael shared the stage with many great, well-known artists like Gary Allan, Shenandoah, Sara Evans, Sawyer Brown, Jerry Lee Lewis, Wade Hayes and others.

Michael left Native Son in 2001 and began concentrating on songwriting. In 2007, Michael teamed with hit Nashville songwriter/producer and former North Carolinian Byron Hill, along with songwriter Mike Kenny, to write songs towards his first EP Stay Country.

All songs Copyright © 2012 by Publishers listed
All recordings Copyright ℗ 2012 BHP Recordings