Born to Chicago-based classical musicians, producer Ian Fitchuk studied jazz piano before becoming known as a country music producer. In addition to frequent collaborations with Kacey Musgraves, the Nashville-based producer has worked with a diverse list of artists from Phoebe Bridgers to Beyonce, Maggie Rogers, MUNA, and Stephen Sanchez.
Let’s explore how today’s best country songs are made—and how studios like Bay Eight Recording Studios Miami help artists bring them to life.
How to Make a Country Song
- Live instrumentation: banjo, fiddle, mandolin, pedal steel
- A clear storyline: beginning, middle, end
- Relatable themes: money struggles, small-town living, life as an outlaw
- Organic textures mixed with modern production (808s, synth pads, atmospheric guitars)
- A singer with a Southern accent
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Who is Ian Fitchuk?
While Fitchuk got his start producing in Nashville, he didn’t grow up listening to country music. He admits his knowledge of the genre was initially limited to The Dixie Chicks and Shania Twain.
Fitchuk now has many credits in the singer-songwriter and pop genres. However, his earliest opportunities were in the country and Americana genres. It just goes to show how helpful it is to be open to a wide range of genres. For artists recording outside Nashville, this is good news: authentic country doesn’t require a southern zip code. It requires educating yourself on the genre and focusing on intentional production.
For more on how to produce for genres you may be less familiar with, like K-pop or Afrobeats, check out these articles.
What Is Country Music?
Music was intentionally segregated, and now it’s being reintegrated.
Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” Beyonce’s country album, and Chappel Roan’s “The Giver” are all challenging the mainstream definition of country music.
“The Giver” reached Number One on the Hot Country Charts this year, and Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” was nominated for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance at the 2025 Grammys. The fact that “A Bar Song” was inspired by rapper J-Kwon’s 2004 hit “Tipsy” reinforces how permeable the barriers between genres are.
One of country music’s most notable instruments, the banjo, was brought to the US by enslaved Africans. While country music is often seen as White southern music, it in fact has very diverse roots. Country songwriter Alice Randall put it this way; “Genre, like race, is a construct.”
“What defined…genres wasn’t so much what they sounded like, it was who was making the music.”
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How Ian Fitchuk Produced Kacey Musgraves’ “Slow Burn”
“Slow Burn” features a kick, snare, and hat in its main beat. It includes a banjo, but also incorporates unexpected components for a country song including a vocoder and synths. The guitar parts (played on a Texan ’64 Epiphone and a J-45 Standard Gibson) were recorded using a KM-54 Neumann, KM-56 Telefunken, and 4038 Coles microphone.
Fitchuk recommends using a click-track so you have the choice to experiment with tempo later on. Also, try playing live with your collaborators, this allows for detailed choices that make the difference between forgotten works and Grammy-winning albums.
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How To Write a Country Song
Traditionally, live instrumentation is a pivotal part of country music. Try incorporating instruments like banjo, fiddle, violin and /or steel guitar into your country songs.
In the past few years, we’ve seen many artists push back against country music’s mainstream image. Today’s country is heavily rap influenced, so use of digital instruments including 808s, synths, and autotune has become more common.
What Makes Country Lyrics Different?
Country music typically features lyrics that tell a story. While genres like rap can be boastful, country music often portrays working class struggles. Most of us don’t have to dig too deep for this kind of story, just pick something that feels true to you, like thinking about how you’ll still be paying student loans when you’re 60.
How does a rap song become a country song? Add a fiddle, a 12-string guitar, and a brush loop. Swap a club for a bar. FInally, switch out lyrics about being rich for something like “Gasoline and groceries…”
Country is not so different from other genres you may be more familiar with, especially if you listen to pop music. Add in a few traditional country instruments, write lyrics that a working-class, everyday person can relate to, and you’re halfway to a country song.
Can You Make a Country Song in Miami?
Absolutely. Country music today is recorded everywhere from Brooklyn to Berlin.
What matters is:
1. A great room
2. Skilled engineers
3. The right instrumentation
4. Strong storytelling
Bay Eight Studios regularly works with artists blending genres, languages, and styles. In fact, we’ve had Southern artists like Glorilla and Migos recording in our studios. Miami is an unexpected but powerful home for country-influenced music.
If you want Nashville quality with Miami style, Bay Eight offers:
1. Award-winning engineers
2. World-class microphones (U87, C800G, Telefunken, etc.)
3. Isolated vocal booths for clean acoustic tones
4. Producers experienced with country, pop, and Americana
5. An informal vibe that encourages creativity without pressure
Whether you’re a first-time songwriter or an established artist, Bay Eight gives you the environment and expertise to craft a country song worth remembering.
Our Mixing and Mastering services are guaranteed to compete with the biggest names in the industry.
