Missouri Music Writers Guild holds first meeting tonight

From his roots growing up in Portageville, Mo., Malcolm Springer traveled a long way to create a successful career in the music industry.

In his years as producer, musician and sound engineer he's worked with big names like Matchbox Twenty, Collective Soul, Faith Hill and Fear Factory.

Now Springer and locals Brandon Drury and Luke Sample of Echo Echo Studios in Scott City have teamed up to create the Missouri Music Writers Guild, having its first meeting tonight at Port Cape Girardeau.

The guild is a way to find local talent and connect it to music industry insiders, given local musicians of all genres knowledge of the industry and contacts.

"I just want to be able to get it where that part of the country has a way to get more action going in it," Springer said last month between studio time in Nashville. "There's a lot of talent around there.

"There's a lot of great players, there's a lot of great writers, and the Writers Guild is going to be a lot for the writers who are not in a band, who are sitting on the back porch writing country songs."

Each meeting will feature a music industry insider. Tonight's insider is the band Greenwheel, a St. Charles, Mo.- based group discovered by Springer that released its major-label debut "Soma Holiday" in 2002.

Greenwheel will play an acoustic set and talk about its dealings with the recording industry.

Springer said he's looking to bring in the band Saliva for the next meeting. Sample said metal produce Mike Wagener, who has worked with Metallica, Dokken, Skid Row and other metal giants, is also in the works.

"We figured most people would think we're full of crap," said Sample of the big names. But Springer's industry contacts have allowed to guild to connect with insiders in a way that wouldn't otherwise be possible, he said.

All ages are welcome to the no-alcohol event, said Sample, with the hopes of attracting young, talented musicians.

The first meeting is free, and Sample said the guild hopes to keep it that way. If there's enough interest, he hopes that will be possible.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182