Poignant Track Written During CreatiVets’ Songwriting Program,
Spotlighted in Recent Segment on NBC’s TODAY Show
NASHVILLE, TN – Nashville-based nonprofit CreatiVets and Big Machine Label Group’s campaign to release a new veteran-written track on the 20th of every month — paying tribute to the 20 veterans and active-duty members that commit suicide every single day — continues today (4/20) with “Miss Those Memories,” available now (via Big Machine Records) across all major streaming platforms.
LISTEN TO “MISS THOSE MEMORIES”
Spotlighted in a recent segment with Carson Daly on NBC’s TODAY Show (watch it HERE), the tune was written by Marine Veteran Lloyd Howard Jr. alongside multi-platinum hitmaker Justin Moore, award-winning songwriter Casey Beathard, and CreatiVets co-founder Richard Casper. A product of one of CreatiVets’ lauded songwriting programs, which aims to pair combat veterans with songwriters in Nashville to learn how to use music as a form of therapy, the moving song was inspired by Howard’s harrowing time in service and his positive approach to life after war. Featuring lead vocals by Beathard and background vocals by Moore, the poignant track serves as a reminder that countless veterans are faced with a new set of battles after returning home — singing, “I don’t do much looking back there at that life I left behind / The truth is I don’t remember all that Hell on Earth I saw / And I don’t miss those memories at all.”
“I suffered a traumatic brain injury, and the biggest factor is not being able to remember daily activities, like whether or not I ate or brushed my teeth,” explains Howard. “When I shared my story with Justin and Casey during our session, they took the words I was saying and turned them into these inspiring lyrics. It felt like a true collaboration, and I will never forget it.”
Recently featured in PEOPLE Magazine (check out the story HERE), CreatiVets has helped more than 1,000 combat veterans since its founding in 2013 — with more than 400 veterans participating in its songwriting programs to date. The organization’s utmost goal is to end veteran suicide by offering alternative ways to cope with trauma, using the arts as a therapeutic cornerstone in the road to recovery. Serving as a connector for opportunities that magnify CreatiVets within the entertainment space, Big Machine Label Group continues to contribute to CreatiVets’ operational initiatives through Scott and Sandi Borchetta’s Music Has Value Fund and through Big Machine Music, which serves as the co-publisher for CreatiVets.