"We Believe in the Green Light:" Jessie Jo Dillon Talks Carter Faith's Debut Album & The Future of Gatsby Records

Decorated songwriter Jessie Jo Dillon has had quite a busy 2025.

Throughout her storied career, which has seen her pen some of the biggest and most memorable songs in modern country music, Dillon has nabbed eight No. 1 singles, secured writing sessions with the who's who of the genre and notched countless award nominations, ranging from Grammys, ACMs, AIMP Nashville Awards and, most recently, her very first CMA.

One of the most in-demand songwriters in Music City, as well as throughout the whole of the country genre, Dillon has penned chart-topping songs and enduring tunes for Cole Swindell, Megan Moroney, Old Dominion, Jelly Roll, Tyler Hubbard, Morgan Wallen, Russell Dickerson, Kelsea Ballerini, Keith Urban, Maren Morris, Post Malone, HARDY, Miranda Lambert, Luke Bryan, Jon Pardi, Tim McGraw, Brothers Osborne, Darius Rucker and countless others, making her the ultimate chameleon in country music.

feature INTERVIEW • More Than a Songwriter: Jessie Jo Dillon on Crafting Country’s Future and Her First CMA Nomination

Beyond her illustrious lyrical talent, Dillon has also busied herself with advancing and supporting the Nashville music industry and its next class in a way that we've rarely seen before.

A committed advocate to the next generation of artists and storytellers, 2025 has seen Dillon take on the bespoke position of Song Buddy at MCA and launch her own Gatsby Records imprint under the label with flagship artist Carter Faith.

"The Great Gatsby is my favorite novel, and I always loved that Jay Gatsby would stand on that dock and look out at the green light at the end of Daisy's dock, reaching for that dream to come true," Dillon explains of the venture. "For Gatsby Records, I almost have this slogan of 'We believe in the green light.'"

Deeply inspired by writers like Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Elliot and others of that time period, Dillon and Gatsby Records celebrated its first release with Faith's critically-acclaimed debut album, Cherry Valley, this past October.

"Carter is just her own being. I met her a couple years ago and we started working together because we went on a writing trip," she recalls. "I always really liked her because she didn't give a shit. She doesn't sound like anyone else, and I love that she's so tiny but has this big voice. You can hear all her influences but it sounds like her. It doesn't sound like a costume... It was absolutely a no-brainer for me to work with her."

With only Faith signed to the label thus far, Dillon explains that she has plenty of dreams for the label as they continue to chase those infamous green lights.

"I have no desire to try and sign a bunch of shit. I care too much, so it's going to be a big decision to sign other people, which we definitely will," she notes. "I never want to tell the artists who to be or what to do. I just want to find people that are pretty solid in who they are because I don't think you can teach somebody that or tell them what their North Star is."

"I want to find people that are a little different and understand themselves, and hopefully help them achieve their dreams." She adds with a smile, "I just want to help them shoot for the moon."

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Jessie Jo Dillon

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Carter Faith

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