An industry recognized and award winning songwriter with thirty years of real stories. Todd started busking on Hollywood Blvd in the late 1990’s, spent decades fighting demons, and now writes story-driven songs that hit people who’ve lived a little. If Jimmy Buffett, Robert Earl Keen, and Niko Moon had a songwriter cousin who survived the long road.
Todd Bailey is a songwriter and artist whose songs echo the grit of the road, the heart of small-town stages, and the soul of an authentic songwriter.
Based in Burlington, NJ (South Jersey and Philadelphia), Todd’s award winning songs blend folk, country, pop, and Americana into a sound that’s both familiar and fresh. His acoustic-driven performances and lyrical storytelling offer a refreshing contrast to modern production with stripped down songs and straight forward stories and melodies. Bailey is a songwriter’s songwriter—gritty, melodic, and true to his voice.
At 19, Todd dropped out of college, rode a Greyhound cross-country, and ended up busking on Hollywood Boulevard — chasing dreams and dodging reality. He lived as a homeless youth in L.A., and fought through almost three decades of substance abuse who actually chased the dream, fell down hard, got back up, and never stopped writing.
Press, Broadcast History & Memberships:
- National Radio Coverage / Airplay History
- In The News / Acclaim & Reviews
- NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International)
- ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers)
Artist Comparisons
The bridge between Jimmy Buffett’s easygoing charm, Robert Earl Keen’s storytelling grit, and Niko Moon’s feel-good country vibe, with a heavy streak of songwriter integrity — never pretending, never posing.
Now, thirty years later, sober, grounded, and wiser — with a catalog of “been there, survived that” songs that hit people who’ve lived life, worked hard, and carry their own scars.
- Beer-soaked bar songs for real people
- Road-tested stories
- Songs about authenticity
- Songs about being a songwriter, not a cover-band clone
- Songs for the ones who’ve lived some life and earned their laughs and tears
An authentic American bar-stool storyteller — the guy
Another standout track, “The Songwriter’s Song,” is an anthem for every artist who’s ever felt unseen:
“This Music Scene ain’t much to talk about, It’s all I got… All I ever think about”
Todd’s authenticity and commitment to craft have earned him loyal fans and meaningful airtime, including multiple plays on national radio shows like The Hootenanny Café., Andys Music Mix (WDVR) and many more, His return to the live music scene in 2022 with his acoustic show Anything Like Me and companion EP marked a new chapter—one defined by purpose, presence, and power in every line.
A Long Road of Words and Music
Raised in Levittown, PA, Todd picked up the guitar in 1994 and was instantly drawn to songwriting, inspired by Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited. His early years took him from a Pittsburgh theater conservatory to a Greyhound-riding troubadour in Hollywood, where he honed his performance chops busking on The Streets of L.A. on Hollywood Boulevard.
By the late ’90s, Todd was back on the East Coast—writing, performing, and helping build the Philly music community. His projects over the years—Gypsy Killers, Anxiety Drive, and solo albums like Rolling the Dice and One Precious Stride—all bear the mark of a dedicated craftsman with something to say.
Why Todd Bailey Matters
Todd Bailey represents the heart of independent music. He writes for the storytellers, for the underdogs, and for the crowd that still believes songs can change something. If you like music that says something—music with soul, sweat, and substance—Todd Bailey is your kind of songwriter.
Whether you catch him live or dive into Cover Band Town, you’ll find what others have found over three decades:
A voice that’s clear, a pen that’s sharp, and a message that matters.
