Chris Martignago Helps Guide Prescription Songs’ Nashville Growth [Interview]

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Chris Martignago. Photo: Taylor Christian Jones

Early this year, Chris Martignago was promoted to Vice President of A&R at Prescription Songs’ Nashville office, formalizing his leadership role as the company continues to expand its presence in the market.

Martignago brings more than 14 years of A&R experience to the position, including nearly a decade at Atlantic Records and the last four years at Prescription Songs. In Nashville, he has helped shape a roster that spans pop, alternative, and country-adjacent spaces, while maintaining Prescription’s reputation as one of the city’s more genre-fluid publishing companies.

Originally from outside Washington, D.C., Martignago was raised by parents who immigrated from France in the late 1980s. Music was always present in his household, but in varied forms. “My mom was really into pop radio and divas like Celine Dion and Shania Twain,” he says. “My dad was a total rock person. So early on, it was never just one thing.”

After his family relocated to South Florida, Martignago’s relationship with music shifted from passive to immersive. A friend convinced him to attend a local show as a teenager, a screamo concert in the back of a church.

“I couldn’t tell where the floor ended and where the ceiling began,” he recalls. “The energy was insane. I just remember thinking, I want to be a part of whatever this is.”

That instinct initially led him toward performing. Martignago spent his late teens and early twenties touring in bands, an experience he now credits with teaching him skills he did not fully appreciate at the time. “I didn’t realize how much I was learning just from being on the road,” he says. “You’re watching how rooms work, how crowds react, how songs land night after night.”

Eventually, practicality pushed him toward the business side. Encouraged by his parents to pursue a more stable path, Martignago enrolled at Full Sail University in Orlando, where he studied music business. A pivotal moment came when he was selected to meet Steve Robertson, a longtime Atlantic Records executive. The meeting led to an internship at Atlantic, where Robertson became an early mentor. Martignago’s initial responsibilities were simple but demanding.

“My job was basically, when he put the phone down, I had to play something amazing,” he says.

One moment during that internship became foundational to how Martignago approaches A&R. After struggling to find music he truly believed in, he chose not to play anything at all. “I told him I hadn’t found anything good enough,” Martignago says. “Instead of that being a problem, it actually shifted how he saw me. It was about raising the bar on listening and being more discerning.”

The moment led to increased responsibility and deeper trust, reinforcing the idea that strong A&R instincts are as much about what you pass on as what you champion.

That emphasis on discernment carried through Martignago’s rise at Atlantic, where he moved from intern to consultant and eventually to Director of A&R and Research. His role blended creative development with emerging data-driven approaches, providing early exposure to developing artists and projects, including work around Melanie Martinez, Billie Eilish and Twenty One Pilots.

“I still believe in research,” he says. “I just believe it works best when it’s paired with taste and intuition, not replacing them.”

In 2015, Martignago relocated to Nashville after Robertson made his own move to the city, a decision that ultimately prompted Martignago to follow. While the city offered a strong songwriting culture and sense of community, it also presented challenges for pop-focused A&R work at the time.

“There weren’t a lot of people doing what I was doing here,” he says. “In some ways, it felt like moving to a new place with some of the same challenges and some new ones.”

Those tensions became more pronounced during the pandemic, as TikTok accelerated the industry’s focus on metrics and short-term performance. When Martignago’s contract came up for renewal in early 2021, it became clear that his priorities and the label’s evolving needs were diverging.

“It wasn’t dramatic,” he says. “Everyone was kind, and I was treated well. But it became obvious that what they valued most from me wasn’t the part of the job that got me into music in the first place.”

Shortly after, Martignago joined Prescription Songs Nashville, shifting from label A&R to publishing. The move required a recalibration, particularly around timelines and financial expectations.

“One of the first things I learned was how long it takes for money to come in on the publishing side,” he says. “And what makes money there isn’t always the same thing that makes money on the label side.”

He also had to adjust his mindset. “At a label, you’re often working on very specific puzzles,” he explains. “You need the single, or the producer, or one missing piece. In publishing, you’re working with pieces and deciding what puzzles you even want to build.”

That shift led to a more proactive approach, both creatively and strategically.

“I actually think Prescription made me a better A&R person,” he says. “You can’t just react. You have to be intentional about who you bring in, because you’re committing to them for the long term.”

Since joining Prescription, Martignago has helped develop a Nashville roster that includes Anderson East, Trent Dabbs, JT Daly, Nick Lobel, Tony Esterly, Brett Truitt, Josie Dunne, Dominique Sanders, Derik Fein, Heather Russell and Vancouver Sleep Clinic. Recent highlights include the signings of East and Dabbs, along with contributions from Prescription writers and producers to BigXthaPlug’s latest project, which featured four cuts involving Nashville-based creatives and collaborators such as Thomas Rhett, Shaboozey, Darius Rucker and Ink.

Earlier this year, longtime Prescription Nashville leader Katie Fagan announced her departure to launch Mom + Pop Records’ Nashville operation. Martignago raised his hand to help guide the office forward. “I knew I couldn’t replace Katie,” he says. “But I also knew I cared deeply about what we’d built and where it could go next.”

In early 2025, Prescription named Martignago Vice President of A&R, a title that reflects expanded responsibilities but not a shift in focus. Martignago sees Prescription’s role in Nashville continuing to evolve from an alternative presence into a competitive one, while staying grounded in the identity the company has built. “We’ve always been an alternative,” he says. “Now the goal is to compete while staying authentic to who we are.” That approach includes supporting genre-fluid creatives and expanding the company’s footprint across country and hybrid spaces. “I don’t think writers want to be put in boxes anymore,” he adds. “They want flexibility, and they want to feel like their identity can evolve.”

Martignago also points to the importance of diversity, both in signings and staffing, as Nashville’s creative ecosystem continues to broaden. “If music in this town is going to look different,” he says, “the industry has to reflect that.”

As VP of A&R, Martignago will continue overseeing signings, creative development and cross-genre initiatives for Prescription Songs Nashville. “I want to build something sustainable,” he says. “And I want the work to speak for itself.”

LB Cantrell
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