If you're not a teenager with tattoos and 22 piercings, you'll have a much easier time breaking in with a blues, jazz, or country repertoire. And Nashville is the mecca. Be a studio player. It's the easiest shot if you play well. Find a teenager with tattoos and 22 piercings.
Image is very important.
Five years ago, that meant renting studio time. One of my bands recorded all of the demos for their latest album on the back of the tour bus. Build a local buzz. Invite city and college newspapers. You have to pitch and hustle.