October 2025

Photo by Vasily Koloda on Unsplash

The Audience Comes Last: A Songwriter’s Guide to Creating From Within

Rick Rubin once said, “The audience comes last” and in a time where songwriters are constantly told to build a fan-base, game the algorithm, and tailor their songs to what’s trending, this statement might sound radical. But for anyone who’s ever stared at a blank page with a melody swirling in their head and self-doubt […]

I don’t know who dropped this in Leeds city centre but I feel their disappointment.

Happy Accidents: When Mistakes Become Magic in Songwriting and Recording

Not every wrong turn is a mistake. Sometimes, it’s the road you were supposed to take all along. When we write songs or produce music, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to get everything just right. The right lyric. The perfect chord. The cleanest take. But if you’ve been doing this for a […]

Metal art sculpture, with the word listen.

What Hemingway Can Teach Us About Listening (And Writing Better Songs)

“When people talk listen completely. Don’t be thinking what you’re going to say. Most people never listen. Nor do they observe… You should be able to go into a room and when you come out know everything that you saw there and not only that. If that room gave you any feeling you should know […]

Selective focus photo of a red tulip flower

Your Song Doesn’t Have to Be Original, Just Unmistakably You

There’s a lot of pressure on songwriters to “stand out,” “be original,” or “break new ground.” And while it’s a noble idea, here’s the truth: Your job as a songwriter isn’t to be original. It’s to be you. Originality is overrated. What matters most is authenticity, your thoughts, your feelings, your stories, your way of […]