Corey Stewart
Why Songwriters Must Embrace Discomfort In Order to Truly Go All the Way With Their Craft
“If you’re going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don’t even start.”— Charles Bukowski There’s a brutal kind of beauty in that quote. Bukowski wasn’t talking about songwriting, but he might as well have been. Because if you’re serious about writing songs that matter (not just clever lines or catchy choruses, but something that […]
Commit Fully to the Song: Why Half-Writing Isn’t Enough
You know that folder… the one with 147 unfinished demos? We all have it (I know I do). Verse fragments. Voice memos. Half-formed chorus ideas that once lit a fire, only to fade into digital dust. It’s not that those ideas were bad. Most of them were probably pretty good. The real issue? We didn’t […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Every Line Must Earn Its Place: Editing Your Song Like a Pro
So, you’ve written a new song. The structure is solid. The melody feels good. The chorus is catchy. But something still doesn’t quite click. Chances are, it’s not the whole song but it’s a few weak lines dragging everything else down. In songwriting, every line matters. Every lyric you keep needs to earn its place. […]
The Power of One Emotion: How to Focus Your Song’s Message
One of the easiest traps a songwriter can fall into is trying to say too much in a single song, too many feelings, too many angles, too many directions. The end result? A confused listener and a forgettable tune. If you want to create songs that connect and feel truly listenable, one of the best […]
How to Make Your Song More Listenable (and Worth a Listener’s Time)
As songwriters, we often ask ourselves: “How do I make my song worth listening to?” But for me, the better question might be, “How do I make it more listenable?” That is, how do you create a song that someone not only wants to hear once, but again and again? Here’s a no-fluff breakdown of […]
9 Songwriting Excuses That Slow You Down (And What To Do Instead)
I just read a sharp piece from Speed Songwriting that calls out nine classic excuses that keep us from writing and shows simple ways to beat each one. It is a friendly kick in the pants, the kind you save to your bookmarks and actually use when the gears start grinding. The heart of the […]