Songwriting
The Slow, Boring, Unstoppable Power of Consistency in Songwriting
People love the idea of sudden inspiration. It’s dramatic. It feels mystical. It makes for a good story. But the truth underneath it all is far less glamorous and far more useful: the songwriters who win the long game aren’t the ones waiting for lightning. They’re the ones quietly turning up, day after day, doing […]
Why Do We Write Songs And Why Your “Why” Is Important
Every songwriter, no matter how long they’ve been at it, eventually runs into that quiet moment where the question sneaks in… Why am I doing this? It rarely arrives with fireworks. It shows up late at night when you’re stuck on a verse that won’t behave, or during a long drive when a melody loops […]
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 […]
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 […]
10 Mistakes Beginner Songwriters Make (And How to Fix Them)
When you’re first starting out as a songwriter, it can feel like there’s a mountain of things to figure out. Things like lyrics, melody, structure, rhymes, ideas, not to mention performance, recording, and everything else. It’s so easy to fall into traps that slow your progress or shake your confidence. But don’t worry, mistakes are […]
Who Really Makes a Song a Hit: The Songwriter or the Audience?
It’s a question that gets thrown around a lot, often in frustration or reflection: “What makes a song a hit?” Is it the songwriter’s genius? The audience’s taste? A well-oiled marketing machine? Or just dumb luck? The short answer? It’s both the songwriter and the audience, but they don’t hold equal weight, and they’re rarely […]
Why Writing In Long-Form Can Help You Write Better Song Lyrics
When people talk about songwriting, they usually focus on trimming things down, cutting the fat, tightening the line, getting straight to the point. And that would make sense. Songs are short. They’re compact emotional containers, designed to get in, hit hard, and stay with you. But here’s the twist: sometimes, the best way to write […]