This is where I share my process along with things I’ve found helpful.
I don’t think this is a very good song. In terms of craft, anyway. It’s not the kind of song people will cover. It’s cryptic and vague, and the chorus isn’t particularly novel. So why record it? I don’t know. It has a feeling I like. As much as I talk about songwriting and encourage […]
Notes on Writing “All in My Head” Read More »
I remember starting this one with a guitar part and filling in the melody with gibberish words—just vowel sounds and a cadence that felt right. In other words, I had no idea what the song would be about, and I didn’t care. I was painting. Enjoying the process of discovery. But I also know I
Notes on Writing “Long Road Back to You” Read More »
Notes on Writing “Forgiveness” One time our family rented a car that came with SiriusXM radio. Instead of searching around for something we liked, we just let the station keep playing whatever it wanted. At some point, this song came on by a band I can no longer remember. But in the middle of the
Notes on writing “Home Means You” I was trying to write a non-cliché song about home. I’ve written dozens of home songs and will probably write dozens more. The whole “a house isn’t a home” idea has certainly been covered before, so I was trying to find a small twist on it. I think the
Learning Which Hills to Die On Read More »
Sitting at a café early one morning, I pulled out my watercolors and began painting the scooter across the street. The air was nice and the sun warm. A dog barked in the distance. An occasional car passed. Midway through painting, the owner of the café brought me sunny-side-up eggs and toast and said, “Oh,
Sketching a Scooter Outside a Café Read More »
I’m often asked to write songs for TV commercials. The thing about TV commercials is they’re made by companies. And for the most part companies don’t want to offend anyone or be controversial. They need lyrics with a positive message that speaks to as many walks of life as possible. How do I write a
Could Mister Rogers Sing It? Read More »
Do you read books with embarrassing titles? Like How to Win Friends and Influence People or The Four-Hour Workweek or The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People? If you’re anything like me, you stayed clear for as long as possible. The cynic in you despises these titles, having already made a thousand judgments without reading
Read Books with Embarrassing Titles Read More »
My songwriting mentor passed away in 2019. He was one of the most successful songwriters of the last decade, writing and producing hundreds and hundreds of songs, many of which were number-ones. On the flight home from his private memorial service, I realized something. Not one person I talked to mentioned any of his hit
Lessons from a Hit Songwriter’s Funeral Read More »
Hi Jaime, Noah is friends with me, not the other way around! Joking, of course. I met Noah a month before his nineteenth birthday—before he could rock such a great beard. (Still, he had pretty good stubble.) It was December of 2015. He came to Nashville to work on songs for his debut album. My
Jamie asks, “Are you friends with Noah Kahan or is that just a rumor?” Read More »
I’ve listened to some great first albums from artists who put their hearts, time, energy, money––high stakes––on the line. But many of those artists aren’t around anymore. Did they die? Yes. Inside, after not getting the response they had hoped for. I know because I’ve been there. It’s depressing. And humiliating. I used to begin
Create, Share, Learn, Repeat Read More »