This is where I share my process along with things I’ve found helpful.
You probably have a method for capturing your ideas in the moment–whether it’s your phone, a recipe card, or a Moleskine notebook–but sometimes that method doesn’t work. For me, the combination of hot water on my scalp and the scent of shampoo often sparks creativity. If you wear a wedding ring–or any ring, for that […]
The Wedding Ring Hack Read More »
I wasn’t just interested in recording “I Love Rock N Roll” because I liked the challenge of reinterpreting it. I also recorded it because I knew my publisher controls the copyright. Back in 2020, they gave me a list of popular songs they can clear for licensing. I scanned through them and picked several that
The Art and Science of Choosing Cover Songs Read More »
If you’re planning your first wedding, my guess is you’re just planning on doing it once. You’re not trying to get good at getting married multiple times, right? So pretty much everything is stressful. You’ve never done this before. What’s the budget? Will you have a band or a DJ? Who will perform the ceremony?
Act Like a Wedding Planner Read More »
Hi Ryan, Great question. “Balance” is a tough topic and one I can relate to. For a longtime balancing my roles as an artist, producer, and songwriter was extremely difficult. I realized my success or lack-thereof depended on how organized I was. I’m not naturally organized or efficient with my time. I got away with
Does the name Roald Amundsen ring a bell? He was an explorer from Norway. I hadn’t heard of him either until recently. He was known as “the Last Viking.” In 1911, no one had ever reached the South Pole. Amundsen decided to take on Captain Robert Falcon Scott of Great Britain to see who would
How to Make Steady Progress: A Lesson from the Last Viking Read More »
I was on my way to meet my friend Claire for our cowriting session one day when I drove past a billboard for Grey Goose vodka. The sign said, “Fly beyond.” Before I go any further, did you know titles are not copyrighted? Copyright law sees titles as too short and vague to be copyrighted.
A Lesson in Copyright Law from Grey Goose Vodka Read More »
Prioritizing songwriting is hard, especially when your to-do list is eight miles long and work has you exhausted. Scheduling songwriting on your calendar is a great first step in taking your craft more seriously and improving your chances of actually writing. But you’ll still run into what Steven Pressfield, in his book The War of
How to Maintain a Daily Writing Routine Read More »
In 2018, I hit a songwriting slump. I had trouble finishing work and felt the songs I actually completed were mediocre. The long-term solution, I would later realize, was a long rest. I had been writing nonstop for six years. Plus, our family was growing. With the added parenting demands, it was unrealistic to sustain
“Do you ever worry about burnout?” Theo S. Hi, Theo. That’s a great question. Burnout is something I think about a lot because I’ve had to deal with it over the course of my career, especially during my early days here in Nashville. In 2012, when I signed my first publishing deal, my calendar began
AMA: “Do you ever worry about burnout?” Read More »
One thing I love about songwriting is that everyone has their own perspective. It’s the Anaïs Nin quote: “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” A tree isn’t just a tree. It’s your relationship to it. You might see an old birch along the boulevard, and someone else sees
Songwriting Prompt: Mother’s Day Read More »