Coldplay’s ‘Viva La Vida’ – The Art of Generating Momentum
Coldplay’s 2008 hit, ‘Viva La Vida’ is an intense, rousing, and satisfying song. It combines…
FKA twigs’ ‘Pendulum’: Addition By Subtraction
This is an adventurous song. It’s also an exceptional song, recording, and piece of music…
In Songwriting, The Importance of Getting the BIG THINGS Right
In working with songwriters (and tracking my own development) I’ve noticed something about writers who…
‘Take Me To The River’ – Al Green, meet David Byrne
In 1974 Al Green wrote the song ‘Take Me To The River’ with Teenie Hodges,…
Why Are Songwriters Getting Screwed? Here Are Some ‘Answers’
When doing Songwriting workshops, I often find myself saying, with total sincerity, “It’s a great…
Change The Tempo, Change The Groove!
In the early stages of writing something new, I tend to think of the song…
Bowie – A Songwriting Look Inside ‘Young Americans’
Today it only seems right to look at a song of David Bowie’s; let’s make…
Turning Strangeness Into Beauty
In the early, exploratory stage of finding my way with a possible new song, I…
Iron & Wine – The Indirect Style And Sound Of Sam Beam’s Songwriting
Iron & Wine is singer/songwriter Sam Beam and whichever musicians and singers he decides to…
Easy To Sing Is A Damn Good Thing: ‘Let It Snow’ Part 2
While scribbling away on our pads or pecking away at our iPads, as we write…
“Never Make Predictions, Especially About The Future”
A few weekends ago I had a plan to write on Saturday and Sunday afternoon,…
Allen Toussaint – A Musical Giant
On November 10 of this year one of the twentieth century’s American musical giants, Allen…
Writing Is A Streetcar Named Desire
I recently finished John Lahr’s powerful biography, ‘Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of The Flesh’. It’s…
How Adele Sets Up A Great Chorus
A big part of why understanding song structure is so important is that listeners bring…
7 Reasons To Join A Songwriting Workshop
Though Songwriting workshops aren’t for everyone, a lot of writers find them useful. After having…
6 Things To Consider Before Talking To An Artist About Changing Their Song
The piece below is an article I wrote, published this week in Sonic Scoop magazine…
The Most Dangerous Word In Songwriting
Rarely does a songwriting workshop session go by when I don’t find myself talking about…
6 Things To Remember When You’re Looking For A Producer
Most of what’s below involves communication and teamwork – the job of both parties. But…
Don’t Expect Writing A Good Song To Be Easy
“The vast majority of the time, I get a verse, or a chorus, and that’s…
When In Doubt, Try Taking It Out
I was thinking about Pre-Choruses – about how many times, in songs of mine and…
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