-
Read MoreFREE 5 Step Songwriting System e-Book
When I say “songwriting success” I mean the ability to sit down, write a song and love that you’re doing it. We all get frustrated with how overwhelming it can all seem, but SongChops.com can make it easy. This free e-Book will give you the strategies you need to start writing songs today! And what’s better, it’s a way to build a songwriting system so you’re not...
-
Read MoreColter Wall Sings Ian Tyson’s “Bob Fudge”
Ian Tyson is one of the best cowboy song writers around. Maybe songwriters. His song “Bob Fudge” is an exceptional example of how to write from someone else’s perspective, cover 71 years, and make it interesting in less than 5 minutes. Writing someone’s life story into a song, while keeping it compelling, visually rich and moving along – is difficult. Many times you can get...
-
Read MoreTravis Meadows “Pontiac”
If you want to start with something that’s true, one of the best songwriting mentors you can look to is Travis Meadows. He has a way of writing about his experiences that brings others in and not only reveals a bit about himself, but also creates a perspective for how people’s lives can shift, change and become new. One of his best at pulling in memories and connecting images to a life lesson...
-
Read MoreLucinda Williams “Car Wheels On A Gravel Road”
Lucinda Williams is a songwriting super-shero. Yes, most successful women who have to deal with a male-dominated industry often are. But, she was one of the first women, no – songwriters, to raise Folk and Americana music to a “maybe Nashville needs to grab a little piece of this” status. She writes songs that don’t conform to an industry. She’s also managed to forge a...
-
Read MoreJason Isbell “Cumberland Gap”
Having worked in the Cumberland Gap area back in the day, I’d drive up 25E through Tazewell TN, past the Mustang Lounge, and wind my way through the gap toward Middlesboro Kentucky. Why do I remember these places so well? I was standing in the back room of a grocery store in Middlesboro the day my grandfather died. It’s funny how a place can become an integral part of life’s most...
-
Read MoreGillian Welch & David Rawlings “The Way It Will Be”
If you’ve followed the folk and Americana genres, or read Pat Pattison’s books on songwriting, you know who Gillian Welch and David Rawlings are. Since Revival, their first album in 1996, Welch and playing partner David Rawlings have become Americana legends. One of the primary reasons for their success is their song craft. Gillian Welch is an object writer. She’s a chronicler of...
-
Read MoreBrandi Carlile “The Eye”
I got a direct message through twitter asking about a Brandi Carlile song called “The Eye” (thanks Helen!). While I’ve listened to Brandi Carlile since her first album, I now realize I haven’t mentioned any of her songs on the site, so now’s the time! “The Eye” is a cautionary tale that doesn’t really come off as giving advice. The speaker focuses on how...
-
Read MoreEric Church “Record Year”
We’ll deconstruct Eric Church’s “Record Year” to discover the songwriting devices that made this song a #1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart and #44 on the Hot 100 Chart, and garnered three CMA nominations. Written with band mate Jeff Hyde, who also co-wrote “Cold One,” “Springsteen,” “Kill A Word” and “Smoke A Little Smoke”...
Lyrics
Melody
Search
Follow Us
FREE Tips & How To Guides!
Rhyme
Songwriting Worksheets
Song Prompts
Most Recent Articles
What’s A Performing Rights Organization (PRO)?
In the U.S., Performing Rights Organizations, or PROs, like BMI, ASCAP and SESAC are entities that collect the royalties due to copyright holders (songwriters and/or publishers) and parties who use copyrighted...
Read More
COVID-19: 5 Tips To Keep Your Music & Songwriting Going
During this time of quarantine and isolation, how do you keep things going so you can prepare for the future, while providing some grounding as we all make our way to the other side of the curve? I thought...
Read More
Getting Started Pitching Songs
How to get started pitching songs is a question I often get from songwriters. ...
Read More
5 Steps To Finish Unfinished Songs
Sometimes it’s hard to finish unfinished songs. And, there’s...
Read More
Setting Songwriting Goals Quick Guide
I know, it seems like a no-brainer to set songwriting goals as well as goals...
Read More
Story Behind Miranda Lambert’s “The House That Built Me”
Every song has a story behind the writing of it. The craft, the idea creation,...
Read More
New Streaming Service Pays More
Streaming is all the rage. And likely the future of music distribution. But...
Read More
A Streaming Royalties Example
Janis Ian dropped an example of her mechanical royalties statement on FB,...
Read More
5 Keys To Better Song Pitching
Song pitching, or writing songs you pitch to others to sing, is tough. Unlike...
Read More
Resources For Texas Musicians & Artists
Texas musicians, performers and singer-songwriters have some home state...
Read More
7 Tips To Write More Songs
Most songwriters want to write more songs, more often, but run into blockers...
Read More
SongChops Songwriter Gift Guide
This songwriter gift guide covers everything from getting started to moving to...
Read More
Mary Gauthier “Between The Daylight And The Dark”
Mary Gauthier is known for her strong scenes and emotional context, and...
Read More
Tips To Consistently Create New Songs
Consistently creating new songs can feel overwhelming, and song ideas can be...
Read More
SongChops Newsletter Archive
I’ve been getting requests for some of our newsletter “oldies but...
Read More
How Ed Sheeran Created “Shape Of You”
How did Ed Sheeran create one of the most popular songs of 2017? A song he...
Read More
Perfect Songwriter Gifts?
Looking for the perfect songwriter gifts? Not sure what they need, what they...
Read MoreFREE Song Demo “Quick Class”
FOLLOW MY BAND ON SPOTIFY
Get Gig DatesFREE Social Media Class!
My Song Pitch Demos
Help Us Help You!
Who's Writing This Anyway?!
I'm part of the Texas-based Americana duo Amelia Earhart Returns and a songwriting instructor, running workshops in university and private settings. I've had success placing songs and playing to audiences in Texas as well as Tennessee and surrounding states, with airplay on one of my favorite stations - WNCW in Spindale.I'm proud to be a published poet and honored to be a recipient of the Bain-Swiggett Poetry Prize.
I've had the privilege of sitting in a church basement with Gillian Welch & David Rawlings talking about songwriting, sharing the stage with . . .[MORE]
Named a Top Songwriting Site!
We've been named a top songwriting site three years in a row thanks to you!
YOU'RE PROTECTED
Our Privacy Policy
