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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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”...
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Read MoreChris Stapleton “Parachute”
“Parachute,” written by Chris Stapleton and Jim Beavers, is one of my favorite songs on Traveller. It delivers a universal message in a very economical package. For example, you’ll find a single chord progression repeating itself, sparse imagery and a few missing rhymes! We’ll take a deep dive on Chris Stapleton’s “Parachute”, detailing what makes the song work,...
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Read MoreLori McKenna “The Bird & The Rifle”
Lori McKenna’s “The Bird & The Rifle” is a lesson in song craft. And, she’s a great example of how writing first for yourself, growing your skills and then being able to write for a genre outside your own can result in commercial success. She’s one of the top songwriters in Nashville not because she focused on being a songwriting for Nashville or country artists, but...
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Read MoreAdele “Hello”
Written by Adele and producer Greg Kurstin, “Hello” focuses on a telephone conversation/voicemail. The song brilliantly leverages the strength of direct address to create a highly personal moment, while the melody moves from ballad to power ballad utilizing eighth notes and scale shifts to create defining moments within simple, direct lyrics Even if you’re not a vocalist, you can...
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Story Streaming: Tell Songs Like A Movie
Story Streaming is very similar to object writing, and is the next step in the process to craft your song. Unlike object writing, which focuses intensely on a single object and allows for associations to occur,...
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Mary Gauthier “Between The Daylight And The Dark”
Mary Gauthier is known for her strong scenes and emotional context, and “Between The Daylight And The Dark” is no exception. Written with Fred Eaglesmith, it’s a great example of how to create a...
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7 Tips To Consistently Create New Songs
Consistently creating new songs can feel overwhelming, and song ideas can be...
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SongChops Newsletter Archive
I’ve been getting requests for some of our newsletter “oldies but...
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Q&A: I Write From Inspiration But Need Discipline
Waiting for inspiration to hit doesn’t always lead to a high volume,...
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When To Stop “Finishing” A Song
Finishing a song is important, don’t get me wrong. But, not every song...
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Poetry As Lyrics: Using Anaphora
We’ve all heard it: poetry as lyrics just doesn’t work. But, as...
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Know Your Strengths To Create Goals
We’ve all heard it: “Set goals to achieve success.” But, for...
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Melodies The Same? Song Maps Create Variety
Song maps are a way to find patterns and tendencies that you often repeat....
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Object Writing: Quickest Path To Great Lyrics
Object writing is one of the best ways to quickly advance your songwriting...
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Partial Capos Help Create Variety
Partial capos sound complicated, but they can make your guitar playing easier...
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Simple Steps To Melodies
Melodies are one of the most difficult parts of songwriting, but you can...
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Perfect Songwriter Gifts?
Looking for the perfect songwriter gifts? Not sure what they need, what they...
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Change Perspective But Keep Your Point Of View
Perspective isn’t a common songwriting topic. Most songwriting...
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Texture In A Song: What Is It?
Texture is what helps tie your lyrics to an emotional connection for the...
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5 Steps To Organize Your Song Files
It happens to every songwriter. The business of music. Your focus is on...
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Starting Your Songwriting Notebook
A songwriting notebook, also called a Hook Book, or a journal, is your idea...
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Songs Using Allusion: Joel To Swift
While it’s one thing to know what an allusion is, applying it to your...
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Allusion: What Is It?
You probably see or hear an allusion in use a couple of times a day, but do...
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Can A Three Character Song Work?
A three character song doesn’t work. We’ve all heard it, and if...
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Song Target Your Way To A Cut
Targeting can be on of your best tools in not only building your song chops...
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Who's Writing This Anyway?!
While I do have a corporate life as a marketing professional, I've been involved in songwriting for a number of years. Back in the 90's I performed in the successful Americana duo Amelia Earhart Returns in Knoxville TN 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]
