Features

Carole King & "The Doing " Part Two of a Three-Part Series. See Part One here. The truth about songwriting is that there is no easy way...

If you were to peep Sasha Sloan’s Only Child inspiration playlist, you’d find songs by everyone from Robyn, Jewel, and Regina Spektor to The Killers, P!nk, and One Direction. Such eclectic taste freed the prolific pop writer,...

Ava Max has always been candid about two things: her ambitions (“We’re bringing pop back,” she told Vanity Fair last year) and her influences (“I grew up listening to Mariah Carey and a lot of pop divas...

So… what is pop music? You’ve undoubtedly heard the term before, but… what actually is pop music? Is a pop song determined based on its format? On its lyrics? On how relatable and dance-able...

"Songwriting's easy! It's not hard at all. Unless, of course, nothing's coming. And then it's hell." - Tom Lehrer "Performing's the easiest thing I do. Songwriting is the hardest." -Neil Diamond

Chances are, Luke Laird is simultaneously an entirely new name and an entirely recognizable music professional to much of the music listening public – especially those listeners of the country variety. Those who enjoy songs by artists that include Zac Brown...

In tumultuous modern times, it can be hard to put a sentiment properly into words. So, for Southern California-based songwriter, Zach Gill, he didn’t. During quarantine, the multi-instrumentalist, who also frequently plays with surf-songwriter, Jack Johnson (the two are very...

Veteran D.C. go-go band Rare Essence takes pride in perfecting the groove. The ensemble’s infectious convergence of rhythmic percussion clanks layered over chants, vamps, funk grooves and sophisticated jazz chords morphed into 45 years of never needing...

These days, the idea of not only encountering straightforward goodness but also accepting it without skepticism or a fear of Murphy's Law, seems impossible. Finding the positives amid so many simultaneous difficult situations, as well as problems without direct solutions and...

Do you ever daydream about a huge pop star discovering you?  If you’re a songwriter, you’ve probably at least once thought about how awesome it would be if someone like Katy Perry found your...