Songwriter U

One of the most common questions I get is “How much furniture does my song need?”  What the writer means, is “How many concrete nouns and adjectives do I need to write into my song?”   For instance, if I talk about...

Part One. There's always good reasons to say no to songwriting opportunities. Stop being so reasonable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX71qQ8EOmc The Clash, "Straight To Hell" "If you can play on the fiddle,...

This is Part 2 of a 2-part series. See Part 1 here. In the first installation of this, Say Yes, Part 1, we ended with a series of songwriting invitations, each of...

Singer-songwriter Suzanne Santo first found success with her critically acclaimed roots duo honeyhoney, who released three albums between 2008 and 2015. After becoming a solo artist in 2017, she released her debut album that same year, Ruby Red, produced by Butch...

It would be fair to say that it’s been hard for most people to stay productive in 2020, but Jeff Tweedy is not most people. On top of preparing to release his fourth solo LP in four...

John Cameron Mitchell, best known for co-creating and starring in both the film and Broadway versions of the rock musical Hedwig & the Angry Inch, recalls how even that success didn’t mean that everyone was willing to admit that he...

With her 1985 self-titled debut album and its follow up, 1987’s Solitude Standing, celebrated singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega has shown that she’s an expert at writing unforgettable and thought-provoking material. With nine studio albums and hits like “Luka,” “Tom’s Diner,” “Left...

Being a successful songwriter is one thing, but being able to write or co-write across several genres – and finding success in all of them – is a pretty rare thing to do. Robert White Johnson has accomplished this, with...

If there's something in your way, it's probably you https://youtu.be/Fl-rYuI1-0w Jimi Hendrix, "Little Wing" "In order to change the world, you have to get your head together first." - Jimi...

Growing up in Northern Minnesota, singer-songwriter Cobi began playing gigs when he was still a teenager. He went on to attend the prestigious Berkee College of Music in Boston before joining the indie pop band, Gentlemen Hall. When that band...