Will You Cross That Bridge When You Come To It?
If there is no bridge, there has to be another element that replaces the psychological function a bridge would have served, in order for the emotional arc of a song to do it’s job. Juss sayin'.
Co-Writer Compatibility
Stay away from arrogance and people who make you feel like you have to prove something to them. Ugh. The worst. At this point in my career I choose to eliminate all toxic energy from my life.
What's It All About?
Barbra is an actress who sings…that’s how she thinks of herself…she has to understand the lyrics in order to know what she’s supposed to be feeling.
Rest Peacefully, Tommy Page
He was like that little boy from “The Alchemist”—the one who had a vision he believed in so strongly it caused the Universe to jump into the current and conspire with him to make it all happen.
Small Spaces
Yesterday I was off to the “studio” of a young producer, as he offered to record my vocal for a project I was working on. When I got there I realized his "studio” was his apartment with just enough square footage for not much more than a bed.
Topliners Taking Back The Power
There’s a new breed of "Topliner" on the scene who are charging for their valuable time and service. "I’m tired of working for free and being asked to cough up lunch money.”
Kings & Queens of Nashville
Four hours later my session is a total bust. Three ideas and we couldn’t get hard. We parted without any eargasm to speak of. Even well seasoned writers come up empty sometimes. They might not tell you that but I will.
Courtney's on The Voice!
"What do you do when you've raised your son, sent him off to college, and it's clear you're on your own with a whole lotta life left ahead of you? You audition for The Voice."
Hey There Delilah (And MoZella)
Shortly after MoZella, Jude and I were pressured into removing a proper name from the title of a song we wrote for MoZella's record, Plain White T's had a GINORMOUS hit with "Hey There Delilah."
Greetings From Nashville
"Concept is everything…some writers write themselves into a circle and wait for the main idea. Sometimes they get lucky. But if you have the concept right from the start the songs write themselves.”
Trading Places
What if, just for a few songs, Topliners took the bottom and the Producers got on top—so we could better appreciate each others’ function?
Wilson (No) Phillips....(from "Confessions of a Serial Songwriter")
From every songwriting session that you enter, hopefully you give something away and take something with you when you leave.
On Grammy Eve: Sending David Bassett Ex's & Oh's
In an industry filled with egos and players and sound-alike chasers he never lost the plot!
Jealous of "Jealous"
No matter what we bring to a party, we are attracted to collaborators who we believe will up our game.
Songwriter Therapy
I guess I’m just enjoying taking stock and remembering what matters to me—brushing up on and what I once knew so well. Because as soon as you think u know it all, you know nothing.
Writing by Committee
If all songs are written in a factory-like environment, what happens to the songsmith who enjoys a more intimate creative experience?
Bon Voyage
I hadn’t gone on an international writing trip in a long time. Motherhood had kept me close to home by choice. When my daughter was out of elementary school you’d think I would have jumped at the chance. Au contraire…even more reason to stay close. Teenagers are volatile.
F-F-F-Fifty???
I work with people who are a decade younger than I and others who are a decade older. Some have innocence and some have wisdom. Sometimes the innocence does not belong to the younger writer or the wisdom to the older.
