Shortly before I left Australia on a world trip (I’m currently writing from London), I asked young Australian singer songwriter Aleyce Simmonds, if she would kindly answer a few questions from my eBook “fifty great questions to ask songwriters”. Thankfully, being the lovely person she is, Aleyce agreed. Aleyce Simmonds is a songstress from a...

“6. Have you ever abandoned a song idea? Why?” Absolutely. I’ve abandoned many songs and for various reasons. It’s pretty normal to feel like your song is “just not happening”, but my handy tip on this is to save the idea for a rainy day. Every idea we have is worth something and is more than likely worth expanding on. It could be put down to...

“5. When there are so many songs already written about where someone is from and what events may have shaped them as people, what ingredients make a song like that a good song?” Excerpt From: Broadie, Karl. “Fifty Great Questions to Ask Songwriters.” BN Publishing. iBooks. Check out this book on the iBookstore:...

4. Has your background inspired your songwriting at all? Maybe your hometown or your family? This theme has a common place in country music and of course mountain music and folk songs. I have definitely written songs that feature scenes I’ve recollected from my childhood. Mostly, I draw from the experiences and twist and weave them to suit an emotion I’m...

3. Can a trend or fashionable style of song affect your own songwriting? Perhaps your methods change or a trusted usual approach changes? The answer to this depends on whether or not you are a songwriter that follows trends and/or maybe even decides to try and stay “current”. If you are either of the afore mentioned? Then your best bet would be to stay...

2. How important is it to research what or who has influenced a songwriter that you admire? Can you share an example? Whether you have one or many songwriters in particular that you look up to, going back to the source and researching what it was that fueled them in the first place, will undoubtedly provide a deep and endless well of inspiration. An example of that...

1. Starting point – Are there any basic guidelines you could share for perhaps someone who has never written a song before but would love to?   Scribble down your thoughts, everyday, write something. Then get your instrument and throw a few chords together…..even two! Then scour your scribbles for a word or phrase that looks strong on the page....