Paul McCartney – Maybe I’m Amazed     In the midst of the turmoil of the then secretive splitting up of his band in late 1969, Paul McCartney retreated to a Scottish farm and avoided a nervous breakdown by the skin of his teeth. In his rustic reverie he reflected on his future and wrote this masterful, decidedly un-silly love song. The Beatles were...

They Might be Giants – Difford and Tilbrook, Schlesinger and Collingwood. A weekly column by Inside Songwriting contributor, Michael J Roberts.   For young songwriters now, the maze of choice of who to investigate and learn from is vast and daunting, and at Inside Songwriting we will take the time to regularly mention writers you should know about. This weeks...

Songwriters – Memory Keepers We all have memories that stand us still in a single moment. We all have memories that take our minds and our hearts elsewhere, momentarily. Perhaps you are the keeper of a long list of these triggers? They are all invaluable resources for us as songwriters to draw from, reach into, translate, sink into or scrape away at. Next time...

The Importance of Being Intro A weekly column by Inside Songwriting contributor, Michael J Roberts. First impressions are important and count hugely in helping to create a lasting impression, no more so than in the art of songwriting. In talking to a young writer the other day I outlined a familiar argument, one I’ve often employed in encouraging any songwriter to...

It Was 50 Years Ago Today A weekly column by Inside Songwriting contributor, Michael J Roberts. July 6 1964, the world premiere of A Hard Day’s Night not only gave a besotted world another chance to embrace the lovable Liverpool mop-tops, this time on celluloid, it marked a quantum leap in the art of the musical. The Beatles and their collaborators pushed the...

IS Ep 19: Rhyming Patterns in Songwriting   In this “inbetween-isode” Karl speaks of rhyming, repetition, choruses and a whole heap of ramblings about songwriting as well as something a little different towards the end.   IS Ep 19: Rhyming Patterns   Listen right here on the site by clicking the link above or click on the image below to go...

Vale Gerry Goffin, a Songwriting King. A weekly column by Inside Songwriting contributor, Michael J Roberts. The world lost one of the true masters of song last week, Gerry Goffin, a writer synonymous with the golden age of ‘60’s Brill Building pop. One half of the iconic song writing husband and wife team Goffin and King, Gerry succumbed to natural causes...

Stagecraft & The Singer-Songwriter A weekly column by Inside Songwriting contributor, Michael J Roberts. A key weapon in the arsenal of any singer-songwriter is their presentation on stage, regardless of the quality of their songs, their voice or their musicianship. The dimension that good stagecraft adds to any performance can not be underestimated but oddly it...