I can recall several co-writing sessions whereby I’ve had to compromise despite knowing we were taking the safe option. If it’s already been shared a million times, why do we need to do the same? Is that how we make a difference? Phrasing. Musical and vocal phrasing. Taking risks with the rhythmic delivery of our phrasing, will get us noticed. If we want...

5 Smart goals for performing songwriters Pt 4 Smart goal no 4: A warm response to your in-between-song banter (memorable entertainment other than your actual songs) If we have stories to tell? Share them! Our audience want to take home something memorable and  that can come from a variety of events throughout one live show. In-between song stage banter can be as...

5 Smart goals for performing songwriters Pt 3 Goal no 3: Audience reaction during at least one song in your set – memorable moments during songs that have lasting impact. If none of the songs in your set have a sing-a-long part that’s easy for an audience to lock into, create one! It can be one word or part of a line. I’m certain that as a songwriter you are...

5 Smart goals for performing songwriters Pt 2 Goal number 2: One devoted new fan. One devoted new fan from every show is a massively underrated goal for most performing songwriters. I’ve often heard artists declaring that they want the whole audience to buy their album and to be new devoted fans. Music is such a personal preference that this is a very rare and...

5 smart goals that a performing songwriter should aim to achieve from a live show. On the eve of my six hour road trip north, to the Tamworth Country Music Festival, as well as feeling terribly excited, I’ve been contemplating what kind of week I hope to have up there and what I should hope to achieve from the experience. Of course I’d love to win the Alternative...

A great article/interview entitled “Tips of the Trade: Publishing Deals – the Dos and Don’ts” was published today in APRA|AMCOS’s online member magazine APRAP. I thought this a fitting follow-up to my podcast episode 05: Top 8 Reasons a Music Publisher will notice you. You can listen (or re-listen) to that episode here:...

Exploring songwriting in genres other than our usual or preferred genre can be a healthy option for many reasons, particularly if recently, you’re not feeling inspired to write. Being proactive and purposefully seeking out distractions that steer us away from our normal creative processes for a time, or from our current projects (song or songs) in our usual...

After a fair while burning the candle and intensely focussing on making a new album, my clarity has returned and the mornings feel somewhat new. Of course as an artist, this is when a lot of the hard work begins but as a songwriter, I’ve been waking up with a very satisfying feeling of accomplishment. This newfound clarity could be for a number of reasons....

As songwriters, our surroundings and our creative environment are often vital to the art and the actual creative process. It’s true, that inspiration can arrive at anytime, therefore there’s no actual guarantee we’ll be ready. Whilst we may plan, and set-up our writing environment to just the way we like it, we need to accept that the timing might...

If I’m looking for songwriting inspiration, I usually do one of the following: 1. Take a walk, breathe and breathe deep, once your mind has quietened down, you can hear the good stuff. 2. Listen to albums you love (whenever I do this I usually get about three songs in before I have to grab my guitar and write, even if you wrote one line, it’s been worth...