1) Who are some artists that have inspired your songwriting and in what ways have they done so?
As a female artist, I think I am definitely drawn to other women singer/songwriters. I love the music and writing of Sheryl Crow, Kim Richey, Matraca Berg, and one of my all-time favorites is Joni Mitchell. Every time I dive into a song by Joni, I am continually astounded and amazed at her sheer mastery of melody, rhyme and visual lyric content. Beautiful songs with complex structures that seem simple (but aren’t!) and that contain deep meaning and authenticity – I don’t think you can get any better than that!
2) What are some favorite tools in your songwriting toolbox? In other words, what are some of your best go-to techniques for crafting a song?
There are so many, I’m not sure which ones to mention here! Here are some of mine: I am a big believer that to be a good writer, you have to WRITE so incorporating some kind of focused daily writing practice can be really helpful. When your Muse comes a knocking, you want to be warmed up and ready to receive whatever is given to you. I also think that playing and learning other people’s songs can be so inspiring. Learning what other artists are doing chordally, melodically, and rhythmically and then taking these little magical moments and changing them slightly to make them your own is a great technique to try. Writing to a drum track can also be exciting and get you thinking outside your musical box. Cowriting is also a wonderful tool that everyone should try!
3) How do you know when a song is working and how do you know when it is falling flat? What are the signs?
I feel like I have this inner voice that tells me if a song is working or not working. I think when the song feels and sings naturally that is a pretty good sign that you’re on the right track. I also try to be patient with myself if a section isn’t working. Sometimes, I’ll leave a song alone for a bit and come back to it once some time has passed. Sometimes, I’ll bring in a co-writer to help me get it finished. Sometimes, I’ll just accept that it wasn’t meant to be written and that maybe it was actually a form of “pre-writing” for a different song idea.
4) What do you find most challenging and most rewarding in the songwriting process?
I think the most challenging thing for me is remembering to turn off my inner critic, to relax and not take it too seriously. Be flexible. The most rewarding thing for me is when I’m in “the zone” and a line or a melody just comes to me. It is usually a line that feels like it was given to me by some unseen force, rather than me crafting it into being. When that happens, I leave that line alone and work around it.
