Deep Talk About the Songwriting Process.
In-depth interviews with songwriters about their songwriting process. That's All. No talk of band drama, band names, or tour stories. Treating songwriters as writers, plain and simple. By Ben Opipari, English Lit Ph.D.
Recent Episodes
April 24, 2025
Tennis
Ed note: my new permanent intro and outro music is the Tennis song "Need Your Love." Alaina Moore and Pat Riley of Tennis are good friends of mine, which means this episode is more of a conversation than an interview as we go...
April 21, 2025
Lili Trifilio (Beach Bunny)
“Scribbling into oblivion” is how Lili Trifilio of Beach Bunny describes her editing process. (It's also an amazing song title.) She used this phrase in response to a question I like to ask songwriters: when you’re editing so...
April 13, 2025
Mike Campbell (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Dirty Knobs)
Mike Campbell doesn't have songwriting rules. He hates them. But he doesn't need any because he's always creating. "I'm probably writing as I'm talking to you," he told me. In fact, Campbell's problem is that he can't stop co...
April 6, 2025
Derek Miller (Sleigh Bells)
I always love having my buddy Derek Miller of Sleigh Bells on the pod! This is Miller's third time as a guest. I don't know how he ever has time to do interviews because the man is either writing music, about to write music, ...
March 31, 2025
Annie DiRusso
I'm a much better songwriter when I'm reading," Annie DiRusso says. Truer words have never been spoken; a clear through line connects quality songwriting and reading. And the fact that DiRusso loves poetry makes me even more ...
March 25, 2025
Denison Witmer
Running and poetry are all Denison Witmer needs as a songwriter. "When I'm being physically active, my brain opens up," he says. Running is a big part of Witmer's life and plays a big role in his creative process. The other m...
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