S.G. Goodman was raised a farmer's daughter and studied philosophy in college. This means that not only does she love to ponder, she has time do it during those long days in the field. The product of all the pondering? Amazing lyrics.
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As an instrumental guitarist steeped in improvisation, Julian Lage isn't one for specific rituals. And that's why I loved this conversation: it's a deep dive into the abstract elements of creativity as we try to figure out where it all comes from.
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Gavin Rossdale’s favorite lyrics are those with “speckles of blood, speckles of sweat.” The more truthful the writing, he says, the bigger the power.
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Grian Chatten of Fontaines D.C. calls songwriting his “constant annoying companion. I have writing on speed dial 24/7.”
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Madison Cunningham writes every day. No excuses. Because a writing regimen takes the pressure off those days when she’s just not feeling it.
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Will Sheff believes in writing every day, first thing in the morning. But he’s also a firm believer in loafing.
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Matt Nathanson’s latest album Boston Accent was produced by Butch Walker. in this episode, they dissect why their creative relationship in the studio was so successful.
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John Moreland needs a good headspace to write his “bummer songs.” Also helpful is a cold, dark room in the middle of the night. But the one necessity? Tokyo walking videos.
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Kelsey Waldon finds the beginnings of spring and fall to especially conducive to songwriting. A good yellow legal pad helps as well.
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Kevin Morby’s writing process involves cheap pens, cheap paper, a good hardwood floor, and running shoes. Dental floss proves it.
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Real Estate’s Martin Courtney is trying to make his songwriting process less “painstaking” by plowing through the initial stages and chipping away later. But he’s always got Strega Nona.
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Laura Veirs find the best way to engage the muse is with a good side eye.
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The key to The Black Pumas' creative process? Turn signals! Adrian Quesada told me that he’s mesmerized by the rhythm of his car’s turn signals when he’s driving. “I’m always superimposing a 6/4 rhythm on them whenever I’m at an intersection,” he told me. So much so that that his wife has to remind him that the light is green.
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I first interviewed BJ Barham of American Aquarium in November 2020, and we had so much fun we decided to do it again! This time we added a third: S.A. Cosby, author of one of our favorite books from 2020, BLACKTOP WASTELAND. Watch these two creative heavyweights discuss the writing process and books and music.
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“If the next album is about whaling, you’ll know where that came from.” For Craig Finn of The Hold Steady, any good creative process involves paying attention to every external stimuli. Even Ishmael.
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Julia Cumming and Nick Kivlen of Sunflower Bean don’t share many similarities in their writing process, but both agree that’s a boon to their creativity.
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Whether he’s longboarding or reading to his kids or drawing, Bardo Martinez of Chicano Batman is always thinking about his next song.
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Jonathan Russell of The Head and the Heart loves structure in his life, from a clean kitchen to his songwriting process. And it’s that structure in his songwriting process that lets the chaos loose and allows him to “play like a five year old.”
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