Tools of Songwriting

https://toolsofsongwriting.buzzsprout.com/

Today's episode is about simplifying your art into small choices. I talk a bit about one of my favorite movies of all time and about how terrible I was in art class as a child.
I hope it helps…

https://toolsofsongwriting.buzzsprout.com/

Tristan Dougherty is a folk musician in Richmond, Virginia, whose songs combine meditative, finger-style guitar playing with warm, illuminative lyrics. He's been a huge support to the Richmond, VA songwriter community over the past few years.  On today's show,…

https://toolsofsongwriting.buzzsprout.com

Today I have a very special guest on the show.  I'm here with Richmond, VA musician Mackenzie Roark. Mackenzie has a  cool country sound in the vein of songwriters that I've always admired like Lucinda Williams, Gillian Welch, Whiskeytown,…

In today's episode, I talk about my writing process and the idea of being creative in an analog vs digital way. They're both useful, but I've found, that when I sit down at the computer the ideas can just dry…

In today's episode, I talk about the amazing book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" by Carol Dweck. I think some of the ideas in that book can be really helpful when you're writing songs. Here is the infographic that…

On today's episode of Tools of Songwriting, I'm talking about word vomit and how useful it can be to songwriters. I've been doing it off and on for years and it always helps me clear out my brain so the…

On today's show, we have my friend, Mitchel Evan. He's a Richmond, VA musician who plays solo and with his band Mitchel Evan and the Saboteurs. Mitchel shares some really great insight into his writing process and his journey as…

On today's show, we have my friend, Judith Avers. Judith is one of my favorite people and has really helped me out over the years. Not only in songwriting, but in how to navigate the music business. She's played music…

Jeremy Davis fronts the Charlotte, NC band Elonzo Welsey. I lived in Charlotte for 5 years and Elonzo Wesley was one of my favorite bands from that city. Jeremy's soulful southern voice reminds me a little bit of My Morning…

The resistance is a term from one of my favorite books The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. I was looking at my bookshelf the other day and this book popped out, like it has countless times before. A big…

Today I'm talking with Jay Patton. Jay just released an album back in December called Roots. It's a 7 song EP with some really cool songwriting on it and as usual some really great guitar playing. Jay taught me a…

Today's songwriting tips come from one of my favorite books of all time by Austin Kleon called "Steal Like an Artist" 
I grew up thinking that artists were just completely original and if you borrowed anything from anyone you weren't…