Join us each week for songwriting tips and techniques, and the occasional gumbo recipe. But seriously, take a listen! You’ll have so much fun, you won’t know you’re learning stuff.

Fresh Content

Show date:  Aug. 07, 2022

Neel, Phil, and Mike

Songwriting Challenge 2022: The Hosts Revisit their Songs

We welcomed the return of our ex-co-host Michael Proudfoot, joining us to review our updated answers to the 2022 Songwriting Challenge.

We talked about:

  • Our new Songwriting Challenge webpage, featuring the original versions of our songs, plus listener song episodes
  • The Song Talk Meetup
  • Mashing up various styles and instruments
  • Reaching out to other songwriters to help make sure every lyric lands with the most impact
  • Having consistency with your point of view (I, you, he, she, etc.)
  • How even a small change in your tempo or feel can make a huge difference to your song

Show date:  Jul. 24, 2022

Neel and Phil

Songwriting Challenge 2022: Listener Songs Volume 3

On this special episode, we share the third and final batch of listener answers to our 2022 songwriting challenge to write a song with the title Why Do You Cry?

We talked about:

Download the lyrics to follow along:

Show date:  Jul. 18, 2022

Neel, Phil, and Three at Home: Mary & Dann

Songwriting as a duo with Three at Home

If Bruce Springsteen and Sara Bareilles formed a duo, put it through a Black Keys fuzz pedal, and added the blues and harmonies that made Fleetwood Mac famous, you would get Boston-area rock band Three At Home. Two voices with one guitar, a full band with horn section, or any permutation in between, Three At Home delivers pop folk with a kick that invites audiences both tearfully and joyfully to sing along.

Three at Home’s Mary Cassiello and Dann Russo talk about their collaborative approach and their new song Athena.

We talked about:

  • how Dann was inspired by ancient history and visiting Nashville for his song
  • creating an “open tuning” sound with a standard tuning on guitar
  • writing your song title last, not first
  • introducing “moments” into your song to keep it interesting
  • considering the ending for your song
  • lifting lines from your favourite songs
  • writing for horns and vocal harmonies
  • networking boils down to “be a nice person”

Download the lyrics to Athena to follow along.

Show date:  Jul. 14, 2022

Neel, Phil, and Vivek

Self-Healing Through Hip-hop with Vivek Mehmi

Mississauga-based hip-hop artist Vivek Mehmi talks about his creative process through hardships, beat-making, poetry, and his song Around Your Finger.

We talked about:

  • Hip-hop songs structures with verses and hooks
  • Striking a balance between a hook’s catchiness, flow, and message
  • Taking inspiration from the 80s – objectively, the greatest decade ever in music! (Please note, opinions expressed in this bullet point do not necessarily reflect those of Song Talk Radio, its affiliates, or our insect alien overlords.)
  • Recording small ideas on your phone
  • Ensuring you work with the right producers, mixers, and mastering engineers
  • Linn Drums
  • Working at establishing your own voice in your songs and vocal performance

Download the lyrics to follow along:

Show date:  Jul. 12, 2022

Phil and Neel

Songwriting Challenge 2022: Listener Songs Volume 2

On this special episode, we share the second batch (of three) of listener answers to our 2022 songwriting challenge to write a song with the title Why Do You Cry?

We talked about:

Download the lyrics for the songs: