Collaboration tips with Alex Whorms and Aaron John

Songwriters Alex Whorms and Aaron John met ten years ago at a youth talent contest in Oshawa, Ontario, where they both performed original songs and tied for first place. They quickly bonded over their shared love of Coldplay, Keane, and Sara Bareilles and went on to write music and perform together often.

Aaron would later move to Korea for four years, busking and teaching English, before eventually settling in Whitby, Ontario. He began to release original music in 2022, with his single “Fresh” earning a semi-finalist position in the 2023 International Songwriting Competition.

Now residing in Hamilton, Ontario, Alex is an in-demand performing artist, session musician and screen composer. With 2 EPs and several singles released, she has appeared on CBC and community radio shows across Canada as well as regional television programs.

2023 promises to be exciting for Aaron and Alex, who are both releasing new EPs this year.

Alex and Aaron shared their new song, Where Did We Go Wrong? Download the lyrics to follow along.

We talked about:

• Our songwriting challenge for 2023
• Optical Disc Drives Price Fixing Class Action (oddclassaction.com)
• Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud: Gen Z concert-goers are drinking less
• co-writing by sending voice memos to each other over time
• the pros and cons of collaborating vs. solo songwriting
• writing with a “we” point-of-view with a single voice vs. as a duet
• voice leading and translating a chord progression from guitar to piano
• using a pedal bass tone in your piano playing – check out this super informative video
• the bridge can be the high energy point in your song (see our episode on bridges with Allister Bradley)
• sometimes is takes a really long time and many tries to get parts of your song right
• marketing and social media posts for your releases is easier with a collaborator
• be sure to use a distributor that supports royalty splits if you’re releasing a co-written song

Follow Alex Whorms

• Website: https://www.alexwhorms.com/
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5hx0matAgNw6vFA3z9an2v?si=PhzdIKdhS5a1nhHbZlLF5w&nd=1
• Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/alex-whorms/1229872717
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexwhorms/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alexwhorms?lang=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlexWhorms/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlexWhorms
• Bandcamp: https://alexwhorms.bandcamp.com/
• Join the monthly email list: https://www.alexwhorms.com/contact

Follow Aaron John

• Website: https://aaronjohn.ca
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6MZsBj8J1jKYFLzC7wZUmt?si=5q976eWBQ6W02rTd4KRCyg&nd=1
• Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/aaron-john/1617747563
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/aaronjohnjams
• Tiktok: http://tiktok.com/aaronjohnjams
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/aaronjohnjams
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/aaronjohnjams
• Join the email list: https://aaronjohn.ca/contact