Canadian musician Jerry Sereda is a decorated Country artist who can’t help but capture music fans everywhere he goes. With his gripping and energetic live performances, Jerry celebrates his Indigenous heritage by weaving personal stories and experiences into his delightfully catchy songs. Beginning his music career as the winner of a local music contest who …
Shows
Angela Saini on developing songs past their initial ideas
Indian-Austrian Canadian country folk-pop artist Angela Saini is all about second chances and empowering others. She uplifts and inspires audiences with sing-alongs and storytelling about courage and finding joy in surprising places. BBC Radio has called the positive and upbeat songstress “massively talented”. Angela is most known for her sunshine-soaked song “Living on the Bright …
Chord Progression Tips with Matt Zaddy
With a sound that seamlessly blends folk-rock and modern soul, there’s something for every music fan to love about singer/songwriter Matt Zaddy. A storyteller at heart, his music is filled with tales of life, love, hardship and redemption. As someone who has shared stages with a diverse array of artists including K’Naan, Francesco Yates, and …
Funky Collaboration with Nabs-D & Teresa
Nab-s D & Teresa is a new Toronto-based duo featuring funky basslines and powerful, soulful vocals. They featured their new single On The Run on the podcast this week. We talked about: writing an instrumental bed to support a singer leaving room for spontaneity in the studio structuring your song with very high contrast between sections …
All about MIDI 2.0 with Mike Kent
As part of our ongoing series of episodes about recording in your home studios, we talk to MIDI expert Mike Kent about MIDI 2.0 and the what the future holds. We talked about: Our first episode about MIDI from July 2021: All about MIDI How MIDI 2.0 introduces discoverability, meaning that your DAW can automatically …
Songwriting Challenge 2022: Listener Songs Volume 4
We continue to receive submissions from our listeners to our songwriting challenge. Thanks to everyone for their contributions! On this bonus listener episode, we feature songs by Andy Vann, Mira Chorik, and Sunny Zaman. We talked about: The Song Talk Meetup Why do you write songs? Send us a message and let us know! Rhythmic …
Terry Penney: Three Chords and the Truth
With over three decades in the music industry, Newfoundland turned BC-based artist Terry Penney is well known for his incredible storytelling and has often been compared to some of the best writers of all time, including Steve Earle and John Prine. The MusicNL Songwriter of the Year has earned multiple nominations from both the Music …
Alicia Toner: Songwriting with Emotion and Craft
PEI-based artist Alicia Toner has had an explosive year since the release of her sophomore album “Joan”. Alicia brought home a 2022 Canadian Folk Music Award, became the most nominated artist at the Music PEI Awards this year for the project, and received multiple nominations at the East Coast Music Awards as well. Her album …
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 …
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: Every possible Chord Symbol EXPLAINED video Jacob Collier Answers Music Theory Questions From Twitter video (and why a tritone is called a tritone) Chord …
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 …
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, …
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: The Music Theory Iceberg video Best Free DAWs for Windows video Tunebat: Song Key & BPM Finder app varying your arrangement of …
Songwriting Challenge Listener Songs: Volume 1
It’s always great to hear from our listeners, and we loved getting your submissions to our latest songwriting challenge to write from the title Why Do You Cry? We showcased four of our listener songs, and there are more to come in the next few weeks. So if your song is not featured on this …
Honest and Earnest Songwriting with H. Jack Williams
You’d be hard-pressed to find a life, a career or a body of work quite like that of singer/songwriter/composer H. Jack Williams. Jack himself credits equal parts luck, talent and tenacity. “My whole life, I’ve gone out and gotten stuff done,” he says. “I think I have unique emotional connections within me, and I’ve always …
Phil’s declarative response to the Songwriting Challenge
This week, Phil shared his out-of-his-comfort-range approach to tackling this year’s songwriting challenge to write from the title Why Do You Cry? Download the lyrics. We talked about: Is Old Music Killing New Music? The Song Talk Meetup Dan Tapper, a long ago guest on our show writing a song as a series of declarative …
Emotional songwriting with Gilbert Neal
This week, Gilbert Neal joined us again to talk about his latest album, and how he had to dig deep into himself to write the songs. We feature and talk about his new single Vapor Girl. Now, in the wake of a pandemic that waxes and wanes but never quite vacates, Neal delivers the provocative …
Song structure choices with Mike’s Songwriting Challenge
For our second host answer episode for our 2022 Songwriting Challenge, Mike shared his journey with the structure, arrangement, and production of his song. Download the lyrics. We talked about: Are Pop Lyrics Getting More Repetitive? Primus to Pay Tribute to Rush on 2022 North American Tour structural weirdness in Mike’s song writing a “tough …
Intersecting fairy tales and emotions into a song with Susan Cattaneo
With her powerful voice, captivating melodies and finely-crafted lyrics, Susan Cattaneo is one of Boston’s most respected singer/songwriters. A compelling performer and vivid storyteller, Susan’s music blends folk, rock and blues with hint of country. Following up on the success of her chart-topping double album. The Hammer & The Heart, Susan Cattaneo is released All …
Jacob Moon and how to highlight your melodies
Jacob Moon is a friend of the podcast and a veteran indie singer-songwriter who has been doing it full-time for over 25 years. His live show is a combination of his stirring originals and a smorgasbord of inventive covers, delivered in his signature one-man-band style. His latest recording is called ‘Under a Setting Sun’ and …
Poetry, Comedy, and Tragedy in Songwriting with Colm Gavin
Colm Gavin is a Dublin based Irish singer/songwriter currently signed to BEO Records home to The First Lady of Celtic Music Moya Brennan. Colm’s first two solo releases (Your Endless Slumber/A Voice For The Urban Darlings) both reached reached number 1 in the Irish Charts at the time of their release. Singles from his debut …
Neel’s Long & Winding Road: Neel’s Response to the Song Talk Challenge 2022
Neel explains his journey in writing his response to our 2022 Song Talk Radio Songwriting Challenge: a song with the title “Why Do You Cry”. Lyrics for Why Do You Cry – sketch 2 Lyrics for Why Do You Cry – sketch 6
The multi-media mind of Darden Smith
Open and empty. That’s how singer-songwriter Darden Smith describes the Texas landscape that inspired his creative new multi-media project, ‘Western Skies,’ available now. Comprising a new studio record, a book of photography, lyrics, and essays, and an accompanying album of readings set to music, Smith’s ‘Western Skies’ is an immersive journey. It explores a world …
Why Catalogue Music is Outselling New Music – with Eric Apler
For the past 25+ years, Eric Alper has been at the forefront of the Canadian entertainment industry – making the Public in Public Relations his business. His enthusiasm, encyclopedic knowledge of the past and present have made him the go-to for music in Canada. He is also host of one of the top-rated SiriusXM shows “ThatEricAlper”. …