recording

Neel, Ursula, and Phil in a Zoom Call

Naturally defying genre with Ursula Hegge

by Neel Modi

Singer-songwriter Ursula Hegge joined us to talk about the process behind writing her song I‘ve been writing lots lately. Download the lyrics to follow along.

We talked about:

  • Suno, AI Music, and the Bad Future
  • Writing a song that sounds natural but really went through many versions
  • Finding interesting chord progressions on the guitar by accident
  • Using melodic variations in each chorus
  • Recording older songs
  • Why (or why not) you might want to record to a click

About Ursula Hegge

Ursula Hegge is a singer-songwriter from Toronto who has been writing songs for almost 15 years.… Read the rest

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Neel, Paul, and Phil in a Zoom call

DIY Music Distribution with Paul Gallagher

by Neel Modi

Our longtime friend of the Song Talk Meetup, Paul Gallagher, joined us to talk about everything he learning getting his latest EP out on streaming services, community radio, and other digital services.

Download the extensive and handy documents Paul provided for this episode:

We talked about:

  • Getting all your ducks in a row before releasing music, including written agreements with your co-writers
  • Capturing a wider breadth of places for your music, beyond typical digital distribution services
  • Registering with SOCAN for both reproduction and performance royalties – see this video about the new live music performance royalties and our episode about registration with Allister Bradley
  • The importance of preparing and submitting metadata to various platforms
  • Make sure your final master recordings are the best they can be
  • How IRSC codes are the unique identifiers for your songs and are needed (and free) for tracking your songs on streaming services
  • Paul also submitted individually to a ton community radio stations, or you can also use the !earshot

… Read the rest

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Neel, Kaleb, and Phil in a Zoom call

Writing and producing a song slowly with Kaleb Hikele

by Neel Modi

Canadian singer-songwriter Kaleb Hikele joined us for the third time to talk about writing and producing the first single from his upcoming album in 2026. Download the lyrics for Slowly to follow along.

We talked about:

  • Using a simple drone-like chord progression in the verse, and adding more movement of chord changes in the refrain
  • Using metaphors to tell a love song
  • How Kaleb decided to not use a capo for this song
  • Getting inspired by a Beatles riff when producing
  • Embracing the gear in the recording studio to inspire different directions for the arrangement and production
  • Is it a good idea to demo your songs at home before getting into a pro studio?

… Read the rest

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Neel, Phil, and Matt

Stripping it all away with Matt Zaddy

by Neel Modi

Blending folk-rock and rhythm & blues, there’s something for every music fan to love about singer/songwriter Matt Zaddy. A storyteller at heart, Matt’s music speaks to the soul, with tales of life, love, hardship, and redemption. Having shared the stage with artists including K’Naan, Tom Cochrane, Jim Cuddy, The Trews, Cowboy Junkies, 5440 and Sam Roberts, Matt Zaddy’s intention is to connect with as many listeners as possible, regardless of any genre restrictions.… Read the rest

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