Hey Reader, Keppie here from How To Write Songs 👋 Here's 5 things worth sharing this week! "An artist isn't trying to maximize a portfolio. An artist is trying to maximize a creative life...a label benefits from momentum. An artist benefits from meaning." Songwriter JP Saxe cancelled his world tour a year ago after ticket sales were floundering. I found his account at the time, and this reflection now, moving in its candour, humility, and clear-sighted thoughts on the tensions and...

Hey Reader, Keppie here from How To Write Songs 👋 I’ve spent the past 17 years teaching songwriters how to write songs they’re proud of—and how to develop real confidence in their craft. Of all the things that keep songwriters stuck, lyric writing is very often at the top of the list. It’s the part that feels most personal, most exposed, and most likely to make you wonder whether what you’ve written is clichéd, unoriginal, awkward, or simply not worth anyone’s time. So today, I want to give...

Hey Reader, Lyric writing is perhaps the most vulnerable part of songwriting. Chords, ultimately, are maths. Extraordinary maths that can make us feel something—but maths all the same. We rarely feel as though we’re exposing our raw selves when we play a G chord. Lyrics, though? Lyrics are different. For many songwriters, they’re the most fear-filled part of taking that next step and sharing your work—whether that means playing a song for your partner, standing up at an open mic, or releasing...