Sodajerker On Songwriting Episode 259 - Feist
Dec 22, 2023
Leslie Feist, award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter, talks about her songwriting process and recent record 'Multitudes'. She discusses taking part in a 'Song-A-Day' challenge, bypassing judgement when writing, and developing songs through live performance.
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Touring As A Development Lab
- Test songs live to iterate arrangements before you record and let performance shape the material.
- Feist developed the record by touring a 1.0 version, then recording and touring again to evolve the songs.
Use Time-Boxed Writing Challenges
- Do use time-boxed writing challenges like Song-A-Day to force new habits and bypass stale tendencies.
- Treat the rules (one new song each day) as a gentle constraint that provokes fresh ideas and accountability.
Break Habits With New Tools
- Do change instruments, tunings, or environment to break habitual songwriting patterns.
- Use physical constraints (nylon guitar, tiny recorder, quiet rooms) to invite different textures and softer songs.