Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

Singer-songwriter Brandy Clark’s 2013 debut album 12 Stories landed on the year end “best of” lists ofRolling Stone, NPR, American Songwriter, and New York magazine before earning her a nomination for Best Country Album and Best New Artist (in any genre) at the 2015 Grammy awards. Clark’s meticulously crafted “drinking and thinking” songs, as she described them to “All Things Considered,” reflect a new brand of progressively-minded traditional country that has been enthusiastically embraced by both the honky-tonk crowd and public radio audiences. Before stepping into the spotlight as an artist, however, Clark put in more than a decade as a hard-working Nashville-based tunesmith whose songs were recorded by Toby Keith, Reba McEntire, LeAnn Rimes, Darius Rucker, Gretchen Wilson, Keith Urban, and Sheryl Crow. She co-wrote the Band Perry’s “Better Dig Two,” which hit #1 in early 2013. That same year, she was nominated for a CMA, AMA, and Grammy award for co-writing Miranda Lambert’s “Mama’s Broken Heart.” She won Song of the Year at the 2014 CMA awards for “Follow Your Arrow,” which she co-wrote with Shane McAnally and artist Kacey Musgraves. Her next album will be released by Warner Bros. Records, which signed her to their Los Angeles division in late 2014. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jim Peterik, singer, songwriter, and guitarist, shares his passion for songwriting. He talks about his early bands and successes, including charting singles. The chapter discusses the formation of Survivor and collaborating with co-writers. It also explores Jim Peterik's successful career in Southern rock and his collaborations with various acts. The speaker deliberates on their decision to write a book on songwriting and shares insights on their own creative process.