Songwriters on Process

It's not easy being a songwriter. It's also not easy being a PhD student. I don't know how Uwade is able to do both simultaneously. Uwade is in the first year of her PhD program in Classics at Stanford University, and in this episode we explore how these two lives intersect. We also go deep into her songwriting process, which must involve a .38mm Muji black ink pen. It has to be black ink because "blue is too whimsical. Black ink is me telling myself, You have get real. No more fun and games. Black ink is a declaration, whereas blue ink is for play," Uwade told me.If you're a Fleet Foxes fan, you've heard Uwade's voice on their album Shore and may have seen her open for the band. Her new and insanely good album Florilegium is out now on Thirty Tigers. 

Ed note: my new permanent intro and outro music is, in fact, the Tennis song "Need Your Love."Alaina Moore and Pat Riley of Tennis are good friends of mine, which means this episode is more of a conversation than an interview as we go deep into the creative process. The band's website features Alaina surrounded by books, and this is hardly a surprise: they are voracious, and I do mean voracious, readers. We're always texting each other about the latest books we've read. Our latest obsession, as you'll hear, is Jennifer Egan.The new album by Tennis is Face Down in the Garden. And while it may be their last, I'm excited for what the future holds for Alaina and Pat.

“Scribbling into oblivion” is how Lili Trifilio of Beach Bunny describes her editing process. (It's also an amazing song title.) She used this phrase in response to a question I like to ask songwriters: when you’re editing something you don’t like, do you cross it out with a single line or scratch it out? Trifilio wants that word or phrase to disappear forever. Beach Bunny’s latest album is Tunnel Vision.

ED NOTE: Here's my recent episode with Benmont Tench, keyboardist for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Mike Campbell doesn't have songwriting rules. He doesn't need any because he's always creating. "I'm probably writing as I'm talking to you," Campbell told me. In fact, Campbell's problem is that he can't stop coming up with ideas and sometimes wishes he could dial it back a bit. But that's what happens when you keep a guitar next to every chair in your house. Not just in every room, but next to every chair. Besides his work as Tom Petty's guitarist and collaborator/co-writer in The Heartbreakers, Mike Campbell has worked with countless others. He co-wrote "The Boys of Summer" and "The Heart of the Matter" by Don Henley, and he's worked with Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks, George Harrison, Aretha Franklin, to name a few. After Tom Petty's passing, Campbell formed The Dirty Knobs. Their latest album Vagabonds, Virgins, & Misfits is out now. Campbell has a terrific new memoir out, Heartbreaker, co-written with Ari Surdoval (their editor, Ben Schafer, was also my editor at Hachette Books for my book Desolation: A Heavy Metal Memoir by Mark Morton with Ben Opipari.) 

I always love having my buddy Derek Miller of Sleigh Bells on the pod! This is Miller's third time as a guest. I don't know how he ever has time to do interviews because the man is either writing music, about to write music, or thinking about why he's not writing music. Miller is inspired by everything, and I mean everything. Even LSU football. (Go Dawgs, sorry Derek!)We also talk about his newfound sobriety and how bands like R.E.M, the B-52s, and The Cars influence his music.The latest album by Sleigh Bells (Miller and Alexis Krauss) is Bunky Becky Birthday Boy, out now on Mom + Pop Music.*photo by David Perez

I'm a much better songwriter when I'm reading," Annie DiRusso says. Truer words have never been spoken; a clear through line connects quality songwriting and reading. And the fact that DiRusso loves poetry makes me even more of a fan. DiRusso does most of her songwriting in her "giant mess" of a bed. "It's covered in guitars, notebooks, pens, a laptop, mics. There's ink stains all over the sheets too," she says on the pod. DiRusso's new album Super Pedestrian is out now

Running and poetry are all Denison Witmer needs as a songwriter."When I'm being physically active, my brain opens up," he says. Running is a big part of Witmer's life and plays a big role in his creative process. The other major source of Witmer's inspiration is poetry, and we talk about its impact on his songwriting. We also make a collective case for why the poet Li-Young Lee is so, so, so great and why you should read him right after you listen to this episode. Denison Witmer's new album Anything At All  (produced and recorded by Sufjan Stevens) is out now on Asthmatic Kitty Records. 

Benmont Tench, the keyboardist and founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, shares his artistic journey and inspirations. He discusses how consuming diverse art fuels his songwriting, claiming that inspiration can come from anything, even a glance out the window. Tennch touches on the balance between daily practice and spontaneous creativity, and highlights the connection between poetry and music. His new solo album, The Melancholy Season, is a testament to his reflections on artistry, imperfection, and the beauty found in everyday moments.

"I have no rituals when it comes to writing. I don't want to think something can go wrong if things aren't set up the right way," says James McGovern of The Murder Capital. Indeed, that's the downside of a ritual: a fixed routine can limit your productivity when that routine isn't available. But McGovern does have one tiny "ritual" that I wholeheartedly endorse: writing the bad stuff before he gets to the good stuff.And as an aside, any songwriter who references Yeats, Keats, and Heaney in one podcast is forever my hero.The Murder Capital's latest album is Blindness

Christian Lee Hutson, a frequent collaborator with Phoebe Bridgers, opens up about his creative journey and the hurdles of self-criticism in songwriting. He discusses the importance of accepting mistakes as a pathway to discover true creativity. The conversation dives into the interplay of songwriting and prose, highlighting how spontaneity fuels innovation. Hutson also shares the profound influence of literature and poetry on his work, revealing how emotional connections shape his artistic expression.