Sodajerker On Songwriting

Sacha Skarbek, a two-time Ivor Novello-winning songwriter known for work with Adele, James Blunt, and Miley Cyrus, joins Ben Parker, a songwriter, producer, and session musician who has worked with Paolo Nutini and Paul Weller. Recorded live, they explore creative confidence, overcoming perfectionism, finishing songs, handling business pressures, and building playful, trusting writing rooms where collaboration can thrive.

Chaka Khan, the Grammy-winning powerhouse and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, discusses her new Godzilla-inspired dance-pop album, Shaxzilla. She recalls creating songs with Sia and Greg Kurstin, writing poetry for Prince, and receiving “Ain’t Nobody” nearly complete. She also explores jazz, rhythm, vocal arranging, fearless studio experimentation, and making every song unmistakably her own.

Brandon Flowers, The Killers’ lead singer and a chart-topping solo artist, discusses Thrasher, his Nashville-recorded country album rooted in his father’s music. He explores family storytelling, childhood fighting spirit, and writing at Elton John’s piano. Flowers also recalls U2’s impact on “Mr. Brightside,” Oasis’s pre-choruses, mariachi arrangements, synth-pop instincts, and capturing songs live at RCA Studio A.

Announcement of a one-day songwriting lab at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire with live interview and hands-on writing sessions. Small group format offers guided feedback and studio access. Open to anyone who writes songs, no prior releases required. Limited places and enrollment info provided.

Phil Collins, legendary English singer, drummer and songwriter behind 'In the Air Tonight' and 'You’ll Be in My Heart'. He recounts how Face Value began from home-studio 'mucking about'. He talks demo-to-album workflows, happy accidents with drum machines and pads, Brian Eno’s influence on intuition-led writing, horn arranging inspirations, collaborations with Lamont Dozier, and scoring for Tarzan.

Singer-songwriter and producer Beth Orton joins Simon and Brian for a conversation about the writing of her latest record The Ground Above. Beth shares how she turns instinctive first ideas into finished songs, the independence that came with producing her own records, and the influence of two formative relationships: her early collaborations with William Orbit and her guitar lessons with Bert Jansch.

Songwriter and producer Linda Perry discusses Let It Die Here, her first solo album in over 25 years, and its accompanying documentary, which offers a candid look at her life and creative process. Linda explains the ways that grief and the loss of her mother are bound up in the work, the role of vulnerability in songwriting, and what she's looking for when she collaborates with an artist in the studio.

Sean Ono Lennon joins Sodajerker to discuss The Great Parrot Ox and the Golden Egg of Empathy, the new sci-fi concept album from the Claypool Lennon Delirium. Sean talks about collaborating with Les Claypool, creating characters and mythology for the record, and exploring the dangers of artificial intelligence. We also examine the duo's use of wordplay, Sean's eclectic musical influences, and the lessons he absorbed from his parents.

The The's Matt Johnson joins Simon and Brian to discuss his new book Cognitive Dissident, the idea of "method songwriting", and the way grief and personal loss have shaped his music. Along the way, this candid conversation touches on topics like memory, identity, authenticity and new frontiers of technology.

Acclaimed Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard joins Simon and Brian to discuss his new live retrospective Don't Settle (Vol. 1 - Transmissions East) and his creative life. The Oscar-winning artist talks about writing songs that have a beating heart, why music should be both messy and true, but never clever, and the liberating experience of burning his notebooks.