Sodajerker On Songwriting

Singer-songwriter Imelda May  sits down with Simon and Brian in Liverpool for a chat about the writing of her recent album Life Love Flesh Blood including songs like 'Black Tears', 'Should've Been You', 'Leave Me Lonely' and 'The Girl I Used To Be'. Imelda also talks about her collaboration with producer T Bone Burnett, co-writing in Nashville, and songs from previous albums like 'Mayhem' and 'It'...

Rising star Declan McKenna  talks to Sodajerker about the writing of his fantastic debut album, What Do You Think About The Car? , including the songs 'Humongous', 'Isombard', 'Paracetamol' and 'Brazil'. Declan also reflects on the process of being socially and politically aware in his music.

In this special bonus episode, Simon and Brian answer your questions about the podcast and share some stories and insights from behind the scenes of the show.

Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and guitarist Jason Isbell  joins Simon and Brian in London to mark the milestone of the 100th Sodajerker podcast. Jason talks about the writing of his incredible new record, The Nashville Sound , classic songs from his solo and Drive-By Truckers periods, how TV's Hoarders impacted upon the new album, and the songwriting significance of the humble weed vape.

Singer-songwriter Jack Savoretti  sits down in Liverpool with Simon and Brian to talk about songs from his career to date and his most recent album, Sleep No More , including 'Catapult', 'Not Worthy', 'When We Were Lovers' and 'Deep Waters'. Jack reflects on the collaborative process, why 'demo' is a dirty word, and how his cultural heritage has influenced his songwriting.

With the publication of his memoir Testimony,  Robbie Robertson joins Simon and Brian to talk about his songwriting process from his early work with Ronnie Hawkins to classic songs for The Band like 'The Weight', 'The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down' and 'Ophelia'. Robbie also describes creative collaborations with Martin Scorsese and Eric Clapton ('It's In The Way That You Use It') and details th...

Singer-songwriter  Tom Odell  joins us to discuss the writing of songs like 'Another Love', 'Hold Me', 'Wrong Crowd', 'Silhouette' and 'Somehow'. Tom talks about a range of strategies including writing on planes, co-writing with hitmakers like Rick Nowels and Eg White, and using pop's conventional limitations to your advantage.

In this episode,  Robyn Hitchcock  shares insights into his decades-old relationship with songwriting. Reflecting on the creative process behind such titles as 'Do Policemen Sing?', 'I Often Dream of Trains', 'My Wife and My Dead Wife', 'Balloon Man', 'Strawberries Dress' and 'Trouble in Your Blood', Robyn unpicks an array of Hitchcockian classics in his own inimitable style.

On the occasion of our 5th podcasting anniversary, songwriter, drummer, music video director and artist  Kevin Godley  joins us to talk about songs from the 10cc and Godley & Creme catalogues. During this in-depth chat, Kevin reflects on the creative process behind classics like 'Iceberg', 'Donna', 'Rubber Bullets', 'The Dean and I', 'Somewhere in Hollywood', 'An Englishman in New York', 'Snack At...

Teddy Thompson  and  Kelly Jones  talk about the writing of their excellent album  Little Windows  as well as tracks from their solo catalogues like 'Love Her for That', 'I Should Get Up', 'In My Arms', 'The One I Can't Have' and 'There Goes My Baby'. The pair also speak about collaborating with their co-writing partner Bill DeMain, and producer (and former Sodajerker guest) Mike Viola.

Neil Hannon of  The Divine Comedy  sits down in London with Simon and Brian to talk about the writing of his fantastic new album  Foreverland  and older classics from his catalogue like 'At The Indie Disco', 'Our Mutual Friend', 'A Lady of a Certain Age' and 'National Express'. Neil also reflects on his love for vintage synthesisers and his work on projects such as The Duckworth Lewis Method and T...

Peter and David Brewis of  Field Music  chat with Sodajerker about the creative process behind their critically acclaimed album  Commontime  and songs from their back catalogue. In addition to describing the writing of 'Disappointed', 'The Noisy Days Are Over', 'Luck Is A Fine Thing' and 'Let's Write a Book', the brothers also discuss the time that the late Prince Rogers Nelson acknowledged their...

Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites of  The Lumineers  discuss the writing of their stunning album  Cleopatra,  including songs like 'Ophelia', 'In the Light', 'Angela' and 'Gun Song'. The guys also detail their approach to penning the worldwide smash 'Ho Hey' and their work on 'The Hanging Tree' for  The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 , as performed by Jennifer Lawrence.

Multi Grammy Award-winning artist  Alicia Keys  sits down in London with Simon and Brian to discuss her new single 'In Common', her forthcoming sixth studio album, and her songwriting on a range of hits including 'Fallin'', 'A Woman's Worth', 'If I Ain't Got You', 'Put It In A Love Song', 'Empire State of Mind' and 'Girl On Fire.' Alicia also describes her relationship with the late, great, Whitne...

As principal songwriter and frontman for  The Feeling , Dan Gillespie Sells has enjoyed a wide-ranging musical career. In this interview, Dan talks about the writing of The Feeling's recent eponymous album, and revisits his process on a number of classic hits by the band, such as 'Fill My Little World', 'Love It When You Call', 'Never Be Lonely', 'Join With Us', 'Blue Murder' and 'Rosé'. Dan also...

In this special episode, we meet with  Paul Simon  to talk about his stunning new album  Stranger to Stranger  and the writing processes behind songs like 'Wristband', 'Street Angel', 'In A Parade', 'The Riverbank' and 'Cool Papa Bell'. In this interview, the legendary singer-songwriter reveals a profound curiosity for musical experimentation that goes some way to explaining both his incredible in...

Sodajerker are joined by Nashville great  Beth Nielsen Chapman  to talk about her approach to songwriting and creativity, and what it's like to collaborate with artists like Willie Nelson, Neil Diamond and Elton John. Beth also tells the stories behind her classic country hits 'This Kiss' (Faith Hill), 'Strong Enough to Bend' (Tanya Tucker) and 'Five Minutes' (Lorrie Morgan) and details the writin...

Ben Watt  discusses the writing of his new album  Fever Dream  as well as his work on previous solo albums like  Hendra  and  North Marine Drive . Ben also delves into the songwriting processes behind some classic Everything But The Girl songs, such as 'The Night I Heard Caruso Sing', '25th December' and the smash hit 'Missing'.

Justin Currie talks about the writing of Del Amitri songs like 'Always The Last To Know', 'Roll To Me', 'Driving With The Brakes On' and 'Nothing Ever Happens', as well as a range of songs from his three excellent solo albums. Justin also explains how he captures his ideas, the mental state required for good songwriting, and why you won't find him on a songwriting weekend or co-writing with boy ba...

Celebrated playwright and composer Willy Russell speaks with Sodajerker about his songwriting process for classic musicals such as Blood Brothers , film soundtracks like Dancin' Thru The Dark , and songs for his solo album, Hoovering the Moon . As well as sharing the life stories behind key moments in his work, Willy provides detailed insights into his creative process as a writer, his history as...

Rapper, spoken word artist and podcaster Scroobius Pip chats with Simon and Brian about the writing of such songs as 'Thou Shalt Always Kill', 'The Beat That My Heart Skipped', 'Tommy C' and 'Great Britain', as well as tracks from his latest solo album, Distraction Pieces , including 'The Struggle', 'Try Dying' and 'Soldier Boy (Kill 'Em)'. Pip also provides detailed insights into growing up with...

Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez sit down with Sodajerker to talk about their writing process on the Disney smash hit Frozen , as well as a number of other projects. In addition to the stories behind songs like 'Let it Go', 'Do You Want to Build A Snowman?', 'Love Is An Open Door' and 'Fixer Upper', the couple also provide detailed insights into the thinking behind songs from Bobby's Tony A...

Joe Jackson chats with Sodajerker about his latest album Fast Forward and the writing of classic songs from his catalogue like 'Is She Really Going Out With Him?', 'It's Different for Girls', 'Steppin' Out', and 'Be My Number Two'. Joe also reflects on his early career, his work on film scores alongside directors like Francis Ford Coppola, and why not every song needs an origin story.

Bassist, composer and superproducer Marcus Miller sits down with Simon and Brian in Liverpool to discuss his latest album Afrodeezia and his collaborative partnerships with renowned artists like Miles Davis, Luther Vandross and David Sanborn. Marcus also talks about his early career as a session musician, his melodic approach to the bass, and key tracks from his solo career, such as 'The Only Reas...

Celebrating the release of his new album, Grey Tickles, Black Pressure , John Grant chats with Simon and Brian about the writing of songs like 'Snug Slacks', 'Voodoo Doll' and 'Disappointing'. In addition to describing his love for horror film scores, synthesisers, and languages, John also talks about his songwriting process on tracks like 'Pale Green Ghosts', 'Black Belt', 'Marz' and 'Chicken Bon...