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Steve Tobin from the Canadian Nu-Metal band Fatal Switch joined us to talk about writing their song What Would a Hero Do? Download the lyrics to follow along. We talked about: Our songwriting challenge for 2026 to write a traditional country song For Steve, Nu-Metal is defined by mashing together heavy metal with hip-hop culture How the band sometimes starts with lyrics and theme, or instrumental...

Emma Della Rossa joined us to talk about her song Garden , with a rare live performance (for our podcast, anyway). Download the lyrics to follow along. We talked about: Our songwriting challenge for 2026 to  write a traditional country song Emma’s last appearance on the show Why you may not want to end your song with a chorus Writing a song where the chord progression doesn’t change , and in 3/4 t...

Mia Kelly joined us to talk about writing songs fast, but with clear intentions, and her song Blind Horse . Download the lyrics to follow along. We talked about: Our songwriting challenge for 2026 to  write a traditional country song How Mia keeps track of her ideas for song starts Using a interesting phrase you hear in daily life as a way into the lyric for a song How Mia goes from idea to song w...

Indie-pop/rock artist Zachery joined us to talk about writing from lyrics, agency, and manifest destiny in his song I Don’t Know . If philosophy in songwriting is your thing. Download the lyrics to follow along. We talked about: Our songwriting challenge for 2026 to  write a traditional country song Using a simple but compelling chord loop (I-ii-iii-IV) when you’re primarily a signer Starting a so...

For this special episode, law graduate and artist Orian Israelsohn joined us to explain all about copyright for songwriting, including the implications brought on by artificial intelligence. It’s a jam-packed episode! PLEASE NOTE: NOT LEGAL ADVICE. Information made available for this talk is for information and educational purposes only. … Read the rest

Canadian country artist Brettyn Rose joined us to talk about collaboration, traditional country, and being open about her songwriting. Download the lyrics to See it on Her to follow along. We talked about: Our songwriting challenge for 2026 to  write a traditional country song , and what traditional country means to Brettyn Collaborating with Chris Yurchuck Writing lyrics from a specific story, bu...

Canadian pop singer-songwriter Olivia Penalva joined us to talk about collaboration, abstract lyrics, and visualizing her music. Download the lyrics to Code Blue to follow along. We talked about: Our songwriting challenge for 2026 to  write a traditional country song Things that make for a good collaboration experience; even working remotely Taking personal experiences and finding a metaphor and i...

Dana and Harry from Secondhand Dreamcar joined us to talk about writing their blues / soul song The Meaning . Download the lyrics to follow along. We talked about: Our songwriting challenge for 2026 to write a traditional country song How the band collaborates on songwriting and instrumental arrangements Dana tends to bring piano-based songs to the band, but not acoustic guitar The act of ditching...

We chatted with Montreal-based artist Avril Jensen about writing an abstract song from personal experience. Download the lyrics to Dog (everybody learns) to follow along. We talked about: Songwriting Challenge 2026: Write a Traditional Country Song Writing musically interesting melodies that are still catchy Writing the lyrics based on personal experience with actual dogs, but maybe it’s also a me...

Mike and Barbara Borok of New Middle Class joined us to talk about writing a pop song with a super crazy bridge. Download the lyrics to Television Sky to follow along. We talked about: How Angine de Poitrine use Microtonality Our songwriting challenge to write a traditional country song How the bridge can be the emotional high point of your song How a song takes on a life of its own as you’re writ...

Toronto artist Robert Ball joined us to talk about writing a smooth soul-drenched song with a theatrical musical in mind. Download the lyrics to I Want a Man to follow along. We talked about: Neel’s engagement with Suno from the Toronto Library’s Innovator in Residence series . … Read the rest

Our songwriting challenge for 2026 is to write a traditional country song. To help us launch this challenge, we were joined by singer-songwriter and music educator Blair Packham . Thanks Blair! We talked about: Phil has an issue with Everybody Knows by Leonard Cohen, and The Famous Blue Raincoat album Why mathematics and literature have more in common than you may think | Ideas | On Demand | CBC L...

Maclayne joined us to talk about writing songs from concepts and her song There You Are . Download the lyrics and chords to follow along. We were treated to a rare live performance by Maclayne! We talked about: Writing lyrics or music first The value of deadlines to get songs done Revisiting a hook a year later to complete the song with producer James Bryan Ecstatic Dancing in Guatemala Writing wi...

Grammy-winning They Might Be Giants’ John Flansburgh joined us to talk about songwriting from listening and intuitions. Download the lyrics to Outside Brain to follow along. We talked about: Modal writing when you don’t know what modal writing is, and our  Songwriting Challenge 2023: Write in a Mode Tension between conventions and breaking the rules Songwriting as a very plastic medium where the v...

Hamilton-based singer-songwriter Garrett Lajoie talked about taking on February Album Writing Month for the last ten years and how that experience has shaped his approach to songwriting. Download the lyrics to Window Shopping to follow along. We talked about: Collaborating on a love song with Alex Whorms An Instrument For Every Child  | Hamilton Music Collective This Is Your Brain on Music: The Sc...

Delyn Grey returned to the show for the third time to talk about her new release My Mind is a Riot and her upcoming album Delynquent . Download the lyrics to follow along. We talked about: How AI Will Fail Like The Music Industry Delyn’s previous appearance on the show How working in a minor key and having crunchy guitars is dark enough Sometimes stepping away from a song and getting perspective c...

Canadian country artist Amanda Keeles joined us to talk about her latest album and starting a song based on a beat she found on her digital piano. Download the lyrics to Leads Me to You to follow along. Check out Amanda’s earlier appearance on the show.… Read the rest

Max Tojicic joined us to talk about writing songs by intersecting interesting chords with personal experiences. Download the lyrics to Lavender Bouquet to follow along. We talked about: Upcoming free Live Looping workshops with Jacob Moon: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/179GNpQieV/ Check out Jacob’s episode on this show all about live looping: https://youtu.be/X2TrGNrbKSI?si=BxBcUNjqi470iz6V … R...

Geneviève Racette talks about taking a personal experience and writing it into an accessible pop song. Download the lyrics to Common Denominator to follow along. We talked about: Writing from personal experience but making your song open to others Capturing an idea as soon as you can, even if it occurs in your sleep or in the shower Using the bridge as a way to redirect the narrative What’s up wit...

Singer-songwriter Mark Ippolito talked about his experience with February Album Writing Month (FAWM), challenging himself to write a full album of songs in 28 days. Check out his album on Bandcamp . We talked about: William Shatner to Record a Heavy Metal Album Featuring Covers of Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden Our Song Talk Meetup The wonderfully supportive community of songwriters...

Pop singer-songwriter Emma K talks about rearranging parts of her song to create a clearly structured pop song inspired by Billie Jean. Download the lyrics to follow along. We talked about: Rearranging sections of your song, and ending with the pre-chorus Using the same chords in sections of your songs, and still making them distinct Working with Matte Black Records Toronto to polish off the song...

Singer-songwriter Ursula Hegge joined us to talk about the process behind writing her song I ‘ve been writing lots lately. Download the lyrics to follow along. We talked about: Suno, AI Music, and the Bad Future Writing a song that sounds natural but really went through many versions Finding interesting chord progressions on the guitar by accident Using melodic variations in each chorus Recording...

Saska Lammila joined us all the way from Helsinki, Finland, to talk about his medieval-style folk song Suspended , for his band Ravio Jackson. Download the lyrics and chords to follow along. We talked about: Taking inspiration from a years-ago spiritual experience, through a poem, and into a finished song How Saska wrote a poem in Finnish several years ago, and translated it into English for the s...

Our longtime friend of the Song Talk Meetup , Paul Gallagher, joined us to talk about everything he learning getting his latest EP out on streaming services, community radio, and other digital services. Download the extensive and handy documents Paul provided for this episode: 10 Key DIY Release Takeaways DIY Release Detailed Breakdown We talked about: Getting all your ducks in a row before releas...

Happy new year to all our listeners and supporters! For our first episode of 2026, we had Alex Whorms back on the show to talk about her latest collaboration with Garrett Lajoie and Gavin McLeod. Download the lyrics to Let You Down to follow along.… Read the rest