Sodajerker On Songwriting

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 the writing of solo tracks like 'Somewhere Down the Crazy River' and 'This is Where I Get Off'.

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 Attack', 'Under Your Thumb', 'Cry' and more.

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 TV's Father Ted.

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 music on Twitter.

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, Whitney Houston, and the circumstances that led to her co-writing the singer's final hit, 'Million Dollar Bill.'

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 updates us on his progress with his forthcoming musical, Everybody's Talking About Jamie.

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 influence in popular music, and his timeless catalogue.

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 writing processes behind beloved solo tracks like 'Life Holds On' and 'Sand and Water'.

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 bands.

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 a musician, and his early influences.

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 a stutter, how it enhanced his skills as a wordsmith, and his plans for the future.