I picked up Sharon Olds’ Stag’s Leap at Primrose Hill Books a few weeks ago. She accounts for the gradual dissolution of her 35 year marriage with subtlety and a mysterious kindness. I’ve paired “On the Hearth of the Broken Home” with two illustrations by contemporary American artist Patti Jordan who begins her petrified and spindly drawings by pouring ink on paper and pulling it to create a form from the veins on the page.
In this series, I ask other songwriters about their quest for inspiration and how they tackle the day-to-day tasks of writing quality, engaging songs. Behind every good song is a hard-worker. I want to know how songwriters work and how they fill their well so it never goes dry.
JONNY FRITZ is an outlaw country artist who has spent a decade on the road, charming folks with his funny observations about everyday life. Finding inspiration at a quiet booth in the back of a Waffle House, Jonny looks for songs in whatever we swept under the rug. He has shared the stage with big names (Alabama Shakes, Dawes, Deer Tick) and mastered the perfect live show, but what inspires him when he’s off the road?
MARISSA MOSS is a professional music journalist and blogger at Lockeland Springsteen, a quippy, passionate curation of Nashville’s music scene that is, obviously, the boss. She wrote about Dawes for this month’s cover story in American Songwriter and has had her work featured in Filter, Nylon, Spin, Rolling Stone. All DIY artists know the importance of good press; the manager-less artist sends email after email to a large black hole. But Marissa actively looks for new bands to feature. Here are the five things that she always looks for…… Continue Reading
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