Sodajerker On Songwriting is a programme devoted to the art and craft of songwriting. The show, created and hosted by the UK songwriting team Sodajerker, features interviews with some of the most successful songwriters and musicians in the world.
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Andrew W.K. sits down in London with Simon and Brian to talk about his new album You're Not Alone . In this wide-ranging conversation, Andrew describes how his philosophy, his knowledge of music and his instrumental skills inform his approach to writing and recording songs like 'Music Is Worth Living For', 'Party Mindset' and 'You're Not Alone'. The Party God also describes the processes behind some classics from his back catalogue including 'Party Hard' and 'Don't Call Me Andy'....
Singer-songwriter Nell Bryden describes the writing of her recent album Bloom including the songs 'Thought I Was Meant For You', 'Barcelona's Gone' and 'Dared the World and Won'. From the back catalogue, we also go in-depth on 'Sirens', 'Buildings and Treetops' and 'Wayfarer' while Nell reflects on confessional writing styles, using unfamiliar instruments, and the power of prose.
The brilliant Charlie Dore sits down with Simon and Brian to talk about the writing of her most recent album, Dark Matter . Charlie also talks in detail about her classic hit 'Pilot of the Airwaves', working on TV's Rainbow , co-writing songs like 'Ain't No Doubt' (Jimmy Nail), 'Rain, Tax (It's Inevitable)' (Céline Dion), and 'Strut' (Sheena Easton), and her time spent in the company of friends and colleagues like Eric Idle, George Harrison and Harry Nilsson....
To kick off 2018, Simon and Brian sit down with actress and singer-songwriter Rita Wilson to talk about her journey into songwriting, her recent eponymous album, collaborations with a range of world-class writers both in LA and Nashville, and her live music series: Liner Notes: Songwriters, Stories and Music with Rita Wilson and Friends.
In this special episode, legendary British songwriter Noel Gallagher delves into his latest High Flying Birds album, "Who Built The Moon?", highlighting his unconventional collaboration with producer David Holmes. He shares insights into his songwriting process, from channeling influences like T-Rex to the spontaneous creation of anthems like "Dead in the Water" and "Don't Look Back in Anger." Gallagher also passionately expresses his disdain for artists who rely on songwriting teams, emphasizing the importance of a lone wolf approach to craft authentic music.
In this episode, Simon and Brian visit the Ealing studios of celebrated UK producer and songwriter Naughty Boy (aka Shahid Khan) for a chat about the writing and production behind songs like 'Diamond Rings', 'Clown', 'Wonder', 'La La La' and 'Runnin' (Lose it All)'. Naughty Boy also talks about his long-standing writing partnership with Emeli Sandé, working with other luminaries like Beyoncé, and completing his next album.
Emeli Sandé discusses her creative process, from her early career success to her new EP, Kingdom Coming. She delves into the stories behind hits like "Starlight," "Kingdom Coming," "Next To Me," "Heaven," and "Hertz," highlighting her collaborations with artists like Naughty Boy and Alicia Keys. Emeli also reflects on the challenge of writing positive songs, the importance of vulnerability in lyrics, and the influence of her Zambian heritage.
Singer-songwriter Jake Bugg joins Simon and Brian in London to talk about the writing of his new record Hearts That Strain and songs from throughout his career to date, including: 'How Soon The Dawn', 'Waiting', 'Southern Rain', 'The Man On Stage', 'Two Fingers', 'Slumville Sunrise' and 'Gimme The Love'. Jake also reflects on the co-writing process and his time working with people like Brendan Benson, Mike Crossey and Rick Rubin.
In this special episode, Yusuf aka Cat Stevens meets with Simon and Brian in London for a chat about the writing of his new record The Laughing Apple and classic songs from his back catalogue. Songs discussed include: 'Matthew & Son', 'The First Cut Is The Deepest', 'Wild World', 'Father and Son', 'Moonshadow', '(Remember The Days Of The) Old Schoolyard', 'Heaven/Where True Love Goes' and 'Mighty Peace'.
In this episode, Gary Numan joins Sodajerker in Liverpool for a conversation about the writing of his latest album Savage: Songs from a Broken World including 'My Name is Ruin' and 'Ghost Nation'. Gary also explains his precise approach to lyric writing, why he couldn't care less about analogue versus digital, and the stories behind classics like 'Listen to the Sirens', 'Are 'Friends' Electric?' and 'Cars'.
Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks sit down with Simon and Brian in London to discuss the writing of their terrific new album Hippopotamus . The brothers describe the processes behind the music and lyrics of songs like 'What The Hell Is It This Time?', 'Edith Piaf (Said It Better Than Me)' and 'Missionary Position' alongside classics from their catalogue like 'My Baby's Taking Me Home', 'When Do I Get To Sing 'My Way'' and 'This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us'....
Multi-talented singer-songwriter and former Men At Work frontman Colin Hay talks with Simon and Brian about the writing of his excellent recent album Fierce Mercy . During the episode, Colin reflects on his writing partnership with Michael Giorgiades and tells the stories behind a cornucopia of stunning songs from his back catalogue like 'Down Under', 'Who Can It Be Now?', 'Overkill', 'Waiting For My Real Life To Begin', 'Oh California', 'Send Somebody' and 'If I Had Been A Better Man'....
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's Good To Be Alive'.
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.
In this episode, iconic songwriter Robbie Robertson delves into his six-decade career, discussing the unpredictable nature of his songwriting, his early experiences at the Brill Building, and how he crafted The Band's unique sound. He shares detailed stories behind classics like "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" and "Ophelia," alongside his collaborations with Martin Scorsese and the origins of solo tracks like "Somewhere Down the Crazy River."
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.
Alicia Keys explores the profound collaborative process behind her new album, which delves into shared human imperfections through tracks like "In Common." She details her evolution from a solo songwriter to embracing group creativity, sharing insights into how diverse influences, including her classical piano training and gospel roots, shape her music. The conversation also highlights the creation of iconic hits such as the spontaneous "If I Ain't Got You," the anthemic "Empire State of Mind," and her poignant co-writing experience with Whitney Houston on "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'.
