Songwriters on Process

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L'Rain (Taja Cheek) Sep 27, 2026

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"I have my best thoughts in total comfort and complete boredom," Taja Cheek (known professionally as L'Rain) says. After all, who doesn't prefer a good couch or bed when they write? But when it comes to pure inspiration, Cheek likes to be "alone together": around people but deep in her own thoughts. That's why she loves the New York City subway and what she calls "intentional walking" on the city streets amidst all its distractions. But as you'll hear, nothing beats a good cab ride.

L'Rain's latest album is fata morgana.

Margaret Glaspy Sep 21, 2026

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"I like to do things that make me feel integrated with the environment," says Margaret Glaspy. Broadly, Glaspy's process involves a general resistance to technology, which is why we had a great discussion about the benefits of cursive. It should also come as no surprise that Glaspy believes in pen and paper (and very specific kinds) for her lyrics.

This resistance to technology is borne out the correct belief that it destroys our ability to focus, so Glaspy writes in fifteen minute increments punctuated by short breaks. Glaspy does this for as long as she stays inspired. And as you'll hear, sometimes there's nothing like walking the dog to maintain that inspiration.

Margaret Glaspy's latest album is I Am Bothon ATO Records.

*ED NOTE: Listen to my 2021 interview with Glaspy and Sarah Jarosz here.

Ketch Secor (Old Crow Medicine Show) Sep 16, 2026

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Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show is the first person I’ve interviewed to compare the songwriting process to feline copulation. But this unique metaphor actually reflects Secor’s deep introspection: only someone who reads all the time would even consider how these two events are related. And Secor reads. All. The. Time.

Old Crow Medicine Show’s latest album is Union Made.

Lucius Sep 08, 2026

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"You need to be somewhere where you allow yourself to be totally stupid," say Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of Lucius. Not great life advice, but it's fantastic advice for the creative process. In other words, the initial stage of any creative process means getting out of your own way and releasing all inhibitions. It's about putting everything down on paper, no matter how stupid, and deciding later whether it belongs.

Wolfe and Laessig's initial stage involves fantastic word games. One will open a book, close her eyes, then put their finger on a random word. They then write about that word for ten or so minutes in a freewriting exercise. In another game, bandmates try to discern what another band member is mumbling or humming.

The new self-titled album by Lucius is out now.

Kyle Grim (Dogwood Tales) Aug 31, 2026

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Kyle Grim of Dogwood Tales was born in the wrong century. He really belonged among the Romantic poets, who saw the purity of nature as a source of renewal. I mentioned this to Grim after he told me that a large part of his process revolves around the wonderment of nature. He loves to walk, and in those moments he finds beauty in water, the shadows of trees, and even the ducks. Then again, Grim counts William Faulkner and Breece D'J Pancake among his favorite writers, so his actual influences are more modern.

The first time I heard the Harrisonburg, Virginia band's song "McMemories," I was hooked. Their new album Every Star in Rockingham County on Born Losers Records is one of my favorite releases of the year.

Jim James (My Morning Jacket) Aug 27, 2026

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Jim James needs a bigger head. How else to accommodate all the bursts of creativity he has throughout the day? They happen all the time. The My Morning Jacket frontman finds art galleries to be a particularly rich source of inspiration, but he also loves a good walk. Even the middle of the night is productive for James, though he admits that’s because of his insomnia. Who needs to force the process when your day is filled with ideas?

Jim James’s latest album is Wowed Out

Alicia Witt Aug 24, 2026

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You have seen Alicia Witt. Of that I can be sure since she's appeared in so many movies and tv shows. (She starred most recently opposite Nicolas Cage in Longlegs.) But Witt is also an accomplished piano player and singer/songwriter; it's not something she does in her spare time as a hobby. Her upcoming album is her fifth release, and her experience as an actor informs her songwriting process in the attention she pays to her lyrics.

Alicia Witt's latest album is Between Heaven and Earth. The album was inspired by Witt's enduring friendship with David Lynch.

hey, nothing Aug 20, 2026

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Tyler Mabry and Harlow Phillips of Athens-based hey, nothing have been friends since middle school. And when you've grown up with your songwriting partner, you have a good idea of what makes for an efficient writing process. Both have a clear idea of how to set up for success when they write, down to where and when they're the most productive. This includes the secret to editing: try to do it when you're sick.

hey, nothing's major label debut Hound is out on on Music Soup/Interscope Records.

David Shaw (The Revivalists) Aug 18, 2026

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Took a wonderfully deep dive into the songwriting process with David Shaw of The Revivalists. We discuss middle of the night epiphanies, how mishearing a lyric can make for a better lyric, and how reading great literature makes for better songwriting.

The latest album by The Revivalists is Get It Honest.

Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith Band) Aug 12, 2026

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Lenny Kaye's tenure as Patti Smith's guitarist and collaborator extends from 1971 to the present, but the 79 year old is only now releasing his debut solo album. The punk icon and pioneer is also the author of three books, so this episode is a deep dive into the writing process across a few genres. As you can imagine, Kaye doesn't believe in creating when the mood strikes; instead, it's a constant in his life.

Lenny Kaye's debut solo album is Goin' Local