Speaking About Songs

SARAH MCLEOD

Where do you find inspiration for your songwriting?
Different melodies and rhythms kinda just pop into my head at all sorts of inappropriate moments, it's usually triggered by a record I would've heard somewhere along the way and its manifested itself into something else and then snuck back in my brain in order to keep me awake at night.

After you have written a song, do you go back and alter it much or do you prefer to leave it as it was originally written?
I'm the worst at this... I niggle at it for ages... Sometimes I over-niggle and then when I go back I realize it was better before. Six out of ten times it was better before but there's that 40 percent chance that the extra attention delivers magic. So, as I'm a slave to my craft, I keep going just in case.

Does inspiration come easy for you when writing a song, or do you really have to work at crafting it?
Some songs come easily and some don't. Obviously I love the ones that come easily, I can't hear the labour in it when I listen back and that's a joy. Others however you have to work very hard for.

Did you have the chance to attend any conferences such as Song Summit when you were an up and coming artist? If so, what did you gain from such
an experience?
I've never been to one no, but I'll never forget seeing a workshop that Billy Joel did at a university somewhere in the States. I stumbled upon it on TV one day. He sat at his piano and broke his songs down into different parts and explained the stories behind them. It made me wanna be a better songwriter. It was the most inspiring thing I'd ever seen.

MAHALIA BARNES

Where do you find inspiration for your songwriting?
I really like writing about things I have experienced myself, or things I see around me. I am inspired by my family, friends, and especially my daughter Ruby and husband Ben.

After you have written a song, do you go back and alter it much or do you prefer to leave it as it was originally written?
It really depends, if the song is great as it is, no need to change it... However I like to play my new songs on gigs and they always evolve slightly! I try not to be too precious about it.

Does inspiration come easy for you when writing a song, or do you really have to work at crafting it?
It depends on the day for me! I'm not the best at sitting down and writing just because I have to. I personally feel it is better to walk away and come back to it if it's not happening naturally, but I have a lot of respect for writers who can just always write on call. When I do start writing though, I tend to get on a roll and get lots of songs done really quickly!

Did you have the chance to attend any conferences such as Song Summit when you were an up and coming artist? If so, what did you gain from such
an experience?
I still see myself as an up and coming artist in many ways, so I'm pretty excited to be part of this song summit. I haven't actually attended one before. I can imagine it would be a great opportunity to connect with other writers and hear all the different opinions. I don't see how you could not walk away from something like that with something positive!

ADALITA

Where do you find inspiration for your songwriting?
From my own life. Things I may be going through. Relationships. I find inspiration from people that become a muse to me. Sometimes dreams can provide great images. News stories.

After you have written a song, do you go back and alter it much or do you prefer to leave it as it was originally written?
I usually leave most of it intact, but I do like to go back over it and try and tighten it up a bit. So I'll try and only keep the most essential parts of the song and make sure it doesn't drag on or waffle on too much.

Does inspiration come easy for you when writing a song, or do you really have to work at crafting it?
Mostly I feel inspired and occasionally a song will write itself. But on the whole I usually have to put in long hours to get songs down and keep shaping them through trial and error.

Did you have the chance to attend any conferences such as Song Summit when you were an up and coming artist? If so, what did you gain from such
an experience?
Well no. This is my first Song Summit. But my support, when I was starting out, came from my friends and the local music scene. Luckily I had access to an extremely flourishing music scene in my hometown of Geelong in the late '80s and most of the '90s so it was incredibly exciting time to be a young musician. Lots of opportunities and acceptance.

TAASHA COATES (THE AUDREYS)

Where do you find inspiration for your songwriting?
From my life. Characters I meet, stories I hear, lousy boyfriends who break my heart.

After you have written a song, do you go back and alter it much or do you prefer to leave it as it was originally written?
That really depends on whether I'm happy with it or not. If it comes out fully formed, like some songs do, then I just leave them alone. But some songs take weeks, months, even years to reveal themselves. Damn them.

Does inspiration come easy for you when writing a song, or do you really have to work at crafting it?
The initial inspiration is usually the easy part - a lyric, a musical phrase - and that can strike anywhere. In the supermarket, on a plane. Getting a fully formed song out of that is where the work comes in.

Did you have the chance to attend any conferences such as Song Summit when you were an up and coming artist? If so, what did you gain from such an experience?
Absolutely, I went to lots of music conferences and the like. I was hungry for information first off, but I also really enjoyed meeting other artists in my position. It made me feel less bonkers for pursuing such a difficult career.