Challenges in songwriting

- It's really a lot more about just staying true to my vision for the song, and making sure that each song feels unique and honest to what I'm trying to say. It always comes back to reading. For me reading, whether it's prose or poetry, I sort of feel like the more good stuff I put in, the more good stuff that's gonna come out. At the beginning, it might help to try and write a few songs on your own, just as you're getting started, but beyond that, I mean there are so many wonderful advantages to co-writing that I can't think of many reasons why you wouldn't want to at least try it. You might find later on that it's not for you, but I always recommend trying it. So the one that sticks with me is Keith Richards from The Rolling Stones, waking up in the middle of the night and singing this sort of hook line to Satisfaction into a tape recorder, and then waking up and not remembering he'd done it. Talk about a million dollar dream. That's a pretty good way to do it.