songwriting

Paul Simon

I’ve recently found myself kinda embedded in the world of Paul Simon. Now, I’ve been a fan of Simon and Garfunkel and Paul Simon’s as a solo artist, since I bought Wednesday Morning 3AM as one of my very first albums probably in around 1967 when I was 14. However, I confess that I had…Read more Paul Simon

FAWM – not complete but a really useful kickstarter

So I didn’t write 14 songs in 28 days which was the target for FAWM. However, I did start writing again and as a result of the discipline of trying to meet the target, I did finish 6 songs - or at least get them to the point of recording and posting an initial demo…Read more FAWM – not complete but a really useful kickstarter

First FAWM efforts

So after the first 8 days of my first February Album Writing Month, we're making progress. After doing almost nothing for the first 5 days 'cos we were on holiday in beautiful Thailand. Actually, I did manage a couple of sketches on the iPad but nothing substantial. However, yesterday, I wrote and recorded 3 songs:…Read more First FAWM efforts

FAWM 23

So in an attempt to break out of the desert that has been my songwriting for the last couple of years, I have signed up to the February Album Writing Month (FAWM) - https://write.fawm.org/@holybrook I am now on the hook for writing and recording 14 songs in 28 days. I will be on vacation for…Read more FAWM 23

Getting out of the desert

I've been really struggling for over a year now to get beyond a series of 4 or 8 bar loops and snatches of one or two lines that might have a hook in them but never actually putting it all together. So I was inspired lately by listening to the Joy of Songwriting podcast in…Read more Getting out of the desert

Livestreaming experiences

So the Covid period has had some interesting side effects. One of which is that we've all got a bit more tech-savvy. Zoom has become more common that using land lines for most people and whilst our face-to-face contacts have gone down, paradoxically, we have had connection with folk that we probably wouldn't have in…Read more Livestreaming experiences

Writing on an iPad

I travel a lot. My carbon footprint is pretty unhealthy. So it’s really tricky to take my instrument of choice (guitar) around with me. And yet the time spent in airports and on airplanes is actually quite fertile for the thinking machine. So, for some time now, I’ve been using my iPad as a writing…Read more Writing on an iPad

Holybrook