Writing authentically leads to the most genuine and relatable music. Whether a song is rooted in a personal experience or crafted from an imaginary situation, the goal is to write something that feels true and natural. Storytelling is a technique that allows songwriters to draw listeners into the song in an engaging way while expressing a core message and emotion. I couldn’t be more excited to share my conversation with Mary Heather Hickman focusing on writing authentic and story-driven songs. We talk about being songwriters first, writing edgier and story-driven songs, storytelling in both personal and fictional songs, stepping into the shoes of a song’s character while writing, tapping into our imaginations when writing story songs or ones not inspired by personal experiences, achieving authenticity while performing story songs, sharing the inspiration and story behind songs at shows, getting into the character’s mindset while recording story songs, funny studio memories, the beauty of collaboration in the studio, and much more. We also explore Mary Heather’s experience on the Voice, her single, “Small Town Saturday Night,” and genres in the country music industry. I had a blast chatting with Mary Heather, so I hope you love our conversation.

Are you enjoying Write on Track? Do you have a topic suggestion for an episode? Would you like to be a guest? Email me at [email protected]. Also, I’d love to connect with you. My official website is http://demimschwartz.com, and you can find me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/demimschwartz, Instagram at http://instagram.com/demimschwartz, and Facebook at http://facebook.com/demimschwartz.

Thank you so much for listening. Until next time, stay “write on track!”