Ben Johnson (“All The Way” BigXThaPlug & Bailey Zimmerman, “TRUCK BED” Hardy, “Dying Man” Morgan Wallen) is on the pod this week to discuss family, outliers, finding co-writers and lawyers.

We cover some new territory as it pertains to picking lawyers. We have sadly noticed how often the first lawyer you pick is a name you got from the person you actually negotiate against. We’re too trusting, my loves! Find your own lawyer.

Ben is such a fabulous guest, writer and songwriter/publisher. His deals are different than the ones he signed and he explains why. We love Ben! Enjoy this episode.

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This week, the Songwriter Soup crew interviews Lauren Hungate (“Holy Smokes” Bailey Zimmerman, “Break First” Tucker Wetmore, “The Aftermath” Carter Faith).

We jump around from being a mom & songwriter at the same time, the ideal ballad to bop ratio, social media (friend or foe), discovering artists at the ground floor only to watch them end up in fancier rooms and how to handle that with poise.

We also go hard on the use of AI in songwriting and its similarity to Covid (remember getting the Zoomies? — iykyk)…. By that we mean, both are bringing those of us who truly love the art of it to the forefront and how survival of the fittest is alive and well as we live through yet another challenging era for songwriters.

We loved this conversation! We think you will too. Enjoy!

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Laura collected, sifted, and solicited and we have  round of listener questions we’ll be addressing this week. We cover the most asked questions like how to get some decent song feedback, and where not to go for that. We discuss being socially awkward while networking, which feels like a curse for... some of us. We also discuss the delicate nature of songwriters existing in other parts of the music industry. Tricky! Anyhoo, enjoy this episode! 

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Mike Robinson (“For The Rest Of Your Life” - Teddy Swims, “Umbrella” Fitz and The Tantrums, “4runner” Brenn!) joins the Songwriter Soup trio this week to discuss how being a no-brainer hit songwriter still involves a load of patience while you wait for the proof (a big ol fat hit) to show up.

Mike shares his approach on his career as he makes his way through-continue to show up, kick ass (which he does with ease) and most importantly, have a fantastic time doing the job. We think this is the cocktail that can almost guarantee success at this stage of the game, so anyone on their way, but not quite there, would benefit from a listen to this episode.

We also discuss some songwriter room dynamics never discussed on the pod.. like that moment when the song has soured and it’s time to maybe, sorta, kinda consider starting fresh. Enjoy this episode!

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The crew is joined by Austin Goodloe (“Dandelion” Ella Langley, “Rocky Mountain Low” Corey Kent & Koe Wetzel, “I Can’t Love You Anymore" Ella Langley & Morgan Wallen) to discuss the difference between confidence and cockiness, obsession with music, and not letting tenure spoil the magic of this crazy career.

Austin shares stories about how Jelly Roll helped get him signed to a publishing deal, how Ben Rector’s golf game taught him about career stamina and how being a producer is an advantage in the writing room, but also, how it can also put you in a position to be taken advantage of (that whole “sending stems” situation).

The group was also joined by The Tennessean so if you’re here because of that article, welcome and enjoy this episode!

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Producer and songwriter David Spencer parks it on the Soup couch this week, bringing a massive amount of cross-genre perspective, jumping from Christian radio hits like Katie Nichole’s "In Jesus Name" to producing a viral TikTok pop smash for Neoni, and even helming Jo Dee Messina’s highly anticipated upcoming return album.

But before the chaotic six-week period in 2022 where his career exploded all at once, David lived a gruelling double life. He pulls back the curtain on the reality of the Nashville hustle: spending his mornings chasing cuts and his evenings running a private music lesson business, missing family dinners for almost a decade just to keep his dream afloat.

The crew digs into the psychology of songwriting with a day job and the gut wrenching moment you decide to give up a steady income to lean into the dream.

It’s a beautiful conversation about surviving the terrifying dips of the music business, why you have to wear multiple hats to survive, and the crucial difference between stubbornly "never giving up" and staying curious enough to just "keep going." 

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This week the trio sits down with the tallest man to ever enter the Songwriter Soup lair: producer and songwriter Paul DiGiovanni (“How Not To” Dan + Shay,  "The Ones That Didn’t Make It Back Home” Justin Moore, “Lose You” Jordan Davis).

Paul’s journey is a masterclass in the winding road of the music industry, traversing from the height of 2000s emo with Boys Like Girls ("The Great Escape”) to the final frontier of guitars in Nashville. He pulls back the curtain on the raw reality of starting over from scratch - trading TRL interviews and Taylor Swift collabs for a two-bedroom house shared by four dudes in East Nashville. Paul shares his moving-the-dirt philosophy, reminding every new writer that you have to show up for the bad days if you ever want to strike gold.

The crew digs into the nitty gritty of the producer-writer life, exploring why production feels a lot like getting a painful tattoo: a mix of initial excitement, mid-project agony, and a high that only hits once the ink (or the track) is dry.

Between his swoopy-haired band roots and his country success, Paul has plenty of perspective (and tea!) on the music business. It’s a candid look at why you need "that dog" in you to survive the industry’s toxicity and why winning the day in the room is the only drug that keeps the real ones coming back.

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This week we host songwriting couple (each a BMI Songwriters Of The Year of years past), Nicolle Galyon & Rodney Clawson.

We cover the importance of acknowledging your “money scripts” - those things you knew to be true about money when you were a kid that you dragged into your adulthood. We also touch on that moment when success as a songwriter becomes a temptation to delve into different sides of the music industry.

We cover how dynamics at home are affected when spouses bring identical work issues, triumphs and disappointments to the dinner table, and some theories on how to prevent your children from turning into assholes.

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Producer and songwriter Gabe Simon (“Stick Season” Noah Kahan, “Blue Banisters” Lana Del Ray, “The Man That Came Back” Jessie Murph) shares his journey from driving Uber while on a publishing deal to producing career-defining records for Noah Kahan, Dermot Kennedy, and Lana Del Rey.

This conversation explores the financial realities of the music business, the importance of community over competition, and how to build sustainable creative careers. Gabe and the crew delve into some new topics for Songwriter Soup, hope you enjoy. 

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Trio de Songwriter Soup delve into art/business relationships and more on today’s episode. When it comes to a songwriter’s relationship with an artist, what is loyalty exactly? Is it a good thing? Is it a bad thing?

Man, it sure can get tricky as people come and go (and come and go again). Holding too tightly and/or getting one’s feelings hurt can do damage, internally and externally. Let’s talk about it! But wait, are we even talking about songwriting? Totally.

Are we talking about EVERYTHING? Perhaps? Either way, hope it helps!

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