Mags Duval (“Ordinary” Alex Warren, “To Love Someone” Benson Boone, “Flame” Teddy Swims) has one of the most interesting songwriter stories we’ve ever heard on the podcast. Born with singular voice and style, she was meant for this from a very early age. In fact, her one and only song, managed to wow Nick Cannon, and jump start her career at thirteen years old (13!). But with all the luck and talent in the world, as it often does, it still took forever to hit. Mags describes the risks and pay offs of staying authentic to her own art making, the toggles between LA and Nashville and how to squeeze the most juice out of both, as well as a quick lesson in recoupment publishing deals (yikes), writing camps, pandemic delays and The Girls Of Nashville. She also walks us through what it’s like to have your first hit literally shift the earth’s crust under your feet (ever heard of a little song called “Ordinary”)? Songwriting is nuts, and this story is sure to give you hope, determination and renew your vows to staying true to yourself. Enjoy!

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Artist and genuine songwriter advocate, Ashley McBryde (“Girl Goin Nowhere”, “Martha Divine,” “Bible and a .44”) pulls up some couch this week to bring a massive, unfiltered perspective to the pod.

We go everywhere in this one—from Ashley's early days running loss prevention at Guitar Center and getting paid in chicken strips for writers' rounds. We discuss the difference between an artist and a star, as well as the multifaceted experience that comes with pandering to the radio... or not. 

But the real crux of this conversation is a heavy, unprotected look at the business side of the artist-writer relationship. The crew breaks down the critical necessity for new artists to negotiate earmarked master points for their songwriters before signing a major label deal (or any deal really!

Indie deals, management deals, etc), and why having the humility to admit you don't actually know your own contract's point structure is (or how it works) might be the vital first step to fixing a broken ecosystem. Listen, learn, change it. IF THERE WERE MORE ASHLEY’s IN THE ARTIST WORLD, this could change EVERYTHING for us. 

This is a must listen for anyone in the music industry - artists, songwriters, label people, publishers, managers. We have to change the way we think about a song and its value or songwriters will not be able to afford to be where they belong—-in songwriter rooms. 

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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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