Songwriters on Process

New Episode! "Julia Jacklin"

“I love to sing out loud there. No one can hear me because everyone is, well, underground,” says Julia Jacklin. And if that’s not the best reason for singing in a cemetery, I don’t know what is.

Walking is a daily and essential part of Jacklin’s process. “I’m obsessed with walking,” she says. There are two kinds of walks to Jacklin’s process. The first is when she goes with nothing on her mind; this is for filling the well with inspiration. The second is what she calls “intentional walking to get the lyrics right. I always get stuck on the second verse when I write, so walking helps me,” she says.

Now back to the cemetery, which Jacklin says was a “huge part” of the songwriting process of the new album. There’s one not far from where she lives, so she goes every day. There’s the flowers, the serenity, and of course the existential thoughts that accompany a walk through a cemetery. Quite simply, it brings her peace. “I’m always drawn to cemeteries when I’m feeling overwhelmed,” Jacklin says.

Julia Jacklin’s latest album is The Gem, out now on 4AD Records.

Julia Jacklin on Her Songwriting Process Discover how singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin uses walking, cemeteries, and intentional lyric-writing to craft her deeply personal music on Songwriters on Proces

New Episode! "Brennan Wedl"

"I like to write at my desk," says Brennan Wedl. It makes me feel like a professor, so it's correlated with discipline in my brain. It's like a writing altar." This tracks with Wedl's penchant for adhering to a writing ritual and its attendant discipline. She's a big fan of Post-it notes, loves to get up early and feel the sun on a morning walk, and believes in the power of a schedule. But as you'll hear, when she really wants to "lock it in," she turns to the power of chewing gum. Brennan We...

Brennan Wedl "I like to write at my desk," says Brennan Wedl. It makes me feel like a professor, so it's correlated with discipline in my brain. It's like a writing altar." This…

New Episode! "L'Rain (Taja Cheek)"

"I have my best thoughts in total comfort and complete boredom," Taja Cheek (known professionally as L'Rain) says. After all, who doesn't prefer a good couch or bed when they write? But when it comes to pure inspiration, Cheek likes to be "alone together": around people but deep in her own thoughts. That's why she loves the New York City subway and what she calls "intentional walking" on the city streets amidst all its distractions. But as you'll hear, nothing beats a good cab ride. L'R...

L'Rain (Taja Cheek) "I have my best thoughts in total comfort and complete boredom," Taja Cheek (known professionally as L'Rain) says. After all, who doesn't prefer a good couch or bed…

New Episode! "Margaret Glaspy"

"I like to do things that make me feel integrated with the environment," says Margaret Glaspy. Broadly, Glaspy's process involves a general resistance to technology, which is why we had a great discussion about the benefits of cursive. It should also come as no surprise that Glaspy believes in pen and paper (and very specific kinds) for her lyrics. This resistance to technology is borne out the correct belief that it destroys our ability to focus, so Glaspy writes in fifteen minute incr...

Margaret Glaspy on Her Songwriting Process Discover Margaret Glaspy's unique songwriting process, her resistance to technology, the benefits of writing in 15-minute increments, and using pen and paper.

New Episode! "Ketch Secor (Old Crow Medicine Show)"

Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show is the first person I’ve interviewed to compare the songwriting process to feline copulation. But this unique metaphor actually reflects Secor’s deep introspection: only someone who reads all the time would even consider how these two events are related. And Secor reads. All. The. Time.

Old Crow Medicine Show’s latest album is Union Made.

Ketch Secor (Old Crow Medicine Show) Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show is the first person I’ve interviewed to compare the songwriting process to feline copulation. But this unique metaphor actuall…

New Episode! "Lucius"

"You need to be somewhere where you allow yourself to be totally stupid," says Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of Lucius. To be clear, this is not great life advice, but it's fantastic advice for the creative process. In other words, the initial stage of any creative process means getting out of your own way and releasing all inhibitions. It's about putting everything down on paper, no matter how stupid, and deciding later whether it belongs. As you'll hear, Wolfe and Laessig's initial sta...

Lucius "You need to be somewhere where you allow yourself to be totally stupid," says Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of Lucius. To be clear, this is not great life advice, b…

5 Star Review: Great questions!

"Enjoy this podcast. As a songwriter it’s so interesting. Love the Suzanne Vega one. Would love a few more also well known writers."

5 star review for Songwriters on Process Great questions!. Published September 2, 2026 by Lahelia on Apple Podcasts.

New Episode! "Kyle Grim (Dogwood Tales)"

Kyle Grim of Dogwood Tales was born in the wrong century. He really belonged among the Romantic poets, who saw the purity of nature as a source of renewal. I mentioned this to Grim after he told me that a large part of his process revolves around the wonderment of nature. He loves to walk, and in those moments he finds beauty in water, the shadows of trees, and even the ducks. Then again, Grim counts William Faulkner and Breece D'J Pancake among his favorite writers, so his actual influences are more modern.

The first time I heard the Harrisonburg, Virginia band's song "McMemories," I was hooked. Their new album Every Star in Rockingham County on Born Losers Records is one of my favorite releases of the year.

Kyle Grim (Dogwood Tales) Kyle Grim of Dogwood Tales was born in the wrong century. He really belonged among the Romantic poets, who saw the purity of nature as a source of renewal. I mentio…

New Episode! "Jim James (My Morning Jacket)"

Jim James needs a bigger head. How else to accommodate all the bursts of creativity he has throughout the day? They happen all the time. The My Morning Jacket frontman finds art galleries to be a particularly rich source of inspiration, but he also loves a good walk. Even the middle of the night is productive for James, though he admits that’s because of his insomnia. Who needs to force the process when your day is filled with ideas?

Jim James’s latest album is Wowed Out

Jim James (My Morning Jacket) Jim James needs a bigger head. How else to accommodate all the bursts of creativity he has throughout the day? They happen all the time. The My Morning Jacket front…