For 10 years I Heart Songwriting Club has been helping songwriters around the world to write their best songs yet. With over 30,000 songs written by over 1500 songwriters from 30 countries around the world, it's no wonder entire albums have been written, ARIA awards have been nominated, film soundtracks have been created, and many careers have been launched from this simple writing club.

I Heart Songwriting Club is a place for all songwriters, created by songwriters. We have songwriting courses, professional development programs, mentorship, workshops, and our signature songwriting club.

Whether you’re a songwriter in our global online songwriting club, or a songwriting fan who’s been enjoying our concerts, workshops or even this podcast for the past few years - we want to thank you for being part of our community.

Thank you to our members who sent in a happy birthday message:

- Audra Santa (Toronto, Canada)

- Danielle Caruana - Mama Kin (Perth, Australia)

- Kaiyah Mercedes (Mornington Peninsula, Australia)

- Karen Jacobsen (Airlie Beach, Australia)

- Leah Jett - Kissing the Flint (Newton Stewart, Scotland)

- Winston (Perth, Australia)

- Ed Robins (Melbourne, Australia)

- Sally Barris (Nashville, USA)

- Ken Davis (Koonawarra, Australia)

- Findlay Napier (Isle of Arran, Scotland)

- Alan Atkinson - Protis (Brisbane, Australia)

- Katie Harder (Alice Springs, Australia)

- Kim Imber (Tasmania, Australia)

- Kara Spradbury (Perth, Australia)

- Soph Sav (Sydney, Australia)

- Matt Cal (Perth, Australia)

- Kerrie Gambley - Haystack Mountain Hermits (Mount Tamborine, Australia)

- David Hethorn (Brisbane, Australia)

- Gitika Partington (Newport, Wales)

Image Credit: Jelightly

Find out more and contact us at I Heart Songwriting Club & Francesca de Valence.

Get your creativity, confidence, and songwriting output flowing. Join The Club and receive the support and structure to write 10 songs in 10 weeks and get feedback from a private peer community. This is THE essential writing practice that has changed the careers and lives of 1000s of songwriters worldwide.

Just getting started on your songwriting journey and need more hands-on support? Establish a firm foundation and develop your musical and lyric skills with our Beginner Songwriting Courses. They are the perfect place to begin and cover everything you need to know to write your first songs. You’ll receive lessons from Francesca directly!

Don’t struggle to write your next album - write an album a year with ease! Watch our Free Songwriting Masterclass.

Want more for your songwriting but don’t know where to go from here? Take the I Heart Songwriting Club Quiz to discover your next steps and inspire your way to writing better songs.

Get songwriting insights from I Heart Songwriting Club:

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Theme song: “Put One Foot In Front Of The Other One” music and lyrics by Francesca de Valence

If you love this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and tell everyone you know about The Magic of Songwriting.

Thank you for joining us.

Living in Nashville as a songwriter is like being in the heart of the music industry. Just ask Sally Barris, a Nashville-based performing songwriter whose tracks have been covered by Martina McBride, Lee Ann Womack, Trisha Yearwood, and Keith Urban, earning one of her songs a Grammy nomination in 2009. Sally’s journey and experiences offer a glimpse into the unique world of Nashville’s music scene, and her co-writing tips are gold for any aspiring songwriter.

Timestamp:
6:20 - Sally discusses joining the I Heart Songwriting Club and its impact
8:03 - Sally shares her journey to Nashville
26:37 - The Grammy nomination
33:19 - Reflecting on the feedback and categorisation of songs by the publisher
37:19 - The universal appeal of honest songwriting and the importance
40:59 - Writing regularly with a group
51:48 - The learnings from touring
1:01:45 - Creating songwriting themes, including challenging prompts
1:07:30 - Performance of "Magnify"

About Sally: Sally Barris is a Nashville based performing songwriter who has had songs covered by such top-level artists as Kathy Mattea, Martina McBride, and Lee Ann Womack. Her song “Let The Wind Chase You”, recorded by Trisha Yearwood and Keith Urban, received a Grammy nomination for vocal collaboration in 2009. While her writing credits mightily impress, fans and peers are most captivated by her bright spirit and expressive mountain soprano. Dirty Linen says “Barris knows how to write lyrics that are as forthright as a stream of clear water and how to support them with melodies that share that quality”. The Minnesota native has performed Mountain Stage, New Bedford Summer Fest, Wildflower Arts & Music Festival and The Kerrville Folk Festival. In 2021, Sally released her new cd “Grasshopper Mile”. Contact Sally: Website / Facebook / Instagram

Song Credits:
"Grasshopper Mile" - Written by Sally Barris, Sam Gay and Templeton Thompson and Performed by Sally Barris.
"Magnify" - Written and Performed by Sally Barris.

Find out more and contact us at I Heart Songwriting Club & Francesca de Valence.

Check out more incredible music from our members:
Listen to Helen Perris on BANDCAMP
Follow Amanda Thomas via her WEBSITE and INSTAGRAM

Sign up for our Co-writing Course to improve your writing skills with others.

Get your creativity, confidence, and songwriting output flowing. Join The Club and receive the support and structure to write 10 songs in 10 weeks and get feedback from a private peer community.

Just getting started on your songwriting journey and need more hands-on support? Establish a firm foundation and develop your musical and lyric skills with our Beginner Songwriting Courses.

Don’t struggle to write your next album - write an album a year with ease! Watch our Free Songwriting Masterclass.

Get songwriting insights from I Heart Songwriting Club: Instagram / Facebook / YouTube

Be inspired by Francesca on socials: YouTube / Facebook / Instagram

Theme song: “Put One Foot In Front Of The Other One” music and lyrics by Francesca de Valence

If you love this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and tell everyone you know about The Magic of Songwriting.

Jackie Marshall is an independent songwriter, performer, recording artist and has starred in and composed music for the independent feature film "Three Chords and the Truth". She is a shining light in the independent music and film scene. In this episode we follow Jackie’s unconventional journey to her golden opportunity and discuss how allowing the practice of songwriting lead her to unexpected places.

Timestamp:
3:23 - Jackie's Background and Approach to Songwriting
5:29 - Philosophy of Creativity and Handling Resistance
16:49 - Living in the Mystery and Career Opportunities
31:26 - Holding Space and PTSD
32:33 - Watching Oneself on Screen
34:49 - Songwriting and Film Integration
39:27 - Recording and Collaborations
45:48 - Performing Old Songs
1:01:08 - Reflection on Life's Journeys
1:04:34 - Performance of the Song 'Lake Saint George'

About Jackie:
Jackie Marshall is a fully independent songwriter, performer and recording artist who creates music in alternative contemporary genres, glancing across folk, country, rock, improvised and art music realms. Jackie most recently starred in and wrote the music for independent full-length feature film Three Chords And The Truth, which debuted at the Brisbane International Film Festival. TCATT also featured in the Sydney Film Festival and its Traveling Film Festival program, as well as Cinefest OZ and Vision Splendid film festivals. The film subsequently had a successful cinema run in Australia and is now available to watch on various streaming services.

Jackie has released three critically acclaimed full-length LPs, including the alt-country "Lilith Shrugs", the Brisbane all-star supported "Ladies' Luck", and her head-turning Australian Music Prize shortlisted “Fight n’ Flight” debut featuring alt-country musician Chris Pickering and Trinkets’ Savannah-Jo Lack and Ben Tolliday. She also has numerous recording collaborations under her belt with artists such as CODA, The Boat People’s Robin Waters, legendary Brisbane musician and journalist Sean Sennett, cult Australian country rock’n’roll band the Re-Mains’ Leigh Ivin and Slovenia’s Imer Traja Brizani and his Romani music ensemble Amala to name just a few. Her new album “You Are Not Too Much and You Are Enough” is out now. Contact Jackie: Website / Facebook / Instagram

Song Credit: “Lake Saint George" - Written by Jackie Marshall. Performed live by Jackie Marshall at I Heart Songwriting Club Headquarters.

Find out more and contact us at I Heart Songwriting Club & Francesca de Valence.

Get your creativity, confidence, and songwriting output flowing. Join The Club and receive the support and structure to write 10 songs in 10 weeks and get feedback from a private peer community.

Just getting started on your songwriting journey and need more hands-on support? Establish a firm foundation and develop your musical and lyric skills with our Beginner Songwriting Courses.

Don’t struggle to write your next album - write an album a year with ease! Watch our Free Songwriting Masterclass.

Get songwriting insights from I Heart Songwriting Club: Instagram / Facebook / YouTube

Be inspired by Francesca on socials: YouTube / Facebook / Instagram

Theme song: “Put One Foot In Front Of The Other One” music and lyrics by Francesca de Valence

If you love this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and tell everyone you know about The Magic of Songwriting.

In the music industry, everything you do with your songs revolves around copyright, and the effective exploitation of your copyright. One of the ways to exploit that copyright is to have your music synced to films and TV shows and ads. In this conversation with Music Supervisor, Tyler McLoughlan, we break down the key concepts of music copyright, sync, and how songwriters can make the most of this space.

Timestamp:

3:51 - Explaining Copyright and Its Importance
8:26 - The Role and Function of Sync Agents and Supervisors
16:00 - Practical Advice for Songwriters and Artists in Sync
30:52 - Discussion on Lyrics and Visuals
32:44 - Genre and Sync Opportunities
35:45 - Common Themes in Advertising and Sync Opportunities
44:46 - Pitching Strategies
1:00:38 -Sync and Money Discussion
1:01:05 - Advertising Revenue
1:01:34 -Sync Money and Ownership Rights
1:03:21 - Information Sources for Ownership
1:04:12 - Sync Agents and Copyright Understanding

About Tyler: On her return from London as a music license broker with Ricall, Tyler McLoughlan founded The Sound Pound in 2011, a Brisbane business specialising in music supervision, clearances and composition across advertising, film and TV. She has worked on projects including music supervision for Billabong, Lunatics (Netflix), Robbie Hood, Bananas (SBS), Retrograde, Content (ABC), and advertising campaigns for Telfast, TAFE, Tourism & Events Queensland, Destination Gold Coast, RACQ and The Natural Confectionary Company. As an artist manager, Tyler looks after the international career of tropical roots artist Bobby Alu. Contact Tyler : Website

Song Credit (excerpt): “Holiday Home” written by Francesca de Valence.

Find out more and contact us at I Heart Songwriting Club & Francesca de Valence.

Get your creativity, confidence, and songwriting output flowing. Join The Club and receive the support and structure to write 10 songs in 10 weeks and get feedback from a private peer community.

Just getting started on your songwriting journey and need more hands-on support? Establish a firm foundation and develop your musical and lyric skills with our Beginner Songwriting Courses.

Don’t struggle to write your next album - write an album a year with ease! Watch our Free Songwriting Masterclass.

Get songwriting insights from I Heart Songwriting Club: Instagram / Facebook / YouTube

Be inspired by Francesca on socials: YouTube / Facebook / Instagram

Theme song: “Put One Foot In Front Of The Other One” music and lyrics by Francesca de Valence

If you love this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and tell everyone you know about The Magic of Songwriting.

Ack Kinmonth is a seasoned composer with over a decade of experience in crafting captivating soundscapes for various media. From composing for blockbusters like 'The Wishmas Tree' to lending his talents to beloved shows like 'Bluey'. In this episode we discuss the interesting journey of a composer. We hope the light this conversation sheds will help songwriters bridge the gap between songwriting and composition for different visual media.

Timestamp:

• 0:00: Introduction to the World of Composition
• 2:23: Delving into Different Creative Spheres
• 4:49: The Diverse Landscape of Media Composition
• 6:28: Composer vs. Songwriter: Understanding the Difference
• 7:24: The Sesame Street Breakthrough
• 10:15: From Songwriting to Placement
• 12:23: The Power of Sync: Amplifying Artists
• 14:31: Beyond Songwriting: The Composer's Skill Set
• 18:16: Crafting Music for Iconic Shows
• 19:48 Understanding Director's Intentions
• 31:22 - Challenges and Rewrites
• 34:51 - Importance of Non-Musician Feedback
• 40:05 - Final Mixing and Dub Stage
• 47:04 - Key Traits for Success
• 49:21 - Importance of Networking and People Skills
• 57:24 - Managing Business Aspects and Finances
• 58:30 - Earning Royalties and Copyright Management

About Ack: Ack Kinmonth is a Brisbane-based composer scoring for films, TV shows, and games. His credits include "Sesame Street," "Bluey," and "Scarygirl," which earned a 2023 Screen Music award nomination. Ack's diverse skills bring stories to life through music. Contact Ack: Website / Facebook

Find out more and contact us at I Heart Songwriting Club & Francesca de Valence.

Get your creativity, confidence, and songwriting output flowing. Join The Club and receive the support and structure to write 10 songs in 10 weeks and get feedback from a private peer community.

Just getting started on your songwriting journey and need more hands-on support? Establish a firm foundation and develop your musical and lyric skills with our Beginner Songwriting Courses.

Don’t struggle to write your next album - write an album a year with ease! Watch our Free Songwriting Masterclass.

Get songwriting insights from I Heart Songwriting Club: Instagram / Facebook / YouTube

Be inspired by Francesca on socials: YouTube / Facebook / Instagram

Theme song: “Put One Foot In Front Of The Other One” music and lyrics by Francesca de Valence

If you love this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and tell everyone you know about The Magic of Songwriting.

Toni Childs is the powerhouse behind hits like "Don't Walk Away" and "Stop Your Fussin',". She isn't just a singer-songwriter; she's a force of nature. Listen to Toni's inspiring journey from open mic kid to international sensation. This episode is a testament to the transformative power of music.

Thanks to the 2023 Whitsundays Songwriter Festival for bringing us this episode today.

Timestamp:
2:42 - Exploitation is ok
6:32 - The Open Mic Moment
10:03 - The Evolution of Creativity
13:20 - The London Interlude
20:12 - A Meeting of Minds
22:26 - Shamanic Sonic Journeys
26:58 - The Publishing Puzzle
29:26 - Defiance and Destiny

About Toni Childs:
Toni Childs is an Emmy Winner and three-time Grammy nominated American recording artist. The celebrated singer-songwriter is known for her powerful voice, inspiring independent spirit and crafted storytelling. With fans in over 50 countries around the world, Toni has produced a list of international hits such as: Don’t Walk Away, Stop Your Fussin’, Walk and Talk Like Angels, Many Rivers to Cross, to name a few. Over Toni’s illustrious career she has opened for Bob Dylan and performed duets with greats such as Al Green and Peter Gabriel. She has toured the world over gaining a much loved fan base.

In 1997, Toni was diagnosed with Graves Disease, a hyper-thyroid condition that pulled her away from touring and music making. It was 19 years in between albums and by then the industry and the world had changed. Living on Kauai in Hawaii, it became crystal clear to Toni that she wanted to create innovative new works with more engagement and play that supports life and shines a light on environmental solutions in ways that inspire action.

Adding environmental activist, artistic director and installation artist to her bow, Toni has been bringing together the disciplines of music, film, 3D mapping, animation, lighting, set design and interactive components to three new works including an underwater concert, Reef 360.

Contact Toni: Website / Facebook / Instagram

Find out more and contact us at I Heart Songwriting Club & Francesca de Valence.

Get your creativity, confidence, and songwriting output flowing. Join The Club and receive the support and structure to write 10 songs in 10 weeks and get feedback from a private peer community.

Just getting started on your songwriting journey and need more hands-on support? Establish a firm foundation and develop your musical and lyric skills with our Beginner Songwriting Courses.

Don’t struggle to write your next album - write an album a year with ease! Watch our Free Songwriting Masterclass.

Get songwriting insights from I Heart Songwriting Club: Instagram / Facebook / YouTube

Be inspired by Francesca on socials: YouTube / Facebook / Instagram

Theme song: “Put One Foot In Front Of The Other One” music and lyrics by Francesca de Valence

If you love this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and tell everyone you know about The Magic of Songwriting.

We chat with Vika & Linda at the 2023 Whitsundays Songwriter Festival, to shine a light on their journey as artists and songwriters - from singing with The Black Sorrows, to discovering their artistic sound as a duo, finding the songs to record for their first album, and how they started writing songs as established artists.

Timestamp:
2:27 - Exploring Song Selection for Albums
4:47 - The Evolution of Choosing Songs
6:59 - Diverse Sounds and Genre Experimentation
9:08 - The Gospel Album Journey
12:07 - Refining Song Choices Over the Decades
12:40 - Entering the World of Songwriting
15:27 - The Rolodex and Collaborations
15:54 - Listening to Demos and Musical Intuition
18:05 - Authenticity Over Spit and Polish

About Vika & Linda: Vika & Linda have enjoyed a remarkable musical journey over the past 3 decades. After three classic albums with The Black Sorrows, Melbourne’s Bull sisters, Vika & Linda released eight studio albums, two live albums and a chart-topping anthology. They have also sung on number one albums by Paul Kelly, Kasey Chambers and John Farnham, done gigs for the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and the King of Tonga, and been nominated for six ARIA Awards. Contact Vika & Linda: Website / Facebook / Instagram

This episode was recorded at the Whitsundays Songwriter Festival.

Find out more and contact us at I Heart Songwriting Club & Francesca de Valence.

Get your creativity, confidence, and songwriting output flowing. Join The Club and receive the support and structure to write 10 songs in 10 weeks and get feedback from a private peer community.

Just getting started on your songwriting journey and need more hands-on support? Establish a firm foundation and develop your musical and lyric skills with our Beginner Songwriting Courses.

Don’t struggle to write your next album - write an album a year with ease! Watch our Free Songwriting Masterclass.

Get songwriting insights from I Heart Songwriting Club: Instagram / Facebook / YouTube

Be inspired by Francesca on socials: YouTube / Facebook / Instagram

Theme song: “Put One Foot In Front Of The Other One” music and lyrics by Francesca de Valence

If you love this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and tell everyone you know about The Magic of Songwriting.

Not every songwriter will get a publishing deal, so we pose some questions to Mark Sholtez that may help songwriters understand how they can succeed as a songwriter without a music publishing deal. Having had success both as a published and self-published songwriter, Mark offers invaluable insights to this question.

Timestamp:
3:00 - What is an essential element of being a songwriter?
5:25 - Tips for getting in a room with other artists
8:06 - What does having a publisher mean for a songwriter and is it still necessary to have a publisher?
10:40 - How can you make the most of your publishing deal if you’re not an artist?
12:25 - What quality of demos do you need for pitching your songs to artists?
13:39 - Mark shares the key steps that enabled him to get his publishing deal

About Mark Sholtez:

Mark Sholtez is an ARIA nominated and APRA award-winning songwriter and recording artist currently signed to EMI Music Publishing Australia. He was the first Australian artist to record for the legendary Verve record label in New York, and his career to date has included collaborations with music industry icons including Tommy LiPuma (Barbra Streisand, George Benson, Miles Davis), Grammy Lifetime Achievement recipient and noted veteran engineer Al Schmitt (Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson), multiple Grammy winning producer Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock, Tracy Chapman), as well as internationally renowned artists and songwriters including Don Walker (Cold Chisel), The Veronicas, Iain Archer (Snow Patrol), Troy Cassar-Daley, and Wendy Mathews. Contact Mark Sholtez: Website / Facebook / Instagram

This episode was recorded at the Whitsundays Songwriter Festival.

Find out more and contact us at I Heart Songwriting Club & Francesca de Valence.

Get your creativity, confidence, and songwriting output flowing. Join The Club and receive the support and structure to write 10 songs in 10 weeks and get feedback from a private peer community.

Just getting started on your songwriting journey and need more hands-on support? Establish a firm foundation and develop your musical and lyric skills with our Beginner Songwriting Courses.

Don’t struggle to write your next album - write an album a year with ease! Watch our Free Songwriting Masterclass.

Get songwriting insights from I Heart Songwriting Club: Instagram / Facebook / YouTube

Be inspired by Francesca on socials: YouTube / Facebook / Instagram

Theme song: “Put One Foot In Front Of The Other One” music and lyrics by Francesca de Valence

If you love this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and tell everyone you know about The Magic of Songwriting.