When you’re young and starting down the path of songwriting, you write a lot by yourself. After all, you’re not very good and you don’t want people to know, you’ve gotta put in the work, write the bad songs so you can get to some better ones.
But once you get to the better songs you might want to keep writing by yourself because, ‘I’ve got this thing figured out, I don’t really need other writers’.
So you work really hard. Day after day for a couple years. Writing song after song sitting in your computer chair or in your undies on the edge of your bed.
Now you’ve got a few hundred songs that you need to start showing people.
On the other hand…once you’re just barely good enough or just barely bold enough, you’re allowed be a part of the songwriting community. You can just decide to start setting up co-writes with other writers.
And if you’re in Nashville or NYC or LA or are happy to write via Zoom from anywhere, there’s enough writers writing everyday to where you could easily have a few hundred sessions per year.
So now at the end of a couple years you’ve got a few hundred songs but ALSO you’ve got a few hundred people who have written with you. Who have experienced your talent and creativity. Who can vouch for you. Who can recommend you to others. Who like you. Who will respond to your emails. Who value your input.
Writing with others isn’t a requirement for success…but when you do, you get much more than a song.
