Georgia Straight interview with band the duo Matt and Kim:

“In the sort of post-hardcore bands that I’ve been in in the past, I used to never write a song with a verse or a chorus,” Matt says. “It would all just be different parts. Eventually it occurred to me that I like songs with verses and choruses. I think the most effective songs are the simplest songs. And it takes a lot to write a simple song because it’s hard for people to get over themselves. If you can put yourself out there and keep it simple, that’s what resonates with people.”

(Link)

Jeff Oxenford blogs about the power songwriters have to take a listener on a journey:

“What kind of journey are you trying to achieve in your songwriting? In the first case, the flat road, a song like this would be great for meditation or getting ready for bed. In the last case, the crazy drive, you’re trying to build the crowd into the frenzy, like in my old punk rock days. I tend to shoot for the middle case, taking my listener up a mountain, back down again and occasionally give them glimpses of a waterfall or rainbow.”(Link)

The Boston Herald interviews singer-songwriter M. Ward.

There’s a bunch of fairly like-minded throwback folk artists out there now such as Iron & Wine, Devendra Banhart and Joanna Newsom. Is this a positive trend you see developing?

It doesn’t matter to me. It’s just encouraging to hear a good song in the universe. It doesn’t matter to me if people are picking up on it or not. The reason I leave the marketplace to my manager and label is because I’m simply not that interested. A long time ago I used to have a subscription to Rolling Stone. I used to think, ‘Why isn’t Vic Chesnutt on the cover? Why isn’t John Fahey?’ I’ve lucked out. I have great people working for me who cover the marketplace for me. I think it poisons a lot of people’s songwriting when they get too tangled up in selling. (Link)