Songs from the Club2024-07-22T15:45:09+10:00

Curious to know what goes on inside The Club?

Come on in and take a peek

Welcome. Come on in and discover some songs and stories from The Club. If you’re not familiar with how The Club works, here’s a quick overview.

When you join The Club you are with a small group of peers for 10 weeks at a time. Each week we give The Club a specific songwriting task. The songwriting task includes a theme, a guideline and a time limit of one hour which gives you your starting point and a framework to keep you focused. You write your own song each week and share what you’ve created with your group members who have also done the same thing.

The point of this practice isn’t to write ‘the perfect song’ – it’s simply to write, and to write regularly, because the more you write, the better you get! And when you do, great things happen.

And after writing 30, 40, 50 songs, you’ll have clarity on what really works and what doesn’t whilst developing and strengthening your songwriting skills. The songs that do really work, you can confidently take these to the studio to record and release.

Discover more about how songs are written in I Heart Songwriting Club below…

Listen to songs written by our members 

Spin to the wheel to listen to some songs that were written in The Club by our members, that then went on to be recorded and released. Discover the themes that each song was written to and how each songwriter uniquely approached the same songwriting task.

Let’s Play!

How would you approach these songwriting tasks?

Choose one of the above themes, set a timer for 1 hour and see what you can create in that time.

Remember, the songs you’ve just listened to have been reworked. They didn’t sound like this after 1 hour of writing.

Stay open to whatever ideas come, suspend your judgement and let your creativity flow.  Happy Songwriting!

GO WILD!

For your listening pleasure and discovery, check out more songs from the club in our Songs from The Club Spotify or YouTube Playlists.

Feeling inspired? This could be you too. Start writing a song a week.

The Journey of a Song in I Heart Songwriting Club

Not every song written lives on past the initial creation. In fact, it is said that 90% of what you create is not used. So what happens to the other 10% of your songs?

I Heart Songwriting Club gives songwriters the space to write something quickly so you can write the necessary 90%, but also the feedback and guidance to polish and refine the 10% to take out to the world.

Let’s take a look at the evolution of a song in I Heart Songwriting Club.


After you’ve written your song for the week, simply make a rough recording of the song on a voice memo app and submit it to your group for feedback by your peers. The best part about the feedback is that it offers simple guidance around what works and what doesn’t, which is helpful to know if this is a 90% or a 10% song and offers relief around any self-doubts you might have around your song, which is a massive confidence booster for any songwriter!

Club Member, Leanne Tennant (Artist name: LT), an alternative, blues, folk, indie artist from Cairns, Australia, has very generously offered to show the evolution of her song “Bring It All Back” written in The Club from it’s first draft to release.

I Heart Songwriting Club is a global community of passionate songwriters who love to help and inspire people to become great songwriters!

The Evolution of “Bring it back” by LT

Step 1
The Songwriting Task

In January 2019, we set The Club the following Songwriting Task.

Theme: Fractions

Guideline: Spend 5 minutes speed writing as many words as you can that relate to fractions. Whatever words feel most strong to you from that list, work these words into your song.

Extra challenge: Use fractions in your lyrics. eg. “one-half of a whole”

Step 2
First Draft of Song

Leanne submitted her ‘fractions’ song. This is what she shared with her group:

“I struggled to settle on something this week. I think I potentially played it too many times then lost the vibe with it. I often do that with songs where I write them and play them so many times that I hate them then throw them in the bin! I’m glad I’m pushing send though as at least I’ve finished another roughy which feels really good :) It’s nice to finish things, even if they’re kind of unfinished…..you know?”

 


 

Step 3
Peer Group Feedback

Here are a few of the words of feedback offered by Leanne’s Club group…

Member 1 – “No comment. This song is perfect. The chorus is so catchy, the verses are so moody, the lyrics are poetic and universal. I’m sorry but I have NO constructive criticism. Just LOVE IT!”

Member 2 – “Love the pre chorus melody. Your chorus OMG SO CATCHY! I could have easily joined in by the second time round. I also love your phrasing in the verses!”

Member 3 – “WOW!!! The rhythmic drive is an immediate hook for me. Then those melodic hooks kept me! That chorus!! It has a familiarity about it that screams – hit – like “Stuck in the middle with you” but not. I’m pretty sure this has arrived… Yeah I friggin love it.”

Member 4 – “I think I’m going to have this chorus stuck in my head for days! I love it Leanne Tennant . I think it’s a keeper, but I do understand that feeling of too much repetition and sometimes getting sick of songs.. but really, you should keep this song!”

Member 5 – “ok.. you are off the hook.. your playing, and your general song prosody makes me want to put your album on (would i find one if I looked for one?) Keep em coming. Love it”

Step 4
Reflection and Reworking

Leanne wrote to us to thank us for the experience of her first 10 week term in The Club. In that email she also shared with us that 2 of 10 songs she wrote would become singles for her upcoming album. She says: 

“I struggled to finish songs quickly and wanted the challenge and deadlines to write new material. I felt I Heart Songwriting Club would force me into being more productive and not deliberating over sketches of songs for too long. I loved the challenges each week and felt extremely proud of myself each time I managed to upload a new song.

It was a new experience for me to let go of a song when it may not be entirely finished, however this process has resulted in me coming away with a bunch of new songs. Two of those songs in particular I have recorded toward my new album and will potentially be released as singles this year!”

Again, this is a reminder that not every song you write will be used. Aim for 1 or even 2 of every 10 songs to be ones that will live on and the other 8 or 9 as necessary practice.

Step 5
Song Release

Behind the scenes, Leanne worked with her creative team to produce the final audio and music video of “Bring It All Back” 9 months after it’s initial creation. Here’s the final version of the song that was created in The Club: 

Step 6
Career Development

“Bring It All Back” was released as a single ahead of her “Happiness Is” album. It was a significant song in LT’s career, ending up on radio stations around the world, including esteemed BBC radio and KCRW, and was even placed on British Airways in-flight entertainment. Read some of the international reviews this track received:

“Bring It All back is a display of astute, mature pop music, delivered with grace and emotion.” – CLASH MAGAZINE, London

“Listening to Bring It All Back, is a testament to how piercingly clear Tennant’s songwriting intent is.  The vocals flow forth from the mix with all the clarity and warmth of a sunbeam after a rainstorm.” – ATWOOD MAGAZINE, USA

“The track has that energy of simmering anger mixed with the sweet sound of forgiveness and that’s not an easy blend to pull off in a song.” – LISTEN WITH MONGER, London

“The simple guitar picking at the start draws you straight in. The atmosphere Tennant has created through the song – with the stomping rhythm and the layers of voices – brings out such an ominous mood.” – RICHARD KINGSMILL – TRIPLE J

Step 7
Song Remix

Fellow Club member and producer, Resin Moon remixed and released LT’s “Bring it All Back” in 2021.

He says, “I’ve been lucky to be in a IHSC group with Leanne and I’m a huge fan of her songwriting. She has a real natural skill for writing pop songs, and still lyrically having plenty of depth”.

You never know where your songs can take you. Get some real feedback on your songs to help you take your next steps:

Get Inspired

How Writing a 1-hour Song Every Week for a Year Changed Me

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How Writing a 1-hour Song Every Week for a Year Changed Me Francesca de Valence, Brisbane, (AUS) September 2015 Apparently, there are two types of people. People who believe that intelligence is a fixed thing, and people

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