When the Door Closes, Knock on Another One

By SongTown Co-founder Marty Dodson Years ago, I was doing everything I could to level up my songwriting career. Like a lot of writers trying to break through, I was chasing every opportunity I could find. And there was one particular songwriter in town who was absolutely on fire—cut after cut, hit after hit. Everyone…

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Rejection, Resilience, and Rising Again: What One “No” Taught Me About Songwriting

By SongTown Co-founder Marty Dodson Years ago, I finally worked up the courage to ask a “big” hit songwriter to write with me. I had been grinding away, developing my skills, and building a catalog of songs I was proud of. For the first time, I felt like I could hold my own in a…

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When the Muse Goes Missing: How I Jump-Start Inspiration on “Blah” Days

By SongTown Co-founder Marty Dodson There are days I open a blank Google Doc and feel certain I’ve got nothing left to say. I’ve written all the songs I can possibly write—at least that’s what the voice in my head insists. I’ll pick up my guitar and instead of feeling like an old familiar friend,…

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Finding Gratitude in the Writer’s Life: A SongTown Thanksgiving

by SongTown co-founders Marty Dodson & Clay Mills Every year around this time, we (Marty & Clay) slow down just long enough to take stock of the journey we’re on—this wild, unpredictable, often beautifully messy path called songwriting. And every year, we’re reminded of the same truth: There is so much to be thankful for.…

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Chasing Ideas Vs. Chasing Truth

By SongTown Co-Founder Marty Dodson I’ve been in more co-writing rooms than I can count. And over the years, I’ve come to recognize a moment that happens more often than most people would expect—it’s the moment when a subtle creative tug-of-war begins. If you co-write long enough, you’ll be there too. We’ve all been there.…

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Own Your Path: What Taylor Swift Taught Me About Songwriting Success

By SongTown Co-Founder Marty Dodson Several years ago, I watched a video that stopped me in my tracks. It was Taylor Swift, learning in real time that her latest album hadn’t been nominated for a Grammy. Surrounded by friends and family, you could feel the tension and disappointment in the room. People were quick to…

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5 Reasons To Co-Write

People often ask me, sometimes skeptically, why I almost exclusively co-write instead of writing alone. I have some reasons that I find pretty compelling, so I thought I’d share them. 1) Not many people I know are world-class at melody AND lyric. There are plenty of people who do both, but doing both and excelling…

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Songwriting Is A Marathon

By SongTown Co-Founder Marty Dodson When I started out in songwriting, I was surrounded by an insanely talented group of peers. And honestly, most of them were more skilled than I was. They could sing. They played guitar or piano like pros. They produced tracks in their home studios. They wrote incredible melodies and killer…

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From Frustrated to Fired Up: The Mental Shift That Changed My Writing Forever

By Marty Dodson – SongTown Co-Founder There was a time in my songwriting journey where I hit a wall. I was showing up. I was writing. I was pitching. But nothing was happening. No one was cutting my songs. The feedback I was getting felt vague at best. And worst of all, I started losing…

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Songwriters: How To Manage Your Time Effectively

by Clay Mills, SongTown Co-founder If you’ve ever felt like you’re working hard on your songwriting career but not getting the results you want, you’re not alone. Most of us go through seasons where we feel stuck or spread thin — writing every day, playing writers rounds, networking constantly… and still wondering why things aren’t…

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