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Singer-Songwriter

Writers, demos, and the working math of building a catalog that earns long after the streaming spike fades.

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The Quiet Discipline of Writing a Country Song That Lasts More Than a Season

An honest reckoning with craft, patience, and the publishing math that decides which catalogs survive a decade.

By Maren Holloway · 14 min

The Quiet Discipline of Writing a Country Song That Lasts More Than a Season

More in Singer-Songwriter

Craft · Catalog · The Writer's Room

The Honest Bridge: A Country Songwriting Workbook

Workbook

The Honest Bridge: A Country Songwriting Workbook

Four exercises for writing a bridge that earns its place.

By Maren Holloway · 7 min

Why the Second-Verse Hook Beats the Pre-Chorus Almost Every Time

Catalog

Why the Second-Verse Hook Beats the Pre-Chorus Almost Every Time

A structural argument for songs that hold up on radio.

By Joshua Mollohan · 9 min

Rules for Co-Writes That Don't Kill the Song

Co-write

Rules for Co-Writes That Don't Kill the Song

Working norms from writers who do it five times a week.

By From The Stem · 8 min

The Reading List

Recently filed

When a Voice Memo Is Already the Demo You Should Cut

Demo

When a Voice Memo Is Already the Demo You Should Cut

On knowing when not to produce a song any further.

By Joshua Mollohan · 6 min

The Writer Who Quit Nashville and Doubled Her Cuts

Profile

The Writer Who Quit Nashville and Doubled Her Cuts

An honest look at the road less obvious.

By Maren Holloway · 12 min

Adjacent reading

Cross-pollination from other desks

Singer-Songwriter writers tend to also read these other corners of From The Stem. We try to make the connections explicit.

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