Podcast of the Week: Sodajerker

Sodajerker on Songwriting features interviews with some of the world’s most successful songwriters.

We’re big fans of podcasts here at We Are Cult, and we’re always looking for more shows to subscribe to. So if you’re looking for ear candy, we’re here to help!

This week: Simon Barber and Brian O’Connor tell us all about the Sodajerker On Songwriting podcast, featuring interviews with some of the world’s most successful songwriters, from Suzanne Vega to Scroobius Pip!

What’s your podcast about?

The art and craft of songwriting. Each episode features a chat with an accomplished songwriter, laying bare the nuts and bolts of their process with reference to specific songs from their often long and glittering careers.

If you had to describe your show in 10 words or less, what would you say?

Conversations about songwriting with world-class practitioners.

Which episode would you recommend for a first-time listener? Do you have a favourite episode?

Can we recommend two? Dan Wilson (episode 65) and Beth Nielsen Chapman (episode 87) are not only two incredibly talented songwriters but are also extremely thoughtful and articulate about the craft. Some writers struggle a little to ‘get inside’ their process, but Dan and Beth are completely in tune with their creativity and keen to share their wisdom.

As for our favourite episode, there are several but the Paddy McAloon interview was pretty special, as was our recent chat with Jason Isbell for our 100th episode.

What inspired you to create this podcast?

Back in 2011, we were writing songs and looking for ways to draw attention to our own work. We figured some kind of podcast would be one way to do so. As fans of other interview-based podcasts we settled on kind of a WTF/Nerdist-inspired format, but laser-focussed on songwriters. Fortunately, it turned out nobody else was already doing it at that time!

Which guests have you had on your podcast so far?

Past guests include Paul Simon, Alicia Keys, Lamont Dozier, Robbie Robertson, Suzanne Vega, Rufus Wainwright, Paddy McAloon, Rickie Lee Jones, Scroobius Pip, Joan Armatrading, Johnny Marr… and many more!

Who would be your dream guest?

Paul McCartney. Bagging ourselves a Beatle would be our crowning achievement, without a doubt.

Which equipment do you use for your podcast set-up?

In the studio, we like the Shure SM7B via an Apogee Duet. For in-person interviews, we tend to hit the road with a handful of Shure SM58s which we connect to a Zoom H6.

What would you say is the best length of time for a podcast episode?

We’d say the optimum is a solid 45-50 minutes. As avid podcast listeners ourselves we find our attention tends to wander beyond the hour mark. That said, if the guest has a lot of interesting stuff to say, an episode should really run as long as is necessary. Similarly, you can pack a lot of information into a 25-30 minute episode. The lack of time restrictions is really one of the great advantages of the podcast medium. Some people swear by the 15 minute bite-sized episode, but we can’t capture our usual level of detail in that short a time, so we tend to favour long-form content.

Which podcasts (other than yours) would you recommend we listen to?

Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast, The Adam Buxton Podcast, Here’s The Thing, Distraction Pieces, Twenty Thousand Hertz, The Moment with Brian Koppelman, The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith, The Comedian’s Comedian, and (a recent discovery) Screw It, We’re Just Gonna Talk About The Beatles.

Where is your podcast available to listen to?

www.sodajerker.com/podcast and all the usual places – iTunes, Acast, Stitcher etc.

What is the future of podcasting as a creative medium?

Well, it has come on in leaps and bounds since we started the Sodajerker podcast nearly six years ago. It’s a much more densely populated world than it was then, and that growth shows no signs of abating. But that just means new (and even established) podcasters need to work harder to ensure their shows stand out. That can only be a good thing. There are few more songwriting-based shows around now too, and while we’re not exactly looking over our shoulder, we’re conscious of the competition, and definitely motivates us to keep going and getting better at what we do.

❉ Follow Sodajerker on Twitter: @sodajerker

❉ Download past episodes or subscribe to future episodes of Sodajerker On Songwriting by Sodajerker on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/sodajerker-on-songwriting/id479679002?mt=2


❉ Have you got a podcast? Email wearecultcontent@gmail.com if you would like it to be featured.

Become a patron at Patreon!