Suzanne Vega illustrates her approach to songwriting by talking about the processes behind songs like ‘Marlene On The Wall’, ‘Tom’s Diner’, ‘Luka’, ‘Men In A War’, ‘Book of Dreams’ and ‘In Liverpool’. Suzanne also discusses her early history as a dancer and musician, attending the Greenwich Village Songwriter’s Exchange, the thinking behind the recent Close-Up series of releases, and her plans for a new album of original material.
Download this episode Subscribe in iTunes Listen to Spotify playlist© 2013 Sodajerker. Some rights reserved.
In addition to recent mentions in fictional works like Nicholson Baker’s Traveling Sprinkler, and non-fiction books like Rich Podolsky’s profile of Neil Sedaka’s rollercoaster career, Neil Sedaka: Rock N’ Roll Survivor – The Inside Story of his Incredible Comeback, we have more great news to share regarding authors who have used the Sodajerker podcast as a source for their writing.
Much to our delight, our interview with Deaf School’s Clive Langer and Steve Allen is referenced in Paul Du Noyer’s terrific new biography of the band, Deaf School: The Non-Stop Pop Art Punk Rock Party. The first full-length biography of the band, this book provides an in-depth look at one of Liverpool’s most interesting and influential, yet rarely appreciated, treasures. You can pick up a copy of the book at Amazon UK or directly from the band’s website.
Du Noyer, who was, in fact, the person who helped us to arrange our Deaf School interview in the first place (!), is a Liverpool-born journalist and author who you may recognise as the writer of Liverpool: Wondrous Place, probably the definitive account of the Liverpool music scene, which is also available on Amazon.
Read more
Singer-songwriter Rickie Lee Jones chats with Simon and Brian about the writing of songs like ‘Chuck E’s in Love’, ‘The Last Chance Texaco’, ‘Coolsville’, ‘Weasel and the White Boys Cool’, ‘Skeletons’ and ‘The Evening of My Best Day’. Rickie talks in detail about her approach to constructing lyrical flow, her recent covers album The Devil You Know, and her plans for a new album of original material.
Download this episode Subscribe in iTunes Listen to Spotify playlist© 2013 Sodajerker. Some rights reserved.
We were recently delighted to discover that our interview with Neil Sedaka is referenced several times during the body of Rich Podolsky’s excellent new book Neil Sedaka: Rock N’ Roll Survivor – The Inside Story of his Incredible Comeback.
With a foreword by Elton John, this book provides in-depth insight into the tumultuous trajectory of Sedaka’s stunning career as one of the greatest songwriters in popular music. You can pick up a copy of the book on Amazon USA or Amazon UK.
Fans of music biographies might recognise that Podolsky is also the author of the excellent Don Kirshner bio, The Man with the Golden Ear (which is also available on Amazon).
Special thanks to Rich for including us in his work!
There’s a nice little interview with us in the November issue of the SevenStreets Almanac. We’ve added a snap of it here for those of you living in distant lands. The article focuses on our songwriting podcast, Sodajerker On Songwriting, and asks about how we got started among other things. With episode 48 on the way next week, it seems like a timely feature, so check it out and also take a look at the SevenStreets website, which delves into all aspects of Liverpool culture, from art and music, to theatre, film and food.
UPDATE: The article has now been published in full on the SevenStreets website.
British folk singer Linda Thompson joins Simon and Brian to talk about the writing of her new solo album Won’t Be Long Now. Linda talks about songs like ‘Love’s for Babies and Fools’, ‘If I Were a Bluebird’ (written with Ron Sexsmith), ‘Paddy’s Lamentation’ and the maritime themes of songs like ‘Never Put to Sea Boys’ and ‘Never the Bride’. Linda describes what it’s like working with family members, especially her son Teddy Thompson, and the vocal condition that silenced her live performance career.
Download this episode Subscribe in iTunes Buy Linda’s albums© 2013 Sodajerker. Some rights reserved.
Singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith discusses his approach to the art and craft of songwriting by detailing the processes behind songs like ‘Secret Heart’, ‘Speaking With The Angel’, ‘Gold in Them Hills’, ‘Brandy Alexander’, ‘Believe it When I See It’ and ‘Life After A Broken Heart’. Ron talks in depth about his love for artists like Bill Withers, his collaborations with people like Mitchell Froom, Bob Rock and Don Black, and his ongoing pursuit of ‘hit’ records.
Download this episode Subscribe in iTunes Listen to Spotify playlist© 2013 Sodajerker. Some rights reserved.
One of our Twitter followers, John Dunbar, tweeted us recently to let us know that the Sodajerker podcast is mentioned throughout Traveling Sprinkler, the new book from award-winning author Nicholson Baker. It was a thrill for us to discover that the show has become part of Baker’s work in this way.
In the book, Paul Chowder, the poet protagonist of Nicholson Baker’s widely acclaimed novel The Anthologist, turns away from poetry with one goal in mind: to learn songwriting. Written in Baker’s beautifully unconventional prose, Traveling Sprinkler is an enchanting and hilarious novel by one of the most beloved and influential writers today.
You can pick up a copy of the book on Amazon USA or Amazon UK.
Sodajerker On Songwriting made the list of Rahul Verma’s podcast picks in a recent issue of Metro. Thanks for the mention guys! If you haven’t heard the show, you can check out all episodes in full on our podcast page, or subscribe in iTunes.
Singer-songwriter Chip Taylor picks up his guitar to talk Simon and Brian through the writing of songs like ‘Wild Thing’ (The Troggs/Jimi Hendrix), ‘Angel of the Morning’ (Merrilee Rush/Dusty Springfield/Chrissie Hynde) and selections from his recent solo albums such as ‘F**k All The Perfect People’, ‘Dance With a Hole in Your Shoe’ and ‘Phoned in Dead’. Chip also talks in detail about the Brill Building days and his alternate career as a professional gambler.
Download this episode Subscribe in iTunes Listen to Spotify playlist© 2013 Sodajerker. Some rights reserved.
Neil Finn of Split Enz, Crowded House, Finn Brothers and Pajama Club chats with Simon and Brian about his songwriting process and the writing of songs like ‘Fall At Your Feet’, ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’, ‘Weather With You’, ‘Four Seasons In One Day’, ‘Not The Girl You Think You Are’ and ‘Edible Flowers’. Neil also talks about his work on The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and details the production of his forthcoming solo record.
Download this episode Subscribe in iTunes Listen to Spotify playlist© 2013 Sodajerker. Some rights reserved.
Singer-songwriter Rumer talks with Sodajerker about her approach to writing songs like ‘Slow’, ‘Aretha’, ‘Come To Me High’, ‘Blackbird’ and others from her debut album Seasons Of My Soul. Rumer also talks in detail about how events in her life have influenced her creative work, paying respect to great songwriters on her second album, Boys Don’t Cry, and her plans for the future.
Download this episode Subscribe in iTunes Download Rumer’s albums© 2013 Sodajerker. Some rights reserved.
To support the podcast and help us keep it free from adverts, click the button below:
Episode 291 – Jim JamesJuly 1, 2025
Episode 290 – Pete DohertyJune 4, 2025
Episode 289 – Scissor SistersMay 13, 2025
RSS (ALL POSTS) 
