News

Following the broadcast of our BBC World Service documentary The Secrets of Songwriting (available on BBC iPlayer for the next 30 days), BBC News have produced a feature recounting some of the stories told on the podcast.

In the article, Motown legend Lamont Dozier talks about writing ‘Stop! In the Name of Love’ with the Holland brothers, Allee Willis describes the writing of ‘Boogie Wonderland’ for Earth, Wind & Fire, and Kenny Loggins talks about penning the Doobie Brothers hit ‘What a Fool Believes’ with Michael McDonald.

You can read the article on the BBC website, and listen to The Secrets of Songwriting on BBC iPlayer.

Simon Barber and Brian O’Connor of the Liverpool-based songwriting team Sodajerker are set to present a new one-hour BBC World Service radio documentary called The Secrets of Songwriting.

The programme, which derives from the duo’s hugely popular podcast, Sodajerker On Songwriting, features some of the world’s most renowned songwriters talking about their working processes and sharing the stories behind their biggest hits.

We’re on a bit of a roll at the moment with prestigious publications and media outlets picking up on the Sodajerker podcast and including it in their lists of recommended shows. NME is the latest to show us some love, selecting Sodajerker On Songwriting as one of 13 essential podcasts alongside monster successes like Serial and This American Life.

We were very happy to discover that Entertainment Weekly has named Sodajerker On Songwriting as one of 12 must-listen music podcasts! Being in the company of podcasts from NPR and Radiotopia is also very gratifying, so thanks to the authors for checking out the show and including us in the list.

We were delighted to discover that we have been included in a list of 16 must-listen British podcasts curated by Mashable. For our very independent and home-spun show to appear alongside the likes of Adam Buxton, Scroobius Pip and Private Eye is quite the honour. Thanks Mashable for the shout out!

Do be sure to check out the article and share it if you can.

Cheers for your ongoing support!

You may have read our interviews over at Songwriting, where highlights from our podcasts are regularly published. Well, they recently produced a feature on us for the Winter 2015 issue of their digital magazine!

In the interview, we talk about how we started the podcast, how we choose guests for the show, and our plans for the future. We also talk about the technical side of producing the episodes, which we haven’t really delved into before.

Phil was a fascinating character and we enjoyed every moment of our conversation with him on the podcast. From meeting Elvis to writing worldwide anthems like ‘Eve of Destruction’, he did it all and saw it all. He was a wonderful songwriter and the music world is poorer for his passing. RIP.  — Simon and Brian, Sodajerker

What follows is the official press release issued by Serendipity Media.

It is with deepest sadness that we are announcing that P.F. Sloan (Phil) passed away on the evening of November 15, 2015, at his home in Los Angeles. Phil had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer several weeks before and was fighting it valiantly. The world has lost one of its great talents.

“I write every day…I collect a lot of scraps everywhere I go. Little pieces here, and little wishbones and feathers there, and then I get home and try and make a chicken.”

 That’s the metaphor Allen Toussaint used to describe the craft of songwriting to us back when we interviewed him in June 2013. We’ve spoken to many writers over the last four years, and we’re hard-pressed to think of a more charming iteration of the process than that one. But, of course, Toussaint was the epitome of charm. It was present in abundance in every song he wrote, every piano lick he played, and every exquisitely tailored suit he wore.

Sodajerker were recently interviewed for Getointothis, Liverpool music’s best-read webzine.

The interview covers a range of topics including how Simon and Brian met, how they started the podcast, favourite moments with their guests, and more.

You can read the full interview on their website.

Through his work with Holland-Dozier-Holland and beyond, Lamont Dozier is responsible for co-writing and producing 54 #1 hits for acts like The Supremes, Four Tops, Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson. He has been widely acknowledged as one of the primary architects of the Motown sound.

As luck would have it, Lamont was in Liverpool for an event at the Liverpool International Music Festival, and we were able to enjoy an hour in his company talking about his songwriting process. You’ll be able to hear our conversation on the next episode of our podcast, Sodajerker On Songwriting.

The Guardian Guide for Saturday May 23rd 2015 recommended Sodajerker On Songwriting in their ‘Catch Up and Download’ planner.

Sodajerker On Songwriting has been included in Slate’s list of the best music podcasts of 2014. It’s certainly humbling to make the top ten alongside such luminaries as The New York Times, the BBC, WNYC and WTF with Marc Maron.

Thanks to Slate for the kind mention, and if you’ve still yet to listen to the show, perhaps this will provide the impetus you need to check it out!