Stephen Dobson
For Stephen, songwriting is both craft and catharsis — a process of shaping loose ideas and vulnerable emotions into songs rooted in lyrical honesty and emotional clarity.
MEET THE SONGWRITER - 5 QUICK QUESTIONS:
Why do you write songs? (When/why did you start writing and what keeps you going?)
A: I’m drawn to the challenge of trying to say something truthful with as few words as possible and chasing the excitement of those rare moments when a lyric or melody suddenly says exactly what I couldn’t say any other way.
How would you describe the emotional world or themes your songs tend to explore?
A: My songs tend to explore melancholy, vulnerability, depression, social anxiety, memory, hope and emotional honesty. I’m interested in the tension between sadness and beauty.
Which artists or songwriters have had the biggest influence on your musical journey?
A: Sam Beam (Iron and Wine), Bill Callahan, Gang Of Youths, Hiss Golden Messenger, Michael Stipe, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Eels, Vampire Weekend, Tim Freedman, Tom Waits, Nina Simone, Gareth Liddiard, Joe Pugg, Conor Oberst, The Beatles.
Describe your songwriting process. How does a song usually begin for you?
A: Usually with a couple of chords, a rolling repeating progression and a kind of stream-of-consciousness rambling singing of half sentences and melodic placeholder vowels until something reveals itself and starts to make more sense. I rarely force songs into a fixed structure early — I prefer to let each song gradually discover its own shape and identity.
If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take two albums with you, what would they be?
A: Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks and the soundtrack to the Australian surf film Morning Of The Earth.
Where can you here Stephen’s songs?
MUSIC SOCIALS & OTHER LINKS:
FACEBOOK - Ramblerman
FACEBOOK - Garden Studio Songwriting
HOMEPAGE - www.sdsongwriting.com
