The Magic of Songwriting with Francesca de Valence

Award-nominated composer Andrew McCrorie-Shand joins Francesca de Valence to share a songwriting journey shaped by curiosity, cinematic vision, and emotional depth. From hit TV themes like Teletubbies to reflective solo work, Andy’s decades-spanning career reveals the power of imagination and storytelling in music.

About Andrew: Andy is a multi-instrumentalist, arranger, producer and composer. As a teen he was greatly influenced by ...

Darwin-based songwriter and music therapist Crystal Robins shares how her connection to place and her work in music therapy shaped her debut album Moonflower, and explains how a weekly songwriting prompt led her to the powerful, fully produced track “Where This Heart’s Been”. 

About Crystal: Crystal Robins is a songwriter living on Larrakia country (Darwin NT) in the tropical north of Australia. With stunning vocals and intricate gu...

Genre-fluid pop artist Jaime Jackett shares the creative journey behind her debut album Reinvention, and how a single songwriting prompt led to the playful, percussive track Lemonade. From beatboxing and found sounds to multiple live arrangements, Jaime reveals how reinvention is both her process and her power. 

About Jaime: Jaime Jackett is a powerful and evocative performer based in Broome, Western Australia. Jackett’s music delic...

Roots troubadour Pat Tierney joins Francesca to reflect on a decade of songwriting, the power of creative community, and the process behind his latest album Lost in the Haze. From songwriting as self-expression to turning a weekly challenge into a lead single, this episode explores the beauty of showing up and staying true to your voice.

About Pat: Pat Tierney is a lap slide guitarist and roots troubadour whose soulful fusion of blu...

Award-winning Brisbane synth-pop artist Mardi Lumsden has long been known for her ethereal songwriting and shimmering sonic landscapes. But her sophomore album Slow Emotion came to life in a way that was as delicate and intimate as its title suggests—written asynchronously and collaboratively with her husband and producer, Pennay, in the quiet hours while their baby slept.

This episode of The Magic of Songwriting podcast explores th...

Francesca introduces the podcast theme for Season 8: turning consistent creative practice into a powerful body of work. She shares how members of I Heart Songwriting Club—from remote communities to bustling cities—have written full albums inside the Club. Each episode this season includes a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process, sharing a song from demo to final production.

Find out more and contact us at I Heart Songwritin...

Collaboration in the musical realm often focuses on the process of writing a song together. But as Francesca de Valence and Emma Bosworth shared during the recent co-production of their songwriting retreat, collaboration can extend far beyond just crafting songs  - it can foster professional partnerships, exchange a diversity of skill sets, and create innovative growth opportunities for both people and their communities. 

Join our n...

We take you behind the scenes of our Songwriting Retreat to give you a glimpse of co-writing in real-time. Thank you to our songwriters Maddison Kate and Amanda Thomas for sharing a brand new created work on this podcast. We explore the chaos and order of nature, overcoming imposter syndrome, and how collaboration across generations can highlight our universal connection. 

Find out more about our Songwriting Retreat here.
Join I Hear...

We take you behind the scenes of our Songwriting Retreat to give you a glimpse of co-writing in real-time. Thank you to our songwriters Kate Battersby and Halimah Perez-Torres (Finlonsen) for sharing a brand new created work on this podcast. The conversation was a reminder of the magic that happens when songwriters come together, share their stories, and allow the creative process to unfold in unexpected ways. 

Find out more about o...

We take you behind the scenes of our Songwriting Retreat to give you a glimpse of co-writing in real-time. Thank you to our songwriters Cath Russell and Mona Verdour for sharing a brand new created work on this podcast. This episode is a reminder that songwriting is more than just creating melodies and lyrics. 

Find out more about our Songwriting Retreat here.
Join I Heart Songwriting Club’s Co-writing Course here.

Find out more and c...

We take you behind the scenes of our Songwriting Retreat to give you a glimpse of co-writing in real-time. Thank you to our songwriters, Shauna Tohill, Kerrie Gamley and Stella Di Santa for sharing a brand new created work on this podcast. We also discuss the value of revisiting and refining your creative ideas. 

Find out more about our Songwriting Retreat here.
Join I Heart Songwriting Club’s Co-writing Course here.

Find out more and...

In this episode, Francesca de Valence chats with legendary Australian artist Wendy Matthews at the Whitsundays Songwriter Festival 2024. Wendy shares insights into her songwriting journey, from her early days busking across Canada and the USA to creating multi-platinum albums. Known for her timeless hits including The Day You Went Away, Wendy discusses her approach to crafting songs that resonate deeply, her commitment to beauty in...

Johnny Manuel’s astronomical career has been shaped by his vocal talent. His appearances on shows like America’s Got Talent and The Voice have created a global audience that sees him as “just a vocalist,” not recognizing the depth of his creative vision. But what this global audience most likely doesn’t know is that Johnny started out as a songwriter. In this episode, we chatted with the US artist and songwriter at the 2024 Whitsun...

In the next few episodes we take you to the serene blue waters of Airlie Beach for the Whitsundays Songwriter Festival 2024. This year, Jude York joined the festival as one of the professional songwriters. Jude York is a fast-rising Australian star, whose self-produced pop delicacies have gone viral. Join us as we chat with Jude about co-writing, collaboration and more.

About Jude: Jude York is a fast-rising Australian star, whose s...

Welcome to Season 7 of the Magic of Songwriting Podcast. This season is all about collaboration and co-writing. Collaboration is an inherent part of being a musician, but is often a behind the scenes thing. To help shed light on this, I interview songwriters and artists of all experience levels about their co-writing - from multiple-ARIA winning artist, Wendy Matthews, to first-time co-writers. And I do all of this, from the most b...

For 10 years I Heart Songwriting Club has been helping songwriters around the world to write their best songs yet. With over 30,000 songs written by over 1500 songwriters from 30 countries around the world, it's no wonder entire albums have been written, ARIA awards have been nominated, film soundtracks have been created, and many careers have been launched from this simple writing club.

I Heart Songwriting Club is a place for all s...

Living in Nashville as a songwriter is like being in the heart of the music industry. Just ask Sally Barris, a Nashville-based performing songwriter whose tracks have been covered by Martina McBride, Lee Ann Womack, Trisha Yearwood, and Keith Urban, earning one of her songs a Grammy nomination in 2009. Sally’s journey and experiences offer a glimpse into the unique world of Nashville’s music scene, and her co-writing tips are gold ...

Jackie Marshall is an independent songwriter, performer, recording artist and has starred in and composed music for the independent feature film "Three Chords and the Truth". She is a shining light in the independent music and film scene. In this episode we follow Jackie’s unconventional journey to her golden opportunity and discuss how allowing the practice of songwriting lead her to unexpected places. 

Timestamp:
3:23 - Jackie's Ba...

In the music industry, everything you do with your songs revolves around copyright, and the effective exploitation of your copyright. One of the ways to exploit that copyright is to have your music synced to films and TV shows and ads. In this conversation with Music Supervisor, Tyler McLoughlan, we break down the key concepts of music copyright, sync, and how songwriters can make the most of this space.

Timestamp:

3:51 - Explaining ...