Caving In…

It was Christmas Day and my step-mum had just given me a present – a DVD of the Nick Cave documentary 20,000 Days on Earth. As I studied the cover she told me: “They were talking about him on Radio 4. They’ve reassessed his life and career…you like him don’t you?” “Yes, I’ve heard aboutContinue reading “Caving In…”

Do You Listen to Song Lyrics?

Recently I was reading a blog post about the debut album by one of my favourite bands, Dire Straits. As well as celebrating the spell-binding guitar and characteristic vocal style of Mark Knopfler, Another Grumpy Commuter paid attention to the excellent lyrics on the album. “Down to the Waterline” is a tale of teenage liasonsContinue reading “Do You Listen to Song Lyrics?”

Where Do Songs Come From? (a writer’s guide)

Can I start by saying that this is not an attempt at a “how-to” article for budding songwriters. For one thing, I dislike tuition in popular music, but also in an important sense, I don’t really know how I write songs anyway. For me, there is a fundamental mystery at the heart of the creativeContinue reading “Where Do Songs Come From? (a writer’s guide)”

Nerve Magazine – Interview with local singer, songwriter and writer Tom George

Nerve Magazine – Interview with local singer, songwriter and writer Tom George.