Poet Brian Laidlaw has been teaching songwriting at McNally Smith College of Music, where he challenges students with assignments like writing from the perspective of a murderer. In this episode of Composer Quest, Brian shares some of the best lyric-writing tips you’ll ever hear on the podcast. We also talk about his Internet Cat Video Festival performance, which aired on Animal Planet. As a special treat, Brian premieres a powerful new song called “One Tree Falling.”
[audio:https://charliemccarron.com/mediaftp/composerquest/composer-quest-057-brian-laidlaw.mp3]Right click to download Ep. 57, or open in iTunes.
Visit BrianLaidlaw.com for more of Brian’s music and poetry. If you’re in Minnesota, check out his Echolalia EP release show on Friday.
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Episode Soundtrack
- 0:00 – Original Composer Quest intro by Brian Laidlaw
- 0:26 – “Clothesline” – Brian Laidlaw (Echolalia EP, 2013)
- 1:30 – “Waltz From Rawlins” – Brian Laidlaw (Wolf Wolf Wolf, 2011)
- 4:53 – “The Great James Dean” – Brian Laidlaw (Echolalia EP, 2013)
- 8:21 – “Feline Kind” – Brian Laidlaw and the Family Trade (2013)
- 12:07 – “One Tree Falling” – Brian Laidlaw (unreleased)
- 26:30 – “Flint” – Brian Laidlaw (Wolf Wolf Wolf, 2011)
- 28:01 – “Call Your Old Friends” – Brian Laidlaw and the Family Trade
- 30:04 – “Shank Step Blues” – Foxy Morons (2013)
