My songwriting journey: Letting the songs lead the way...

A lot of folks, especially writers and fans, keep asking me about my process—how I decide where my music’s headed next. To be honest, I don’t overthink it. For me, songwriting’s a natural flow, not some mapped-out plan. Each album, from *HIWATT* to *Outside Within*, is shaped by the songs I’m writing at that moment. They’re the ones calling the shots, like a king or a boss running the show. When I sit down to create, the song tells me what it needs—its vibe, its heart, its pulse. I hear it all in my head, fully formed, before I even strum a chord in front of the band. The arrangements, harmonies, guitar riffs, even the spaces where silence speaks louder than notes—it’s all there, clear as day.

I usually record rough demos at home to capture that vision, tweaking them until they feel right. By the time I share a track like *Courage Comes* with the Graham Brown Band, I know its soul. But here’s the thing: I don’t micromanage the players. I trust their instincts. Instead of telling them what to play, I focus on what *not* to play—keeping the song uncluttered, letting its story breathe. It’s about serving the song, not showing off. That’s how we keep that raw, Tom Petty-esque grit that folks say they hear in our music.

Between *HIWATT* and *Outside Within*, we cut four other albums, each a snapshot of where I was at the time. One was a solo acoustic record, just me and my guitar, stripping things down to the bone. The others? They had their own flavours, partly because we switched things up in the studio. Three of those records were mixed by a new engineer, which gave them a fresh sonic edge compared to our earlier work. New perspectives, new gear—it all shapes the final sound, but the songs themselves always set the course.

Looking back, I realize my job’s just to listen to what the songs are saying and get out of their way. Whether it’s the anthemic drive of *Courage Comes* or the quiet introspection of my solo stuff, I let the music lead. That’s what keeps it real for me, and I hope that’s what you hear when you spin our records or catch us live. Check out *Outside Within* at grahambrownsongs.com, and let me know what you think—I’d love to hear your take.

Keep rockin’,

Graham

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