How to Write One Song

One of the century's most feted singer-songwriters, Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, digs deep into his own creative process to share his unique perspective about song-writing and offers a warm, accessible guide to writing your first song.

A ROUGH TRADE BOOK OF THE YEAR

There are few artistic acts more mysterious than writing a song. But what if a shift in perspective - and some practical guidance - could overcome that mystery? Anyone wanting to experience more creativity and mindfulness will be inspired to do just that after reading How to Write One Song.

Why one song? The difference between one song and many songs isn't a charming semantic trick - it's an important distinction that can simplify a notoriously confusing art form. The idea of becoming a capital-S Songwriter can seem daunting, but when approached as a focused, self-contained practice, the mystery and fear subsides and songwriting becomes an exciting pursuit.

How to Write One Song brings readers into this intimate process - lyrics, music and how they come together. It's equally about the importance of making creativity part of your everyday life and of experiencing the hope, inspiration and joy available to anyone who is willing to get started.

About the Author

As the founding member and leader of the Grammy Award-winning American rock band Wilco, and before that the co-founder of the alt-country band Uncle Tupelo, Jeff Tweedy is one of contemporary music's most accomplished songwriters, musicians and performers. Jeff has released two solo albums, written original songs for eleven Wilco albums and is the author of the New York Times bestseller Let's Go (So We Can Get Back): A Memoir of Recording and Discording with Wilco, Etc. He lives in Chicago with his family.