Songwriting Magazine | Summer 2025 | Issue 39

Bryan Adams, Amy Macdonald, Femi Kuti, Cast, Echobelly, OneRepublic, Lauren LaRue, Newton Faulkner, Turin Brakes, Phildel and more…

Whether you’re spending your holidays glamping at Glastonbury or gorging in Girona, our new issue is your ultimate companion – to be enjoyed by the pool, in between festival sets, or while you’re waiting to finally reach the front of the barbecue queue. More stuffed than a summer salad, we’re here to keep you refreshed, edified, and entertained long after the sun’s gone in.

Ever since he got his first real six-string, Bryan Adams has been one of the planet’s biggest rock stars. Run To You, Summer of ‘69, (Everything I Do) I Do It For You, When You’re Gone… his songs remain just as beloved today as when they first topped the charts. Though we sat down with Bryan to talk about his new album, the Canadian legend was generous enough to walk us through a life spent making music.

Also returning with a new album – Is This What You’ve Been Waiting For – is Scottish singer-songwriter Amy Macdonald. In our interview, we hear all about how the record came together, and why everything must build towards an unforgettable chorus. We also discuss the huge benefits – and occasional drawbacks – of having a monster hit like This Is The Life in your back catalogue.

Our final feature interview is with Afrobeat icon Femi Kuti. Learning about Femi’s process is to meet a songwriter who catches melodies in his sleep, then patiently builds around them. Knowing that songs need time to breathe, some tracks on his new album, Journey Through Life, have been waiting years for the right moment. Inspired by our conversation, we also Discover Afrobeat this issue – tracing the rhythms and political charge that his father, Fela Kuti, fused so powerfully with his creative vision.

As always, we’ve got a trio of How I/We Wrote features. Glenn Johansson and Sonya Madan of Echobelly take us back to Britpop’s mid-’90s heyday to share the story of King Of The Kerb, inspired by the Soho street life playing out below Madan’s window. Ryan Tedder tells all about the carefree OneRepublic smash I Ain’t Worried, written for Top Gun: Maverick after just one Zoom call with Tom Cruise and Jerry Bruckheimer. And songwriter Lauren LaRue walks us through the creation of Arizona Zervas’ billion-streaming hit ROXANNE – read on to finally find out what a “poodle with no top” really is.

In Technique land, we’re honoured to have both Newton Faulkner and Turin Brakes sharing their wisdom. Faulkner extols the joys of alternate guitar tunings, while Turin Brakes unpack the creative and practical ideas behind their signature sound. Elsewhere, PHILDEL offers insights into crafting music for ad campaigns, and, as always, James Linderman is on hand at the Songwriting Help Desk.

Think that’s it? Not even close. Inside, you’ll also find: Gwenno delving into the meaning and making of her bold new track Dancing on Volcanoes; John Power revisiting every track on Cast’s landmark debut All Change; BC Camplight reflecting candidly on the hard-won lessons behind his latest work; and The Amazons’ Matt Thomson revealing the surprising essentials in his personal Songwriting Survival Kit.

Not to mention news, reviews, and a whole lot more. The summer might well be over by the time you’re done with this issue!