Laura Veltz Talks the “Habit of Catching Ideas” on ‘Songwriter Soup’ Podcast

Slow and steady wins the race in the world of songwriting, according to hit songwriter Laura Veltz, financial advisor to songwriters and artists Tracy Hackney and radio producer Kevin Sokolnicki. As hosts of the podcast Songwriter Soup, presented by American Songwriter, Veltz, Hackney and Sokolnicki offer valuable tips to songwriters everywhere.

On the most recent episode, Veltz, who’s co-penned Maren Morris’ “The Bones,” Dan + Shay’s “Speechless” and Chris Young’s “Lonely Eyes,” asserts that it’s “pretty typical” for it to take roughly 10 years before scoring a hit song. “People that are in the Hall of Fame today, some of them, it took that long,” Veltz says of how it takes time to have a breakthrough.

She also offers words of encouragement to aspiring songwriters who have side hustles and jobs waiting tables, assuring them it’s part of the process. “If somewhere in the back of your mind you’re saying, ‘All of my heroes were in these same exact pairs of shoes,’ maybe that’ll lighten the pain and let you get out of the headspace that you have to move quick because that’s kind of the tendency,” she expresses.

Veltz explains that as a native New Yorker who moved to Nashville as a songwriter, she had to learn the Southern vernacular that now translates into the lyrics she writes. She says jobs like being a waiter or valet driver allow writers to learn about their audience, listening to what they say and how they speak. “It’s not just about your own life and the human condition, you’re also learning about your audience,” she explains, adding this was “crucial” for her as a songwriter.

Hackney recited a story he heard from fellow hit songwriter Luke Laird about how he co-wrote Eric Church’s hit, “Drink in My Hand,” which demonstrates the power of observation. “He was at a show, looked out, observed Eric’s audience,” Hackney recalls. “That night, they went back and wrote that song. The skill of observation to me is something I marvel at with songwriters.”

“And it’s not just one idea,” Veltz responds, predicting that Laird likely had several other ideas before he got to that No. 1 song. “It’s not just about catching that one idea, it’s about catching the habit of catching ideas.”

Songwriter Soup debuts every Monday.

Photo Credit: Darling Juliet / Big Machine Label Group