Robert Plant Reveals His Struggles With Songwriting: “This Is a Very Difficult Time”

Considered one of the 100 best singers of all time by Rolling Stone, Robert Plant is most notably known for the iconic band Led Zeppelin. Part of the group since its inception in 1968, Plant stayed with the band until its breakup in 1980. Although no longer part of the group, he continued to share his music with fans and even received a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame thanks to his time with Led Zeppelin. Having released 11 studio albums throughout his career, the singer recently discussed the songwriting process and how he can’t find the words.

Speaking about his career in the music industry with Rolling Stone, Plant revealed his struggles when it came to writing songs and no longer needing a studio to record. He said, “I’ve got a Tascam digital recorder, and I sing, and I put the vocals through a guitar pedal, and then I record them… and it sounds great.” While happy with his recording setup, he added, “I can’t find words. This is a very difficult time to try and wax lyrical out there.”

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While songwriting seemed to hinder Plant, he continued to trudge forward, explaining the importance of the process. “The camaraderie, the things that you share up there, and the frailties that you know you’re carrying with you quietly, the exposure of yourself to yourself, is something that I would hate to say goodbye to. I can’t just sit back.”

Robert Plant Takes A Trip Down Memory Lane

Wanting to find his writing groove once again, Plant admitted to taking a trip into the past. “Today, I was pulling all my lyric books out and going, ‘Gotta get the groove back. I’ve got something to say.’ So yeah, I’m going to keep going — as long as they’ve got effects machines that make me sound good! Well, it worked for Elvis! Listen to the compression on his voice on some of those big ballads in ’57.”

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Given Plant’s success in the music industry, he noted his surprise to find pieces of work he never shared. “I’ve also been going through all that stuff that I never released and never quite got finished. And getting excited about it. Going, ‘Wow. What am I going to do with that?’ It’s the idioms, the visitation; the places that I’ve been musically which were not complete are just mind-boggling, and they’re a little bit overwhelming.”

While Plant continues to write and produce music, he also prepares to hit the road again with a summer tour featuring singer and fiddler Alison Krauss.  

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