Songwriting Magazine Issue 42

Songwriting Magazine Spring 2026

Meghan Trainor, Amy Grant, Bastian Langebæk, John Newman, Rumer, Eddie Schwartz, ELIZA, Matt Hansen, Jesca Hoop, Trousdale, LuxJury, Eaves Wilder…

We’re back with our first issue of the year and can’t wait to tell you all about what you’ll discover inside, so here goes…

Ever since she burst onto the scene with All About That Bass, Meghan Trainor has had a knack for writing pop classics. Combining her doo-wop influences with catchy melodies and quirky lyrics, her songs have more hooks than your local DIY store. Now returning with her new album, Toy With Me, we pick the brains of a songwriter and artist who certainly knows how to make you listen.

Our next feature interview is with Amy Grant, the crossover star who broke out of the Christian music world to top the charts with Baby Baby and has gone on to sell millions of records. Grant discusses the unusual and inspiring journey that has led to The Me That Remains, her first album of new material in over a decade.

Finally, we chat with songwriter Bastian Langebæk. His name may not be familiar to all of you, but you’ll definitely recognise many of the songs this great Dane has written for/with the likes of Jack Garratt, Zara Larsson, Rita Ora, Jess Glynne, and Nilufer Yanya. A longtime collaborator with Olivia Dean, he’s one of the key architects behind her smash album The Art Of Loving.

Fans of our iconic How I/We Wrote series can revel in the stories behind another trio of classics. Eddie Schwartz tells the story of writing Pat Benatar’s empowering anthem Hit Me With Your Best Shot, a song born from a pillow-thumping therapy session. Rumer reveals how Slow was spawned during the writing of her debut album, Seasons Of My Soul, and John Newman reflects on the perfect partnership with Steve Booker that inspired the creation of the billion-streamer Love Me Again.

As always, we have techniques and tips designed to help you up your own songwriting game. Virginia MacNaughton wants you to keep things real in the age of algorithm chasing, Kevin Duffy explains the importance of mastering, and Adam Donen keeps things first-personal. If you’ve ever wanted to write in different cities, Jasmine Power’s reflections will strike a chord, and the main man, James Linderman, is on hand to up your rhyming skills.

Dive deeper, and there’s a whole lot more. We discover the work done by The Recording Academy’s Songwriters & Composers Wing, channel the songwriting spirit of 1970s Paul McCartney, and get to grips with three tools for the guitar-playing artist. We also have Jesca Hoop deconstructing her song Playground, ELIZA’s key lessons learned, the essential kit used by Trousdale, and a song-by-song tour of Matt Hansen’s debut album. Still not satisfied? How about the burgeoning talents of Brother Wallace, LuxJury, and Eaves Wilder.

Throw in reviews, gear news, and more, and we’re confident that we’ll be keeping you all busy for the next few months – with just enough time left for your own songwriting, of course.

Find out how you can get this brand new edition of Songwriting Magazine, along with over 40 back issues, by subscribing at steadyhq.com/songwriting

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.