Cormac O Caoimh’s Songwriting Survival Kit

#songwritingsurvivalkit #CormacOCaoimh

To celebrate the launch of our #songwritingsurvivalkit, we’re proudly bringing you the things songwriter Cormac O Caoimh can’t do without

Sharing is caring, which is why we’ve been encouraging you all to share your #songwritingsurvivalkit with us on social media. Whether it’s the tatty notebook that’s attached to you or your trusty old guitar and amp, we want to see those pieces of kit that are essential to your songwriting life and will be re-posting all of the images that you hashtag.

Respected Irish singer-songwriter Cormac O Caoimh has gone one brilliant step further and sent us a full breakdown of his own #songwritingsurvivalkit. From his plectrums to his guitar books, these are the things that he can’t do without…

What can’t Cormac O Caoimh survive without?

1. Godin Grand Concert Duet Ambiance
“The most important tool. Playing live I use two Godins mostly. A rosewood synth nylon string and a Godin Montreal Premiere. But my guitar practice guitar and songwriting guitar is this one.”

2. Bluechip plectrum
“I would mostly write fingerpicking but always keep on of these picks handy. I find the sound of these more like the fingers than any other pick. They are more expensive than most picks too, but I think they are worth it. And having lost a million picks in my time, I have never lost this one. The more you spend on one the better you care for it, I suppose.”

3. Logjam Stomper
“Most of the songs I would write acoustically but if I am plugged in I would use a Logjam Stomper (and one of the Godin guitars mentioned above for live gigs) through a Schertler acoustic amp.”

4. Spare strings
“…just in case.”

5. Notebooks
“If ever I am about to start writing for a new album I always buy a nice notebook. And for the first few days I carefully and neatly, with a good fountain pen, write bits and pieces of lyrics and chord progressions. By the end of the week that goes out the window and it becomes full of messy illegible scribblings that are difficult to decipher.”

6. Guitar books and other books
“Songwriting, guitar practice and reading all go hand in hand for me. If I am not in a regular routine of guitar practice and reading, chances are I won’t be writing much either. The more time I spend practising guitar (and not writing songs at all) and reading in general, the quicker and easier it is for me to write a song sometime in the middle of doing other things. If I took a full day just to write a song (rather than 10 minutes here and there in between daily life) I probably wouldn’t be able to write anything.”

For more information on Cormac’s music head to his official website and remember to share your #songwritingsurvivalkit with us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

Read more Songwriting Survival Kits here > >

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