Performing Songwriter was born 13 years ago in a little second story bedroom of a Nashville townhome.
In 1993, Lydia Hutchinson founded PerformingSongwriter out of sheer love of music.
 It all started in the guest bedroom of a little townhome in Nashville. There was no business plan, no financial backing and no staff. Just an old beige Mac, a older beige scanner, and a belief that starting a magazine about something you love is totally possible.
It’s hard not to develop a reverence for the art and craft of songwriting when you live in Music City, USA. But in ’93 there was no way to find out about the inspiration behind a song that your favorite artist sang, or the bits of trivia that all music lovers long for. Radio was just beginning its decline into corporate ownership, so we were missing out on great songs that were being written. And there wasn’t a single place to go that felt like a community where creative people could support each other and find inspiration.
Performing Songwriter was just a humble and heartfelt attempt at creating a place for songwriters to come together in a safe community where they’re understood and supported and heard by those who love music.
Soon the magazine had a loyal following who felt pride and a sense of ownership in it, and we were getting our little subscription checks from the likes of Lyle Lovett, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Joan Baez, Shawn Colvin, Carole King, Paul Simon, Bonnie Raitt … Performing Songwriter became the place where artists could keep in touch with their friends and peers, and reach out to their fans on a community level.
Thirteen years later Performing Songwriter has grown into what it is today: a completely independent, smart, beautifully designed and widely distributed publication that informs and connects music makers with music lovers. Fully staffed by a group of committed, hard-working and enthusiastic people, it provides the place for everyone to feel a part of the community of passionate, opinionated and creative people who know the importance of music in all of our lives. And it just keeps getting better ….
For people who make music. For people who love music.
Each issue contains exclusive content that helps the music makers create and perform, and the music lovers find out about the music, processes and artists that they are so passionate about. Presented in gorgeous design filled with intricate details, Performing Songwriter is divided into six sections:
Interviews:
In-depth exclusive interviews with musicians and songwriters of every musical genre, as well as entertaining and informative discussions with some of the greatest producers in history are what make Performing Songwriter such a reader favorite. There is inspiration and entertainment in every story the artists share, and in the end everyone walks away with more creative inspiration.
Special Features:
Each issue has a special feature that appeals to the heart of the music lover in all of us, like "Notorious Rock Managers," "The History of Payola," and "Rock’s Greatest Urban Legends." We also have annual features like "Festival Roundup," "Best Studios for Under $100 an Hour," "Indie Label Roundtable," "Salute to Independents" and more. And in every issue is Destination, Anywhere, an insider's guide to hometown music scenes of cities like Austin, Memphis, Seattle and Chicago.
Community Musings:
Filled with rich content, this section has essays by guest artists such as Rosanne Cash, Carly Simon, Livingston Taylor and Glen Phillips in our "Performer to Performer" column; a spotlight interview on a hit songwriter in "Writer’s Hit Parade"; a feature on a Legend of Songwriting; the background of a hit in "Behind the Songs"; special coverage of industry events; and a Parting Shot and background story from the archives of our senior photographer, Henry Diltz.
Tools of the Trade:
Practical, hands-on discussions of gear and equipment that help a songwriter create, record, perform and get their music into the hands of listeners. Products are reviewed in our own Performing Songwriter Test Lab during studio sessions, live performances and co-writing sessions. It’s an exclusive and one-of-a-kind approach to applied technology where the art and craft of songwriting is concerned.
Listenings:
Reviews of new CD releases, interviews with up-and-coming artists, a salute to someone living their life through music, Top 12 DIY picks which give voice to a dozen artists who are doing it on their own, and our music editor’s list of music to listen for.
PS All Access:
A free-for-all insider’s guide for music lovers that includes reviews of books, DVDs, movies, concerts and box sets; Be Heard Radio Charts; upcoming releases; event coverage; our music editor’s travels and new discoveries; announcements, news and more.
One of our most basic human needs is simply to Be Heard.
Performing Songwriter has seen a lot of changes in the past 13 years in the way music is made and the way it is heard. And we know that the biggest fear a songwriter has isn’t that they’ll never write a great song, but that they’ll write the greatest song in the world … and no one will hear it. Performing Songwriter is here to provide a place for both the music makers and the music lovers to be heard.
• We helped usher in the DIY movement, being the first magazine to recognize and support independent musicians and their work.
• We were there as recording products began to be developed for individual use and home studios started to become a reality.
• We watched as the nine major labels consolidated down to three, leaving more and more artists without the support they needed to have their music heard. Performing Songwriter gave those displaced artists a voice.
• We saw FCC ownership rules change and radio stations being swallowed by a few major corporations that controlled the airwaves through the unethical practice of payola. Performing Songwriter gave voice to the independent stations that still believed in the power of music.
• We have witnessed the growing frustration of true music lovers as they try and find the great songs that move them as their listening outlets grow fewer and fewer. Performing Songwriter gave voice to the fans.
• We saw the inception of the Internet from a far-off idea to the phenomenon of music downloading to the lifeblood that it is today. Performing Songwriter gave voice to the possibilities it held for music to be heard.
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