The Future of Songwriting (FUTURES)

Books of the Year 2024 - Number 16. Discover the full list on our blog.

Throwing Muses frontwoman and critically acclaimed solo artist Kristin Hersh meditates on the future of her craft in this wry, existential, and passionate addition to Melville House UK’s new FUTURES series.

Over a long, hot Christmas in Australia, Kristin Hersh considers her future as a songwriter. Is it possible to create music and not show off about it? How can artists establish and refine a following without becoming part of the commercial problem? And just how many times is it healthy to watch It’s a Wonderful Life in three weeks?

In The Future of Songwriting, Hersh chooses to interrogate these questions through dialogue. From in-depth conversations with a comedian friend about the similarities between songs and jokes, via a fruitful visit to Sydney’s ‘bone museums’, to a revelation from a herbal healer in New Orleans, she delivers a fierce, funny, and existential meditation on the art of the song – and its future.