Poetic, emotional and melody-driven — I specialise in writing memorable hooks and evocative lyrics for classic-sounding pop-rock, indie-folk, singer-songwriter and folk-rock songs. Whether you need a topline, full lyrics or a fresh co-write, I’m here to help you craft something that resonates and connects.
Hi! I'm a professional songwriter, lyricist, musician, and producer based in Dublin. My music has been playlisted on Spotify and national radio in Ireland and the UK, and featured in multiple film and TV soundtracks.
I specialise in writing radio-friendly melodies and top-line hooks - paired with emotionally resonant, poetic lyrics. My style leans toward 'classic-sounding' pop-rock, indie-folk, and singer-songwriter—think Fleetwood Mac, R.E.M., Tom Petty, Bon Iver, Crowded House, boygenius, The xx, Belle and Sebastian, The Flaming Lips, Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen. For a better sense of my writing, please check out my Spotify playlist—or message me for other samples and different styles not on Spotify.
I find collaborating on songwriting very rewarding and a lot of fun! It's great to be able help an artist express what they want to say and how they want listeners to feel — and to help shape that into memorable songs that we can stand over. With over 15 years of experience, we can work quickly if required without compromising quality, and I have a bank of 100s of hooks, topline ideas, and lyrical sparks ready to call upon if need be. I live for this stuff(!) and I am confident we can create songs that will stand out from the crowd - and stand the test of time.
Would love to hear about your project—click the contact button to chat more!
Contact me through the green button above and let's get to work.
Credits
Interview with Crayon Rob
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I am confident we can create a memorable song together
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: There's no better feeling than when inspiration strikes and you hit upon a good song
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: I have several little questionnaires I like to chat through depending on the brief
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Listen to their previous work and good, clear communication is important. Making art should also be fun!
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: I'm guessing most desert islands don't have electricity? So my old hofner acoustic would probably suffice. Maybe learn the sax too given I'd have a lot of time on my hands and there'd be no one around to deafen.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Probably easier to just check out my previous work as opposed to talk about them. I have a lot of other songs and styles not up on Spotify so please feel free to get in touch and I can send on.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Prince - it would be funky
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: (For most genres) best to build the song around a good hook - if you don't have one, better go back to the drawing board
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Indie-pop-folk-rock-singer-songwriter
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: I won't sleep easy till it's right.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Lyrical depth and emotional resonance - all wrapped in a memorable melody.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: It really depends on the brief. If it's a co-write, I like to get to know the artist (e.g. over Zoom) and get a real feel for what they are looking for - i have a little list of questions I usually ask. If there's a track already in place it's a lot of trial and error looking for catchy hooks (usually the chorus) and then build the song from the lyrical hook. If it's a full song (or something for one of my projects) I'm often messing around on guitar and DAWs creating musical ideas and tracks to build songs from. Lyrics usually come last and can take some time to get right - I like to make sure there is a narrative and flow - and that the song takes you on a journey.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I have a home studio in Dublin (Ireland). Microphones incl. Neumann TLM 102, Shure SM7B Audio Interface: Universal Audio Apollo Twin DAW: Logic Pro X, Garageband, Abeleton Live MIDI Controller: Arturia KeyLab or Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol Instruments: High-quality acoustic and electric guitars, bass, MIDI keyboard, Nord Keyboard, percussion etc
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: We would be here all day!
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Mostly writing or co-writing. I can help with all aspects of song-writing: writing or co-writing lyrics and/or melodies over existing tracks or building songs up from scratch.
- Songwriter - LyricAverage price - $200 per song
- Songwriter - MusicAverage price - $150 per song
- Top line writer (vocal melody)Average price - $200 per song
One revision per order. Publishing rights split 50/50 on all projects unless otherwise agreed.
- Tom Petty
- boygenius
- Fleetwood Mac
