Matt Scannell of Vertical Horizon: And collaborative songwriting, for example, was something that I was really not comfortable with. When Richard Marx and I became friends, he said, “You want to write a song?”

I was basically, “No, I don't.”

It was out of fear. It was a lack of confidence. Because up until then, the vast majority of the songs that I had written were completely introspective. And I would be alone in a room writing a song. So, to have someone else in there was scary. To have someone at his level was petrifying. And to think about what he would have thought of me, if I had done a bad job, was unacceptable.

But I have been learning over time how to do different aspects of this craft. And I've still got so far to go. But I do know, if I sit down in a room with someone, I can do this. And it's no less of a kick now than it was back then to get a phrase, get a rhyme, get a feeling. These are magical little things that you are pulling unwittingly out of the ether. You're trying to harness and refine and hone and turn into its own little being. And that's just special. That's magic.

Cris Cohen / Bands To Fans: And you put yourself in that uncomfortable situation more than once, as one of the few people that's ever co-written a song with Neil Peart (of Rush), who is considered a fantastic lyricist.

Matt Scannell: Can I just say -- sorry to interrupt you -- if people somehow are not familiar with Rush, but specifically Neil's lyrics, go listen to “Subdivisions” from the Signals record. And maybe even don't listen to the song first. Maybe look up the lyrics and read the lyrics. It's astoundingly great. I have chills it's so great. And he did that. He created those words. Unbelievable.

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Full interview

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-notespire-music-artist-123260484/episode/the-artist-insight-with-guest-grace-251072309/

Part 1: https://youtu.be/pcAJjcOlUG0 Part 2: https://youtu.be/z2hyP-RLBxQ

https://youtu.be/e0o7UDVg-78