Songwriting is easy, except when it’s hard.
I’m just another songwriter.
Over the years I’ve toured with local bands, opened for headlining acts, co-written jingles and songs, appeared on others’ albums, worked as a studio musician, ghostwritten books and lyrics, had moderate success modeling and even had some promising brushes with fame. I say this not to brag, but to highlight that when all is said and done, I sit here today knowing that what I’m truly most passionate about is writing — songwriting in particular. The songs don’t always come together easily, but man it’s awesome when they do! It has taken me a while to get (back) here…but I’m here.
Just another songwriter
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ALI SHAW’S CATALOG
more aboutAli
I grew up without my dad, the extremely talented (and even award-winning) musician I later knew him to be. As a kid, I taught myself a few chords on an acoustic guitar and could soon pluck out a song or two. I spent hours playing my guitar and singing along with the radio to practice harmonizing. By the age of 12, I was trying my hand at songwriting. I have this vivid memory of my mom telling me I could be anything I set my mind to, “just don’t be a musician,” which of course just made me want to be a musician. My strong suit is lyrics and I often draw from my own life: A relationship with the man I believed to be the love of my life eluded me all of my adulthood, right up until he died suddenly just a few years ago; my first husband and songwriting partner recently overdosed on drugs; my second marriage ended in pieces of my heart scattered everywhere. My dad has since passed on, but he is all around me — Dan Fogelberg’s “Leader of the Band” continues to haunt me. My life sounds like a country song, doesn’t it? Sometimes a great song really is as simple as a few chords and the truth.
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