Read This: MoZella’s Big Lessons on Collaborating

We are big fans of MoZella’s writing (she is most well known for writing Miley Cyrus’ mega-hit “Wrecking Ball”), but we are also big fans of her outlook on creativity, her work ethic, and the versatility she’s shown throughout her career. In her recent interview with Music Business Worldwide, we were so happy to see her talk about a lot of the same things we talk about in our workshops! 

Below are a few of our favorite quotes and the big lessons we can learn from them. 

1. “Sometimes you go into a room and immediately, whether you know it or not, you put your guard up. And I think a lot of songwriters have a tendency to block their emotions from people they don’t know, because it’s just human nature to protect yourself like that. But, at that time, I was so raw that I couldn’t even pretend, there was no point in even trying to be guarded, it was all coming out. I was barely functioning, I was so sad.”

The big lesson: Learn to be vulnerable. 

MoZella’s career took off as a direct result of her honestly expressing her pain to two people she had never met before. For her, it took experiencing an undeniable sorrow that she simply could not ignore. 

But it doesn’t have to happen that way. 

Co-writing is a unique art form because it requires vulnerability. So just like any other aspect of your art, you have to practice it. 

You can start by practicing it on your own by writing about something that feels scary to say out loud. Then schedule a co-write with a trusted collaborator and let them help you write about something that feels equally raw. It might feel uncomfortable at first, but the more you force yourself out of your comfort zone this way, the more emotionally impactful and honest your songs will be.

2. “I like trying new people because you just never know who you’re going to have chemistry with. But a lot of writers will agree that you can sort of get a little burnt out with the speed dating aspect of songwriting. At its best it’s like an old relationship: you find a groove and you don’t have to say the words, you both go to the same chords and you both sort of find the same emotion, you both have that little lightbulb go off at the same time.”

The big lesson: Find your tribe.

We really relate to this because we (Allie & Bess) have this kind of writing relationship with each other! We have it with a handful of other writers too, and we co-write with those people regularly as well. But we also make sure we work with new people from time to time. Sometimes the chemistry is not quite right, but sometimes it just clicks and we suddenly have a new trusted collaborator to add to our writing tribe. 

Every writer has to find their balance of comfort and variety with co-writing. But if you don’t feel like you have found “your tribe,” we strongly believe that you should continue to seek out new collaborators until you do! 

3. “Every artist needs something different. Sometimes you’re more of a ‘shaper’; you help them shape their ideas, and help them edit their ideas. Other times you’re taking the lead with lyric and melody, because maybe they have great ideas and concepts, but they haven’t really learned how to write a structured song yet. It kind of varies. Sometimes I’m doing everything, they sing it and they’re perfectly happy with that too. Sometimes an artist has so much feeling and so much pain and so much emotion, but they just don’t know how to get it out. I almost treat them like a muse. I talk to them, I ask them a million questions and I pick their brain about the psychology of the way they were raised, their parents, their ex-boyfriend. I sort of dig in and it really inspires me.”

The big lesson: Be adaptable.

In a co-write, sometimes you are “the artist” that the song is for, and sometimes the other writer is. Sometimes you are writing for an artist who is not in the room at all! Sometimes you’re writing for a sync pitch, and sometimes you’re just writing for fun. Whatever it is, be prepared to roll with it and strive to be versatile. You may not have any interest in writing for someone other than yourself, but we promise you that the experience of putting yourself in somebody else’s shoes will make you a better writer when it’s time to write for you. 

So how do you know what role to play in any given co-write? 

The first key is to be comfortable discussing it. Ask beforehand or bring it up at the start of the session. If you were really hoping to write a song for you, just say that! If you’re open to something else, say that! The more upfront and honest you are, the easier that decision will be.

The second key is to be observant, be a good listener, and read the room. If someone in your co-write starts spilling their guts, don’t shy away from that! Help them dig deeper into their emotions by asking questions and listening intently. And we know this might sound funny, don’t forget to take notes! Often-times when someone is opening up like that, they are saying things that can become lyrics or at least help to shape and steer the direction of the song. 

4. “Well, I would say to write a lot. Just write and write and write. And when you think you’ve written your best song, keep writing. Also, be your own champion, but also be your own critic; have a healthy sense of, like, ‘Is this good enough?’ But also be, like, ‘You know what, I’m good and one day I’ll get there.’”

The big lesson: Move and Assess. 

Anyone who has taken our Masterclass has heard us expound on these two core actions. 

Assessing means looking objectively, honestly and lovingly at your skills, your personality and your goals, so that you can discover what’s holding you back as well as what’s motivating you! 

The reason assessing is so valuable is because it helps us figure out where we are. We can't figure out where we want to go, until we figure out where we are. 

Moving means having a regular writing practice. Because you can’t steer a ship that isn’t moving. A ship that is docked might drift a little and be bobbed about by the current around it but the truth is that it’s tethered to the dock. You don’t actually have any freedom to change your direction until you’re out in the open water.

And you can’t assess without movement either! When we’re writing regularly, it enables us to see our patterns, habits, blocks, strengths, weaknesses, personalities and goals. It gives us ample opportunity to conquer them, expand them and to change them up. It’s impossible to assess those things if you’re never actually doing them! 

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MoZella dropped some serious wisdom here! We highly recommend reading the entire interview as well as listening to her episode of And the Writer Is..., which is a phenomenal songwriting podcast. 

We hope you enjoy reading her insights as much as we did! 

Happy writing, 
Allie & Bess