"Lucinda Williams picked up her first guitar when she was about 12 years old. It was the height of the folk movement, and she'd fallen in love with the fingerpicking styles of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Peter, Paul and Mary, among so many others. That's a big part of how I learned, just listening to those recordings, Williams says."
"Stephin Merritt calls this his smallest, most portable autoharp. He purchased it from Music Inn in Greenwich Village three or four years ago to replace an even tinier instrument that he gave to his Magnetic Fields bandmate Shirley Simms, after recording the band's most recent album. Autoharps are a bear to tune, Merritt says."
"Though Merritt loves to experiment with obscure instruments, he says his songwriting always begins in coffee shops and bars with a pen and notebook. He'll sit for a few hours and write down anything that comes to mind."
Songwriters draw inspiration from diverse sources such as instruments, environments, and personal experiences. Lucinda Williams emphasizes the importance of her acoustic guitar, which has shaped her songwriting since childhood. Stephin Merritt highlights his use of a portable autoharp and the significance of writing in coffee shops and bars. Both artists illustrate how their creative processes are influenced by their tools and surroundings, showcasing the unique ways in which they cultivate their musical ideas.
Read at www.nytimes.com
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