Based on the Podcast Episode: “Mumble and Peg: Songwriting Beyond Singing with Summer in the Attic“ – Episode 70, The Magic of Songwriting with Francesca de Valence

In a time when AI can sing a song flawlessly, it’s tempting for songwriters to step back from their own voice. But a recent conversation with Adam Kidd (Boston) and Josh Gunnels (Nashville), who write together as Summer in the Attic, offered a timely reminder: songwriting doesn’t begin with perfection, it begins with being present.

Listen below for the full and rich conversation, or read below for our retake on the conversation with poignant and relevant industry thoughts in a quickly evolving AI landscape.

1. Your Voice Carries Information AI Can’t

Josh is open about not being a “strong” singer in the traditional sense. Yet his voice communicates something essential: intention. Rhythm, phrasing, breath, emphasis – these are clues that help collaborators understand what the song is really saying. Adam hears these cues instinctively, not because the vocal is perfect, but because it’s human.

2. Singing Is How the Song Reveals Itself

A songwriter’s own voice, however rough or unrefined, often reveals the song’s true emotional centre. AI can deliver pitch and polish, but it can’t discover the song with you. That discovery happens in the act of singing it yourself, even when it feels uncomfortable.

3. Confidence Grows Through Use, Not Avoidance

Avoiding your own voice delays a skill that only develops through repetition. Josh’s strength as a songwriter hasn’t come from waiting to feel confident – it’s come from continuing to sing anyway. Each draft, each demo, each imperfect take builds familiarity and trust with the instrument you already have.

4. Energy Beats Accuracy in the Early Stages

Adam and Josh speak about the irreplaceable energy captured in quick demos made at the moment a song is written. That energy often lives in the voice that wrote it. Later, quality production and careful recording can elevate the song, but only after its core has been fully expressed.

5. Songwriting Is About Communication, Not Performance

This conversation reinforces a core IHSC truth: songwriting goes beyond the ability to sing well. Your voice is not a performance tool – it’s a communication tool. And no technology can substitute the clarity that comes from expressing your own ideas in your own way.

Summer in the Attic reminds us that your voice isn’t something to work around, it’s something to work with. The song needs to hear you first.

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