Sure, inspiration can strike at any moment, but it's also hard work that requires time, patience and focus, something that not all artists have in abundance. Leslie Feist, for example, was caring for a newborn baby when she wrote many of the songs for her latest, Polaris Music Prize-shortlisted album,. As a single parent, it was difficult to carve out time for herself, let alone write music.
Weinrobe has no problem with artists talking about Song a Day in interviews — he assures that he didn't install ironclad— but during those sessions, songs are meant to stay private. Only the participants can access the daily playlist of submissions, compiled by Weinrobe every morning, and feedback is not required, although artists will sometimes reach out and compliment each other's work.
"Most of the songs are very good," he continues, "and sometimes even all of them are very good, but even when they're not, you have to do it. And that's where all the good stuff happens. The good songs are going to come; it's how you handle the shitty songs that matters."Engle likens the daily process to fishing. "It's all about going fishing," she confesses.