Ryan Culwell's new album, Flatlands, got a interesting review in the spring issue of Texas Music magazine. So I checked it out. Good stuff. Satisfied is my favorite song. Here is one of his blog posts from May 2010.

As stated in the previous blog, I am not writing any new songs.  I figured it was time to shut my mouth.  I lasted 3 days.  Today I wrote and I am glad I did.  I told my wife the news.  She was not at all surprised.  It’s what I do.  I set boundaries, and then I break them.  I’m sure this habit will lead to some long term self trust issues, but that is another blog entirely.  Turns out (you can use your internal Forest Gump voice for this sentence) Like I said, TURNS OUT that when I quit writing a melody to every line that comes to mind and I let the kettle brew, something happens….  

I steep.  I feel really confident about all the songs I have been writing, but today’s is especially promising.  It doesn’t have the deepest lyrics or the most unique chord progression, or even the most innovative melody.  But, It is true.  It is right.  It is instantly in my bag.  I am sure you will hear it someday.  Creativity ebbs and flows.  It takes a lot of writing and writing and writing until you develop the ability to craft a song.  Then, you must remember not to manufacture, but to get out of the way and let the song come out.  Nothing new, I have had that philosophy since I started writing.  Every writer I respect will tell you that they don’t feel like they write songs, but that they search out songs.  That songs exist somewhere in their entirety and it is the songwriters task to find the song and uncover it for the listener.  Sometimes you realize that you are not strong enough or patient enough to unearth the song or pull it completely out of the clouds into view,  Other times, you realize that God has given you a gift and the song lay bare before you.  Still though, the more you work the craft, the better equipped you are to find the song and reveal it to others.  This week I laid down my shovel, quit digging, and listened for the song.  It was here all along.  Once I saw its head sticking out of the dirt, it was painless to dig it up.  All it took was some creative silence.

Well said.

Check out his song Red River.

https://youtu.be/IsLmeFz8t5s