Sodajerker Songwriting Lab - Birmingham, 4 September 2026

0:00Hi folks, this is just a break to the usual programming for a few minutes, because we've got something to tell you about. On Friday, the 4th of September, 2026, we're doing a workshop at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. It's called the Soda Jerker Songwriting Lab, and it's going to be a bit special. It's a one-day short course created with Birmingham City University, and we've got two very special guests. Ivan Novello-winning songwriter Sasha Scarbeck, who you'll know from his work with Adele, James Blunt, Miley Cyrus, and Lana Del Rey, and songwriter, producer, and session musician Ben Parker, one half of the transatlantic

0:32folk duo Sons of Town Hall, a million-selling author of music instruction books, and co-founder with Sasha of the Scarbeck Songwriting Academy. The Scarbeck Songwriting Academy has led songwriting events at Coco in London and at Oceanway Studios in Nashville, and now they're bringing all of their wisdom to us in Birmingham for one day only. All the details are at sodajerker.com forward slash lab if you want to skip straight there, but if you want to stay with us for a moment, we'll tell you exactly what's happening on the day. So you'll come to the Conservatoire in the morning for a 10am start. We'll begin with a

1:02live Soda Jerker interview in the studios there with Sasha and Ben to get you inspired. You spend an hour hearing how these two think about writing, and then you go straight into doing it. You'll write in small groups working in the Conservatoire studios, and Sasha and Ben will move between the groups while you're working, so you're getting guidance and feedback as the thing takes shape and not a verdict at the end. Then late afternoon we'll come back together, hear where everyone's got to, any final feedback, and wrap it up. Lunch and refreshments are in there too. It's a full day. Should be done by about 6pm.

1:32The lab is open to anyone of any age who writes songs. You don't have to be a student. You don't need to have released anything, or have a publisher, or know what a split sheet is. Sounds painful, I know that. If you write songs and you'd like a day of doing it under the guidance and mentorship of people who do it for a living, that's the whole entry requirement. And it's deliberately a small group. You're not sitting in a lecture theatre watching someone at a piano 400 feet away. So Friday the 4th of September, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, about a 15-minute walk from Birmingham New Street Station. Places are very limited, and they are going, so if it sounds like your kind of day, don't

2:05sit on it, potsy. Everything's at sodajerker.com slash lab. That's sodajerker.com slash lab, and you can click the Enroll button to pay for a place at the lab via Birmingham City University's short course page. The link's also in the description, so you can find it there too. And if you know somebody you'd love to participate, a writing partner or someone in your band, let them know. That's all from us. We're having a bit of a season break after Phil Collins, while the weather's nice, but normal service resumes with the next episode in August. Simon, how many times do I have to tell you we don't do seasons? But do come to Birmingham,

2:38it'll be a great day. sodajerker.com slash lab. See you there.