What Can Modern Artists Learn From Otis Redding's Approach to Songwriting?

The craft of songwriting starts with truth. You cannot fake emotion. An audience, whether they got education or not, they can feel when you're lying. They can feel when you're just following a formula to chase a dollar. So the first thing is: write what you know. Write what you feel so deep it almost hurts to put it into words.

When I sat down with my guitar or piano, I wasn't thinking about what was trendy or what the radio wanted to hear. I was thinking about a moment, a feeling, a conversation that stuck with me. '(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay' came to me in Sausalito because I was actually sitting there, watching the water, thinking about life and time passing. It wasn't contrived. It was genuine.

Second lesson: simplicity is power. You don't need a thousand words or complicated chord changes to move somebody. Sometimes the most direct statement hits hardest. "Try a little tenderness"—that's simple. But it carries weight because of how you sing it, the intention behind it.

Third, collaborate with musicians who understand you. I was blessed to work with Booker T. and the M.G.'s at Stax. Steve Cropper understood what I was trying to do before I even finished explaining it. We pushed each other. We made each other better. Your musicians are part of your voice.

Fourth, live the song before you record it. Know what emotion you're trying to capture. Feel it in your body. Don't just sing words—embody them. The voice is an instrument, and like any instrument, you gotta master the technique so you can forget about technique and just play truth.

Lastly, don't worry about being original by trying too hard. Be original by being completely, unflinchingly yourself. Study the greats, learn your craft, understand the tradition you're part of. Then let your own soul speak through it.