SongSeeds Guest Speakers
At SongSeeds Online Songwriting Retreats, we believe that sharing practice can both motivate and demystify the songwriting experience.
As part of our framework for our residential retreats, you can expect 3 music industry faces who will take a deep-dive into their process, answer your questions and set a tailored songwriting challenge for the day. Our guests range from commercial industry to underground and DIY practitioners, all of whom are established, experienced songwriters.
At SongSeeds we try to promote equality, and dispel the notion of hierarchy when it comes to creativity. We don't do war stories, we don't speak about who we know, all we care about is how to harness that precious spark that makes the song happen and we try and provide guests from a range of career levels and genres to challenge you to indulge in the process and enjoy the unexpected avenues your creativity can take you!
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You can check out our previous guests in our Guest Speaker Gallery
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We are thrilled to announce a Masterclass from Dizraeli and workshops from Rue Cooper and Lesley O'Brien for our April/May 2025 retreat!​
April/May 2025 #Residential 5
Rapper, producer, firestarter. Songwriter, multi instrumentalist, raconteur... Dizraeli is a genre of his own. From his cult debut album Engurland / City Shanties (2009) to the Worldwide Award-nominated The Unmaster (2019) Diz has always forged his own way.
A former resident of the legendary Total Refreshment Centre, his new album Joy Machine was recorded there in a single day, bringing together some of the most exciting musicians in London’s jazz explosion.
With features from Alabaster DePlume and trumpeter Jonathon Enser (Nubiyan Twist), drums from Ben Brown (Alfa Mist, Mulatu Astatke), bass from uk jazz scene favourite Daisy George, synths from Joseph Costi (Yusef Cat Stevens) and saxophone from free jazzer Ronan Perrett, Joy Machine’s visionary mixture of hiphop, post-punk and jazz has already made waves since its release on Def Pressé this summer, including Bandcamp Album Of The Day, 4 stars from Mojo and repeated support from Gilles Peterson.
The album tour hit 15 UK cities and festivals including Boomtown, Boardmasters, WOMAD and Shambala, cementing Dizraeli’s reputation as an explosive and masterful live performer with backing from Ben Brown, Ronan Perrett and Snazzback’s Rich Allen on bass.
“The most original and exciting live show I have seen for some time”
The Morning Star
“It’s an exciting time for Dizraeli...tune in now”
Clash
//Workshops from...
Rue Cooper is a singer and songwriter from Nassau, Bahamas. Now based in Edinburgh, Rue’s love for music was apparent from age 2 when communication through song was her go-to method of self-expression. Classic gospel melodic influences are evident in Rue’s style as an emerging vocalist bringing a reimagined, unique take on Soul, Pop, and R’n’b to Edinburgh and beyond. Rue’s musical influences include Adele, Lauryn Hill, and Black Pumas, as she believes singing’s true beauty lies in its ability to express intimate and authentic messages. Raw sentimentality is one of Rue's trademark touches that she brings to every performance, and you can currently find Rue as the vocalist and songwriter for Groove Down, an Edinburgh-based funk-soul band whose original music proves that soul lives on, and we're all part of its beautiful legacy.
