Winging It: Songwriting on the Road
Whether you’re touring, taking a creative sabbatical, or suddenly working remotely due to life’s unpredictable swerve-balls, on-the-road songwriting and music production seems like a good idea… until you meet the many barriers that travel presents to your workflow.
In this month’s Session Notes Blog, Pro7ect’s Creative Director Lisa Fitz shares 7 top tips that have helped her stay on track during an unexpected month of travel, and these ideas might help you stay grounded, inspired, and creatively switched-on when everything else is up in the air.
I’m writing this month’s blog from a café at Bondi Beach. It’s a pretty iconic spot to tap away on my laptop, surrounded by the salty breeze and the steady thrum of Aussie beach life. But I didn’t plan to be here. My year started with a dramatic curveball… a family emergency pulled me back to Australia unexpectedly, just as I was knee-deep in Pro7ect 2025 event planning and juggling several writing projects and deadlines.
Cue panic.
Jet lag, stress, and a sudden 11-hour time difference do not make for the most seamless creative workflow. But after the initial flurry of disaster-management mode, I started asking myself some better questions:
How can I keep up momentum while I’m away?
What does staying creatively productive actually look like while travelling?
4. Pack a Travel-Smart Production Kit
Being on the road doesn’t mean leaving your music behind. I travel with a lightweight but powerful production suite that keeps me working anywhere there’s power and relative quiet:
MacBook with Logic Pro X
Plug-and-go Prism Sound Lyra interface
Shure SM7dB dynamic vocal mic with built-in preamp
Audio-Technica ATH-M50XBT2 wireless headphones
This setup is compact, portable, and covers everything from demoing vocals to editing podcasts. With this gear, a quiet corner becomes a studio.
7. Back. It. Up.
Whether it’s a tiny hard drive, a USB dongle, or cloud storage, make sure your work is backed up. Preferably in two places. Losing your song stems or a day's worth of lyrics to a corrupted file or lost device is heartbreak you do not need while travelling. Rule of thumb: if it’s not backed up twice, it’s not backed up.
Creativity Doesn’t Stop for Jet Lag
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past few weeks, it’s that inspiration doesn’t wait for ideal conditions. With a bit of flexibility, some key gear, and a willingness to embrace the chaos, you can absolutely keep the creative spark alive, even when you’re miles from home.
And if you're looking for a way to explore your creative self in a more grounded, community-driven setting, our Pro7ect Songwriting Retreats at Rockfield Studios are a brilliant way to do just that. Whether you’re new to collaboration or looking to deepen your songwriting craft, Pro7ect offers the space, support, and structure to get results, and build lasting creative relationships along the way.
So, wherever you are, in a city, on a beach, or stuck at an airport - keep writing, stay open, and carry your creativity with you. You never know when the next song will arrive.
Ready to take your songwriting to the next level? Join us at Rockfield Studios for Pro7ect 2025.
★★★★★ “…one week here is worth more than a year at music tech Uni.”
- YOUTH Pro7ect Headline Producer (The Orb, The Verve, Paul McCartney)
Apply Now to avoid disappointment: Spaces are limited!
Residential songwriting retreat: 20th – 24th May 2025 - £1695
Masterclass: Saturday 24th May (day only) - £225 (price includes lunch)
For more information and to apply, visit www.pro7ect.com
“The retreat was a great experience in terms of all my expectations. I couldn’t recommend the P7 retreat more highly for those
from a solo writer / self-producer background.”
- Mark Jones P724 artist
Pro7ect is proudly sponsored by Headliner Magazine.
About Pro7ect:
Pro7ect is the UK’s premier residential songwriting retreat, based at Rockfield Studios in Wales. Now in our 10th year, Pro7ect offers artists, musicians, songwriters, and producers the unique opportunity to work with internationally respected music producers at our events. Invest in your future. Record a song a day. Find your tribe. Get results!
1. Go With the Flow
Let’s start with the obvious one. When travel plans go sideways (and they will), the best thing you can do is breathe and adjust. I thought I’d be back in the UK by last weekend, but then Heathrow shut down due to electrical fires. Another swerve-ball from the universe. Instead of resisting the chaos, I’ve tried to embrace it. Some days will be wildly productive, others not so much. Give yourself permission to adapt, creativity doesn’t thrive under pressure, but it does love a bit of breathing space.
2. Use the Experience as Fuel
Travel cracks open your senses. Whether it’s a late-night walk in unfamiliar streets, the rhythm of a different accent, or just watching the sun rise in a new time zone, these moments are gold for songwriting. Use your surroundings. Take notes. Record voice memos. Don’t wait for the “right time” to write, just stay open to what’s around you and let it shape the stories you want to tell.
3. Listen In
Yes, I’m talking about eavesdropping. Some of the best lyric ideas come from overheard snippets of conversation, on the bus, in a café, at the airport gate. People speak in metaphors all the time without even realising it. I’ve scribbled down so many gems this month from listening to strangers talking about love, loss, and health problems (I’ve spent a lot of time in hospitals). Stay alert as you never know what might spark your next verse.
5. Protect Your Kit
It might seem obvious, but a solid, lightweight mixer or mic case is a must. When you’re travelling, your gear gets thrown, bumped, and squashed in transit. Invest in something durable and well-padded, you’ll thank yourself when your mic arrives in one piece and your interface still works.
6. Don’t Forget the Power
A universal power adapter with international plug options is essential. It’s boring. It’s basic. But if you’ve ever stared despairingly at a dead laptop and a non-compatible socket in a rural motel room you know it’s a dealbreaker. Pack it, use it, love it.
