Quotes About Collaboration

Alan's publishing company was in the Brill Building, and of course, the Brill Building was where all the songwriters hung out because that's where all the publishers were.

In many ways, Viv and I were the only ones who were really songwriters.

You know, there's still a lot of great songwriters out there who hand in songs. And there's a lot of brilliant singers and performers out there who sing other people's words. I enjoy doing both.

I would love to play with Rufus Wainwright. He's one of my favorite songwriters.

I love being part of the ASCAP family of songwriters and composers.

I've often said to young songwriters when they want to write with me, 'Let's take a stab at ten songs, and we might get one really good one.'

I love to give the song away - it's so exciting - where, I think, a lot of younger songwriters, they struggle with that. And it's a big struggle, where they want the shine and they want people to know that it was their idea and it was their doing. But luckily, I've been through that, so I can just focus on helping other people do their thing.

I think that's the great thing for us - we're a band full of songwriters, and we're capable of writing all kinds of songs.

In the past, being young, I might have been standoffish to working with other songwriters.

One not-to-be-mentioned major said they would sign me if I worked with a team of songwriters to help me finish songs, ha! Of course, in hindsight, I should've done it just to see what that would have been like.

I'm now working with some of the best songwriters in the world and Sia has written a song that has been given to me. Oh my God, it's just insane.

Some songwriters have never been in a band, but the One Direction guys can relate to me, as I've been through the same kind of experiences as they have.

As songwriters, we can go in and write for other artists in a time where you aren't necessarily feeling inspired for yourself.

Obviously we're pop songwriters.

I just see us as songwriters.

Every riff had to be perfect and heavy, collectively what we wanted it to be. If there was one person in the room who went, 'Heh, I don't think it is there yet, guys,' we'd scrap the whole song. I think that took a little bit of songwriting maturity for us.

No I.D. is like an alchemist and he'll only give you so much at one time. It's for the best at the end of the day, cause through the process of working with No I.D. I was able to soak up his perspective for songwriting and production and keeping music alive.

And I look forward to the time when I can become more indulgent with my songwriting. But this band is a family, and it's a process that we have to grow with together.

Songwriting is a give-and-take process, and it can lead to some good, healthy debates.

In Nashville, everybody just wants to write the best songs. So it's a very inviting songwriting community.

I have two or three guys that I'm really close to. We have a great friendship, and I think that helps our songwriting relationship. It's hard to start... with new people and cover the ground that I've covered with those guys.

Pressure has always been more of a friend than a foe for me with songwriting.

I would like to work with Ed Sheeran at some point. I really admire his songwriting, and I just think he has a great voice and great artistry. Who else? On the producer side of things, definitely Diplo: that'd be awesome.

Songwriters often seek the company of fellow songwriters to help finish what they've started, and these days, many do it at songwriting camps.