Jonathan Russell//The Head and the Heart

“I like to have structure in my songwriting process to let the chaos rule.”

Jonathan Russell of The Head and the Heart loves structure. It helps him in his domestic life: he often finds missing song bridges when he’s cleaning the house, for example. “I love order,” Russell told me. “Clean kitchen, happy brain.” And he loves using lists to make his day easier. When I asked Russell what kind of writing he does outside of songwriting, his response was simple: “I’m a listmaker.”

Russell likes structure in his songwriting process too, but not for reasons you might expect. It lets him be chaotic. “Structure lets the chaos loose,” he told me. “As long as I have boundaries set up, I will allow myself to play like a five year old.” Russell often gets his best writing done, he says, “When I become aware that I’m anxious.” Part of that chaotic process involves constant revision, even as many as 20 drafts. “I don’t know how to get there until I’m there, so I need a lot of drafts.” He enjoys writing during what he calls the “lift up”: morning, the sun rising, the day starting, and a cup of coffee.

Reading has always had a big impact on Russell’s life. It started when he was a young kid, reading transcendalists like Emerson and Thoreau—in the woods, natch. “Reading other authors and paying attention to the way they write is far more rehabilitating to me than learning someone else’s music. If I’m not writing, I’m reading,” he told me.

Listen to the latest podcast interview with Jonathan Russell of The Head and the Heart!