INTERVIEW WITH A&R KIRSTY TWINER

Developing Better Songwriters: An A&R Perspective with Kirsty Twiner

Music publisher and A&R Kirsty Twiner discusses creative

development, collaboration and what makes songs stand out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uuhk8GzIrA0

As part of The Song Method research project, I spoke with Kirsty Twiner, an A&R specialising in contemporary pop and dance music. Having previously worked at Warner Chappell Music before moving into A&R at Tileyard Music, Kirsty has worked closely with internationally successful songwriters and producers, contributing to releases by artists including Becky Hill, Chris Lake and David Guetta.

Throughout our conversation, Kirsty shared valuable insights into what captures an A&R's attention, how songwriters develop over time, and why creative growth is just as important as commercial success.

Great Songs Start at the Beginning

Reflecting on her career, Kirsty explained that moving from public relations into A&R was driven by a desire to become involved much earlier in the creative process.

"I didn't want to be at the end of the music-I wanted to be at the beginning of the music creation."

For Kirsty, one of the most rewarding aspects of A&R is helping shape songs before they reach audiences, working alongside writers and artists throughout their creative development.

What Makes a Song Stand Out?

Listening to hundreds of demos each year has taught Kirsty that memorable songs often share one defining characteristic.

"Sometimes a song just has that thing that you can't put your finger on. It stays in your head and has that wow factor."

Beyond that instinctive reaction, she consistently looks for exceptional vocal performances and strong toplines.

"I'm always drawn to big voices and people who know how to vocal produce. I'll always pick up on a great topline, a great voice and a great vocal producer."

Rather than allowing production to dominate a recording, Kirsty believes the voice should remain at the centre of the listening experience.

"Don't overproduce it. The voice needs to break through."

She pointed to artists such as Billie Eilish and FINNEAS as examples of writers who successfully combine melody, lyrics and production into a cohesive whole.

Finding the Initial Spark

One of the recurring themes throughout our discussion was idea generation.

When asked whether songwriters struggle more with generating ideas than writing songs themselves, Kirsty suggested that inspiration can come from almost anywhere.

"You could even write a song about not being able to think and feeling in the moment."

However, she also recognised that not every songwriter accesses creativity in the same way.

"Some people are resourceful and can get inspired by anything because they have the tools to access it. Other people's brains are more linear, so collaboration helps because ideas can flow from other people."

This observation closely aligns with one of the central aims of The Song Method: equipping writers with practical techniques that help unlock ideas when inspiration does not arrive naturally.

Collaboration Begins with Trust

Interestingly, Kirsty challenged one common assumption about collaborative songwriting.

While many producers arrive at sessions with fully developed beats, she believes this can sometimes limit creativity.

"I've often told producers not to come in with beats because it can kill the room a bit."

Instead, she explained that artists often feel more invested when they are involved in shaping the direction of the song from the beginning.

Ultimately, she believes successful collaborations depend less on fixed writing methods and more on relationships.

"It all comes down to trust, friendship and finding the right songwriting teams."

Songwriters Can Keep Learning

When discussing songwriter development, Kirsty described regularly encouraging writers to explore new musical references and broaden their creative influences.

"I've often sent people lyric ideas and songs as inspiration-showing them where they could take something further."

Our conversation naturally expanded into a broader discussion about professional development.

If singers regularly invest in vocal lessons to improve their craft, should songwriters also have greater access to songwriting education?

Kirsty believed they should.

She suggested that structured workshops, songwriting courses and creative-development resources could provide valuable opportunities for emerging writers to strengthen their skills before entering professional writing environments.

Volume Creates Opportunity

Perhaps Kirsty's strongest advice for aspiring songwriters centred on consistency.

Rather than waiting for the perfect song, she encouraged writers to focus on producing a large body of work.

"It's very rare that you'll get your biggest hit in the first three songs you've written."

Instead, she believes commercial success is built through persistence.

"The volume of songs you write is crucial to your success. The more songs you write, the more chance you have of securing a cut."

She also highlighted an often-overlooked reality of the music industry: a song written years earlier may suddenly create new opportunities, but only if the writer has continued developing their catalogue.

The Future of Songwriter Development

Looking ahead, Kirsty believes the industry could do more to support emerging writers.

Greater access to education, funding and creative development opportunities would allow songwriters to spend more time refining their craft before attempting to build professional careers.

She also highlighted the importance of creating more opportunities for women within music production and increasing access to songwriting education from an earlier age.

Drawing comparisons with countries such as Sweden, she observed that stronger educational pathways and greater access to creative resources contribute to healthier songwriting ecosystems.

During our discussion, we explored the possibility of combining collaborative songwriting sessions with workshops, mentoring and creative-development activities.

Kirsty felt that this approach could be particularly valuable for students and emerging writers, especially when integrated into larger networking events or songwriting camps.

"Development songwriters and student songwriters would definitely be open to workshops."

Key Insights

Kirsty Twiner's interview reinforces several important themes emerging throughout The Song Method research:

• Great songs combine memorable toplines, authentic vocals and strong songwriting.

• Idea generation is a skill that can be developed through creative tools and collaboration.

• Trust and strong creative relationships lead to more successful songwriting teams.

• Songwriters benefit from ongoing learning, feedback and exposure to new creative influences.

• Consistently writing a high volume of songs increases opportunities for commercial success.

• Emerging songwriters would benefit from greater access to structured education, mentoring and creative-development programmes.

Perhaps the most significant insight from our conversation was that songwriter development should be viewed as a continuous process rather than something that ends once writers enter the professional industry. By providing greater access to education, creative tools and supportive learning environments, emerging songwriters can develop the confidence and skills needed to build sustainable careers.

Interview by Sarah ManovskiThe Song Method Research Interview Series