finish a song and I get paid to do that , it ’ s the best . It ’ s not fair . ( laughing )
[ Brenton ] This is not a helpful story . That doesn ’ t describe the agony of months and months of …
[ Frank ] We ’ re going to get to that agony in a little bit .
[ Leeland Mooring ] I ’ ll tell you a funny one . So I was 15 , I was a baby when I signed to Capital CMG as a developmental writer . And all that was like a “ We ’ re going to help you for a year and see how good you are ( laughing ) and if you suck after a year , you ’ re out of here ” kind of deal .
And so essentially for a year , I just wrote with other writers . So , I had a chance . I don ’ t know if they twisted his arm . I don ’ t know what happened . But somehow , I got to write with Tim Hughes and I was so nervous . Because I loved British worship songwriters .
So Tim Hughes , Matt Redman , Martin Smith , those are my heroes . And so , I ’ m in the room with one of them . I ’ m 15 . I ’ ve got this Emo haricut , you can ’ t see one of my eyes . My hair ’ s all straightened and I ’ m sitting there with my guitar .
Leeland Mooring
And Tim is so sweet . He ’ s like , “ So do you have any songs you ’ re working on ?” And I ’ m like , “ Yes , John Lennon , let me play you this song ”. ( laughing ) So I ’ m so pumped about this idea and I ’ m also really emotional . And when you ’ re really emotional , you don ’ t sing that great . So I know I probably sounded bad , I don ’ t remember the full melody . I just remember the melody of this funny part ( humming a few bars of a melody ).
Okay , so I ’ m singing this chorus and it ’ s something like that . And there was a lyric where I go “ Take this heart Lord , I don ’ t need it anymore ”. And it was kind of near the end of the chorus and there was something else . And then it ended , and Tim says ( all sweet and kind and also super awkward ), “ I love the melody and the chords are beautiful , but there was a part where you said , ‘ take this heart , Lord , I don ’ t need it anymore ’”. He said , “ Actually Leeland , you do need your heart … or you ’ ll die .” And I was like , “ You ’ re right Mr . Hughes . You ’ re right ”. ( laughing )
[ Frank ] So you just set the stage for my next question . Give me one or two of your favorite songwriting heroes or someone that maybe you would even model after or have been inspired by ?
[ Chris ] James Taylor . He did not write any of the worship songs that we sing . Him and then
Donny Hathaway . I just love … it ’ s more about the feel , the soul of it as opposed to the actual lyrics . And those guys just get me .
[ Brenton ] I ’ m more spiritual than Chris . Ha ! So , I ’ m going to have to go with Matt Redmond . Actually , if I could write like anybody , I ’ d like to write like Matt . I think we ’ re the same age , but I ’ m still like , “ Man , he ’ s like my Dad ”. Or , right now I ’ m listening to Swedish pop music that ’ s in Swedish . It hits different , I ’ m just saying .
[ Leeland ] Obviously I ’ ve got to go with Paul McCartney . I have to say that . Yeah , it ’ s unbelievable . I have to say Sting is obviously one of my favorites . And then , gosh , I love
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