LOOP COMMUNITY
HOW JOHN ALLAN OVERCOMES WRITER’ S BLOCK | Matt McCoy
John Allan joined Loop Community Founder Matt McCoy to talk about songwriting and writer’ s block.
[ John ] My senior year of high school I’ d been playing music in church for years. I had an abundance of dreams in my voice memos. It came to a point where I wanted to release music, and God blessed it. It’ s been a divine journey.
FINDING INSPIRATION [ Matt ] When are you most inspired with songwriting?
[ John ] I was watching Forest Gump last night, and I was crying, it’ s a great movie. He was talking to his mom, and she said miracles happen every day. Some people don’ t believe that, but that’ s how I look at melodies and songs. Sometimes we get numb to the miracles happening every moment. I believe songs can be those gifts. You can wake up today with a song, and that’ s God telling you, you still have purpose. We’ re still going, and there’ s things to find that give Him glory.
OVERCOMING WRITER’ S BLOCK [ Matt ] Do you have moments of writer’ s block?
[ John ] 100 %. I think writer’ s block can be viewed as opportunity. There are moments when“ our legs are cramping” when we’ re writing a song. But it doesn’ t mean that we can’ t finish the race. Maybe we just need to stop and take a moment to breathe.
Writer’ s block doesn’ t have to be discouraging. It can be a pause button, and the movie can still finish. If I’ m writing a chorus and a bridge, and I’ m discouraged that I can’ t find the bridge melody that is fitting with the chorus I love, I need to breathe. Record a voice memo of the idea, go for a walk with it, take an hour and come back, play it in your car.
Don’ t sit in the sorrow but try to find something beautiful in it. And thank God for what is. I don’ t have that bridge finished, but I have that chorus. Thank you, God, that I’ m not having writer’ s block on both. Look at it as glass half full.
THE BENEFITS OF CO-WRITING [ Matt ] Do you like to write alone or in groups?
[ John ] It’ s split. I’ m a huge fan of co-writing. I believe that three heads in a room are stronger than one. I think that writer’ s block can be cured in a co-write. If I’ m writing with two other great people, and I’ m struggling in a moment,
that’ s just me. What about someone else in the room? There’ s for sure a point where there’ s too many cooks in the kitchen, but when you’ ve got the right pieces bouncing off ideas, that’ s amazing.
I’ ll give you an example, I just had the honor of writing a song called“ Keep on Finding More” with my friends Andrew Cherry and Blake Wiggins, and the Lord gave us that song, and we’ re so thankful for it. But the song became complete because there were multiple heads in the room. It’ s important going into a co-write to have an unoffendable spirit. Offense and being married to your ideas are only going to limit what God can do to finish the song.
Click below to watch the full interview with John!
Be sure to check out John Allan’ s new music wherever you listen to music and download the Master Tracks on LoopCommunity. com.
Matt McCoy Matt is a worship leader, songwriter and Ableton Certified Trainer from Chicago, IL. He has been using Ableton and tracks in worship since 2002. He’ s passionate about creating new products and teaching worship leaders and artists how to use technology in live performance. www. LoopCommunity. com 42 September 2025 Subscribe for Free...