Songwriters in Conversation #5 (Nathy SG, Gelfling)

What are the ingredients of a good love song? Are they the same today as for the writers of Motown and Tin Pan Alley hits? How do writers balance genuine feeling with the demands of a catchy tune? And can we talk about love without talking about the social and political forces that shape how love is expressed in our society?

Hosted by Groundbird - the songwriting pseudonym of Northumbria University academic Richard O'Brien - this is the fifth in a series of events where some of the North East's top musicians will be in conversation, discussing how they think about the songs they write.

This event features Nathy SG and Gelfling. Nathy SG is a North East songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has been an active member of the UK DIY punk and indie-pop music scenes since the early 2000s. He is best known for being in the acclaimed power-pop band Martha. He is also a founding member of the long-running anarchist punk band Onsind, and of indie-rock band Fortitude Valley. Gelfling is the folk project of Durham based artist Elf Snudge. Weaving together magic, mental health and nature, Gelfling tells stories that will make you laugh and cry. (Photo credit for Nathy: Sonny Malhotra / @photosonny.)

Each act will play for about 30 minutes each, followed by an onstage Q&A discussion.

Doors will be at 5pm, with an opening song from Groundbird around 5:15, Gelfling on around 5:30 and Nathy SG at 6:15, with the Q&A starting at 7.

This event is the second in a series of four now generously funded by a North Shields Cultural Quarter grant from North Tyneside Council.

Cover image by Kyle Heslop, who will be filming the event as a video podcast for YouTube.