Regarding songs I write for myself or outside artists, there's no formula. If I come up with a good lyric, I'll try and wrap suitable music around it. If I have a strong musical idea I can’t live without, I’ll try hard to find the right lyric. If I think I’m really on to something and I’m struggling, I might seek someone out to help me finish the idea off . . . in fact my next solo project has several collaborations.