Keenan O'Meara

"The failure is not in writing a bad song. The failure is in writing no song."

Keenan O'Meara has always honored the value of work. Maybe it's because he's also a carpenter by trade, but discipline is his asset even though it's not something that comes naturally. "You have to teach yourself how to work. We've been tricked by the idea of divine inspiration for far too long," he told me. Carpentry has been a boon to his process. "It's great for songwriting. If you ever find yourself out of songwriting ideas, get a carpentry gig." I have to agree: O'Meara is one of several songwriters I've interviewed who are also woodworkers.

Keenan O'Meara's new album is Bathe in the Everlasting Light.