Hey folks, welcome to Soderjaker on songwriting. I'm Brian, here with Simon, and we're very glad you could join us.

Our guest for episode 297 is a highly distinguished British singer and songwriter and the true Renaissance man.

As a founder of both the Hollies and the folk rock supergroup Crosby Stills and Nash,

he's a two-time inductee of both the rock and roll and

songwriter's halls of fame and a leading light of the celebrated Laurel Canyon singer

songwriter movement of the early 70s. He's just about to bring his more evenings of

songs and stories tour to the UK and Europe, during which he'll be performing a generous

selection of gems from his enviable catalogue, we are thrilled to welcome

the great Graham Nash to the show. Graham was born in 1942 in the seaside town of Blackpool

in the northwest of England and raised in Saltford, Greater Manchester. Like so many youngsters were in the

1950s, he was swept up in the skiffle craze and given the choice of a guitar or a bicycle for his

13th birthday, he naturally chose the former. He and given the choice of a guitar or a bicycle for his 13th birthday,

he naturally chose the former. He began performing as half of a duo with his school friend

Alan Clark and the pair were soon writing their first songs together, including the Everly

brothers inspired Hey, what's wrong with me? As Skiffle gave way to rock and roll, they went on to play

in several local bands, eventually winding up in the deltas with guitarist Vic Steele and bassist Eric Haydock. By the end of 1962, that lineup had evolved into the Hollies, and, with the recruitment of singer Tony Hicks shortly afterwards, they signed a parlophone the following spring. Over the next few years, they scored a hugely impressive string of hits, including Look through any window, I'm Alive, Carri-Anne, Stop, Stop, Stop, on a carousel, Jennifer Eccles and King Midas in reverse. By the end of 1968, Graham had flown the Holly's nest and moved to L.A., where he formed a new group with David Crosby and Stephen Stills, whom he'd met a couple of years prior during a Holley's US tour.

According to Graham, the trio first sang together in Joni Mitchell's living room,

and we left nothing short of stunned by how well their voices blended.

In that moment, Graham knew he had to leave his life in England behind,

emboldened further by his growing creative frustrations as a member of the Hollies.

Nineteen 69's eponymous Crosby Stills and Nash debut LP, which included the Nash-Penned Marrakesh Express,

pre-road Downs and Lady of the Island, became an instant classic and is now widely

...