Connecting Dots: Inside The UK’s First Large-Scale Songwriting Camp With Warner Chappell

Over the last couple of weeks, amid the frenzy that is Wireless Festival season, musicians from around the world converged on UK shores to bask in the fun. Whether performing in front of the hundreds of thousands of revellers or catching a vibe with like minds, London has served as a hotbed for the music industry at large, with many major players taking advantage of the situation to connect and create. This synergy was seized with aplomb by publishing giant Warner Chappell—home to the likes of Stormzy, Cardi B, Lizzo, MNEK and Katy Perry—who, using their vast array of resources, organised a large-scale songwriting camp in the capital.

The aim was simple: to bring together a myriad of energies under one roof and cultivate a space in which musicians of all disciplines—singer, rapper, producer and writer—can flourish. “We’ve got some of the best producers and songwriters in the UK, I’d say, and this camp is all about exposing them to environments where amazing songs can be made,” says Amber Davis, Warner Chappell’s Head of A&R. “We felt that Wireless was a great time to make it happen, and it’s great because it’s British as well as American musicians coming together to get the result.”

The mood is already brimming with warmth at London’s Metropolis Studios, home base of the camp, with a number of artists, songwriters and producers congregating while Warner Chappell A&Rs and organisers shuffle along to ensure it runs smoothly. The majority of talent barely know each other, but that is perhaps the beauty of it: forging associations that culminate in musical marvels. The atmosphere is almost that of a vibrant youth club, with many from American, British, French and Scandinavian territories getting a feel of each other and translating budding personal relationships to the studio. “We see this camp as an expansion of our company culture,” says Ryan Press, President of the North American division of Warner Chappell. “Putting a lot of people together from different parts of the world and putting them in rooms to establish relationships that they can take away and continue to work with.” 

Creativity juices are flowing. Inside Metropolis’ lofty halls, music is being made at an almost industrial scale, but in ways that can only be termed organic. In Studio A, producer Ben Billions and alt-pop queen La Roux are cooking up a beat while, in Studio B, UK rap wonderkids A1 x J1 have finished a new track, brimming with excitement as they hear it back. Church Road legend Nines has just left Studio C, replaced by Grammy Award-nominated producer T-Minus.

Over in the foyer, renowned songwriter Sean Garrett—brains behind hits by Beyoncé, Usher, Brandy and more—is chopping it up with rising producers such as Atlanta’s Section8, himself having worked with Lil Baby of late. There is no sense of competition here, only the desire to catch a vibe and learn from each other. Food and drinks, courtesy of Wingstop and Hennessy, are swirling, as are conversations based on common interests not exclusive to music—from Wordle challenges to hazy nights at London hotspot Tape—a refreshing normalcy, despite the star power in the building. And everyone’s invited, across camps and labels, strengthening the community feel of the experience.

“Word has gotten out about this really quickly,” says Shani Gonzales, Warner Chappell’s UK MD & Head of International A&R. “We have people coming in who have their own draw and it’s great the news has spread.” Press chimes in: “You leave your ego at the door with these sessions. More often than not, songwriters and artists—they want feedback, they want your opinion, so it’s just about knowing how to navigate that creativity and making sure it thrives.”

These sessions often run well into the early morning—Section8 admits he left the studio at 7am one night—allowing more time for imaginations to run wild. But rather than going gung-ho on producing would-be hits, the camp’s participants aim for optimum conditions to let the juices flow. New Jersey native Dougie F—who had a hand in penning Drake’s “Jimmy Crooks” and Jack Harlow’s “First Class”, both No. 1 smash hits—has been working with Headie One, Popcaan, Wretch 32, ENNY and more during his time at Metropolis.

“I work based on the feeling,” says Dougie F. “You have to be willing to compromise and able to read the room and see where you can insert yourself. You have to be intentional: if you come into a room saying, ‘I just wanna have fun and make good music,’ the product is going to feel like that. You never want these camps to feel like work.”  

Mirroring Dougie F’s outlook is Ari PenSmith, a Grammy Award-winning songwriter who has worked with Queen Bey, Wizkid and Kaytranada, and shared a studio with Garrett, Tay Keith, T-Minus and A1 x J1 this time round.

“I came here to have fun, make some new friends and just enjoy myself,” he says. “I think a lot of people tend to put pressure on themselves because of who’s in the room, but—for me—I look for those longer lasting relationships that you can build. When I write with others, I don’t necessarily walk in with any expectation for how a song should turn out. I work with what the energy is.” 

Ultimately, beyond the goal of making music, these artists cherish the personal relationships they cultivate, so much so that the music almost feels irrelevant. In an industry that can be territorial and outright confrontational at times, the respect for each other that fills Metropolis is nothing short of admirable, as universal as the act of creating. Warner Chappell’s venture, as a result, can be classed as an overwhelming, collaborative success.

“This camp is a multicultural, multifaceted open space for people to create and I love that,” says Samuel Ademosu, founder of The Flight Club, management home for names such as TSB, P2J and Ari Pensmith. “It proves London is a real creative hub. Stuff like this doesn’t just happen in Los Angeles or Atlanta, so it’s a big thing for us.”