Challenge Champion: Ervin Munir

At Talent Is Timeless, we run Monthly Songwriting Challenges to help keep our members writing, sharing, and connecting. Each month, we spotlight some of the incredible songwriters who placed in these challenges — inviting them to share a bit more about their lives, their creative journeys, and the stories behind their songs.

This month, we’re featuring Ervin Munir, a 69-year-old songwriter from Sheringham, Norfolk, who joined Talent Is Timeless in June 2022.

Ervin’s musical path began, as many honest ones do, with heartache. “I think my original inspiration was the difficulty I had in finding a girlfriend in early life,” he shares. “It hurt. I wrote lyrics about it and had just started playing guitar.” That early emotional honesty laid the groundwork for a songwriting voice that would evolve over decades — and never stop growing.

Like many, Ervin has wrestled with self-doubt along the way. “It’s an occupational hazard for most songwriters and I’m definitely not immune to it,” he admits. “I can play a great gig and feel confident for a while, but then the confidence drains away again.” But he’s also discovered what can help: community, encouragement, and creative momentum.

That turning point came during the 2022 Talent Is Timeless Create and Release course — a milestone that included recording a song at Abbey Road Studios and performing live at The Camden Club. “It was a great boost,” Ervin says. “I made some good friends along the way. Supportive friends are great.”

The song that placed in the Monthly Songwriting Challenge — Felixstowe — is a subtle showcase of both skill and serendipity. It started with a chord progression inspired by Neil Young’s Old Man, where Ervin flipped a slide between F and D, adding a slide to G. That progression became the bones of something deeper. “I used the word Felixstowe as a placeholder,” he explains. “But it eventually became much more important lyrically.”

There was another first, too: Felixstowe was the song that finally made it past the gatekeepers of BBC Introducing and aired on the radio. “That was a breakthrough,” Ervin reflects. “It was the first of my songs to be played on BBC Radio.”

Beyond single songs, Ervin has found lasting pride in building something tangible. “Creating a space to record and forming a great musical relationship with my producer Aeron Z Jones” has led to a stream of releases, including two full albums — Broken Compass and Pure and Simple — with a third already in the works.

Talent Is Timeless has been a constant thread in his recent creative chapter. “The TisT community are a great support,” he says. “Especially in those times when I’m feeling less confident.” Alongside the Create and Release course, Ervin has drawn inspiration from the songwriting retreats and the piano songwriting course — which helped him develop a new style and release several piano-based songs.

One of the more surprising lessons? “The songwriting retreats have helped me feel confident about writing to order,” he says. “I didn’t think I’d be good at that.” Still, his favorite songs often arrive the old-fashioned way: “A lyric or tune pops into my head and I stop everything and write. Either way, I love the journey.”

For other songwriters over 50, Ervin’s advice is both practical and profound: “Surround yourself with supportive people.”

His story is a reminder that it’s never too late to shape a meaningful body of work — and that sometimes, the best music comes when you follow the thread of an idea, even if it starts as just a word: Felixstowe.

You can listen to Ervin’s winning song here: https://open.spotify.com/track/3FvsmTgouVcCXA3Jfr2gvX?si=-rkOLXyjTti2ZN7EI6HGIg&context=spotifysearch

And connect with Ervin on Talent Is Timeless here: https://www.talentistimeless.com/members/ervin-munir/profile/

Timeless Reacts EP: Ervin Munir