The focus of my PhD is the artistic inheritance of the classic pop songwriting tradition, as characterised by what I see as its core aesthetic values - tunefulness, conciseness and the use of clear sectionalised structures. My research explores the combination of these priorities with features not usually associated with pop, such as periodic variation, polyrhythmic layering, harmonic ambiguity and melodic counterpoint, with the aim being to create complex and unpredictable music imbued with pop's directness of communication. The result of this research is a portfolio of four contrasting projects: 'I.D.', a full-length album of songs, 'Down The Tubes', an instrumental piece designed for private listening, 'Malicious Insomnia', a concert work written for the new music ensemble 'Sudden Junction', and 'Terse', a four-song E.P. These were chosen to demonstrate the wide applicability of my pop-derived musical language, and feature collaborations with established performers from pop, folk, jazz and classical backgrounds.