Some helpful songwriting ideas

Below are some thoughts on songwriting that I have found helpful. Whether a novice, or a hall-of-famer pro, I hope you you find them helpful too.

always keep a pen and pencil near (or your iPhone).

sometimes you need the idea for the song before you write it, meaning, it's helpful to have the hook already, something that we can all relate too. the rest of the song usually just writes itself once that ball is rolling.

we will write shitty songs, it's inevitable. when we keep at it, we will also write good ones, maybe even great ones.

try writing with a secondary instrument, or even an instrument that you don't know how to play at all. this can sometimes spark that 6th sense/creative instinct that can sometimes lie dormant.

all of the ideas are already out there, floating around in the air, listen for them, and they will find you. there is an endless amount of creativity out there. it will never end.

eavesdrop on other people's conversations. they sometimes say the coolest things. there has been more than one occasion a line has fallen in my lap by sitting at a bar with my note pad by myself and listening to what people are saying around me.

copy the greats. do it, you'll be better for it. i need to do this one more myself, but every time i have, i've learned a ton.

words matter. for some, they come really easily, for others, the music comes way easier. whatever is your case, words matter, so take your time with them if you need to.

all you need is three chords and the truth- sometimes, but most of the time this is absolute bull shit. take away the three chord stipulation, and leave the truth part.

now to contradict myself, simplicity rules! when i graduated with a jazz degree, i had to put at least two seventh chords in every song, and guess what, most of those songs sucked!

if you want to write a hit song, sometimes you have to pander to the lowest common denominator. if you want to write a great song, speak your truth. rarely the two meet... al least speaking from a lyrical point of view.

write all types of music, pop, country, rock, edm, classical... try your hand at everything you can. you'll learn something new from each category, which can be channeled into your own personal work in really cool ways.

lastly, JUST KEEP DOING IT. writing is a skill, it is a craft. the best writers do it all the time, yes, as i mentioned above you are guaranteed to write a bunch of crap, but as you do it more and more, you'll start to see what works, what mechanisms exist, and the best way to apply them. you'll learn to strengthen your voice, and be more confident in what you have to say. you'll learn and you'll keep getting better.

what songwriting tips or ideas do you have? what are some of your thoughts concerning other artistic processes? please share!

Swearing Popes = No One is Perfect and The Gap

So I missed a week. When I started this blog, I promised myself that I would do it every single week, no matter what else was going on. I think sometimes I bite off more than I can chew. Maybe you can relate? I get mad when I break promises to myself, even unreasonable ones, but then I remember that no one is infallible. Even the pope let the "f word" slip out and into the microphone, throughout St Peters Square https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jUt0AY8mXY. Though my intentions are good, I make mistakes, we all do, and it's easy to beat ourselves up over it. The important thing is that I/we keep going, and get right back in the saddle... Regardless of what caused the slip up, if we believe in what we can achieve, we have to keep going and growing. In my case it was just being too damn busy and over scheduling myself, but other times it's fear that can paralyze me, or self doubt, or procrastination. I saw recently, as I'm sure some of you already have, a great video on this topic of "just keep going". It is entitled The Gap, by Ira Glass and Daniel Sax. Please check it out! It's great. http://vimeo.com/85040589.

So here's to another week, where I get to reinvent myself all over again, I get to raise the stakes again, I get to  challenge myself again, I get to laugh at my shortcomings again, and I get to tell myself to chill the f out, again.

What do you want to challenge yourself with? What do you want to laugh about this week?

Nashville, Updated

Here is my week: Wednesday: day session with my buddies Goodsex. They are a great garage type band, and super cool guys, and hillarious. The session went great (once I figured out how to solve that weird lattency situation!). They're going to be releasing a 7 inch this spring. For a listen to their first record, go here. http://goodsex.bandcamp.com/

Night time rehearsal with my band, The Sound Awake. Thomas Elefante (drums/vocals), Kevin Harper (bass/vocals), and Alex Tomkins (guitar/vocals) are super f-ing talented and rad dudes. I'm lucky that they like the tunes, and are kind enough to play with me. If you see them around Nashville, give them a hug. We're going to be doing a bunch of recording together, not to mention playing shows in the Nashville area.

Thursday: a bunch of meetings (which I won't bore you with, but they were with some super friendly and helpful folks, so thanks folks!)

Night time session with Danny Leggett (he's so legit!). Danny is the man! Great songwriter, and singer. He hasn't put out anything in a while, so we're both excited for this EP! You can follow him on instagram @dannyleggittman

Friday: more meetings, followed by some work for Will Musham, for his third recording to be released at some point in the future (after he releases his second record which I produced and engineered last year). Will is a fantastic songwriter. You can check him out at http://willmusham.com/ and look for his release sometime soon.

Friday night (tonight!)... we'll see, was supposed to have a session with my other Danny Sierra! I've posted pics of Danny before and mentioned how absolutely rad he and his music is, but I'll do so again. He's an amazing singer songwriter. This is his debut EP, and it is going to be really great!

or i'll go see my friends from upstate NY, Driftwood perform tonight at a house show. I caught them on tuesday at The Basement here in Nashville. You should DEFINITELY give them a listen, they just released a new record and are out on tour. They're tighter than a frogs ass. http://driftwoodtheband.com/

Sat/Sun I have all day/night sessions with my buddies The Heavy Heavy Hearts, a really great guitar/bluesy/rock band from here in Nashville. Super excited to work with these dudes, they're great players and have a really cool sound going. http://theheavyheavyhearts.com/

(photo taken from their fb page, no idea who took it, but i didn't!)

Monday, back to The Sound Awake rehearsal! for our first ever show in Nashville, which is happening the day after...

Tuesday, the show! We're playing at the Basement, as part of their "new faces" night. My/our first nashville show... sighhhh

And on it goes... So how is Nashville you ask? GREAT!

New vs Old, Why Jack White Is Wrong, Kind Of

Let me start by saying that I am indeed a (fairly big) fan of Jack White. I have seen him perform live, I own a bunch of his records, my favorite possibly being the first Raconteurs record. My love affair with Mr White goes back to the White Stripes. So when I saw that he and Conan O'Brien had a sit down, informal, chill/hang/interview, I stopped whatever I was doing and sat there on my couch with my laptop in complete attention to two of my favorite "celebrities" yucking it up, talking about music and life. Check it out. Jack White and Conan O'Brien

One of the topics that they carry on about, quite a bit, is about how digital music and technology has hindered       our experience, as a mass, and gotten us accustomed to auto tuned vocals, non-performances and the like. I am paraphrasing here quite a bit, but if you're interested, go to minute 24, through about 27, and listen for yourself.

I have conflicting feelings about this. I too love real performances. I love singing/playing guitar on a track that I know I can do well, or working with musicians that are amazing. I hate the idea that people can just go in, move some things around in an edit window, and come out with a brand new "performance". I love the accidental little mistakes that make a track sparkle with humanity and emotion. I love the sound of analog tape, and all its gooey warmth. That all being said, it is 100% impossible for me to pursue recording the same way Mr White does. Number one, I don't have tens of thousands in disposable income to spend on buying, and maintaining (by which I mean fixing) old analog equipment and tape machines. I did actually own an eight track tape/recording console (Tascam 388) before moving to Nashville, but I sold it before moving down here. I was a little afraid of what kind of damage would happen to it in the move, and truthfully I spent more time elbow deep in it trying to figure out why it wasn't working properly than I actually spent using it. Number two, I have to work hard and fast to make my income as a musician/producer. I don't have the luxury of taking all the time in the world to record in an all analog environment. Case in point, I have a band coming in today to knock out two songs in two hours. This is going to be hard enough to do without having to rewind tape every take, or punch in after the fact, or god forbid have to splice anything.

So, I love Jack White, and I would love to have Jack White produce me one day, and have him school me in analog mastery. I would learn a lot I'm sure. And I love the idea of performing all to tape, dumping to 2 track and mastering on the way, but it just isn't practical. Whenever I work in the role as producer/engineer, my first thought is to always serve the song and artists vision. The how of that comes second, and at the end of the day, I'm not sure the how matters much if you are being true to the artistic vision. I have heard it said, and believe art to be about conception, with execution coming second.

I would love to hear what my musician/engineer/producer friends think on this, as well as what the casual music lovers think too. So what do you think?

I used to hate "K.I.S.S."

The acronym stands for is "keep it simple stupid". My high school coach used to yell "K.I.S.S." over and over in practice. I hated it! Who likes to be called stupid, especially when you're sixteen years old and master and commander of all the knowledge in the universe? But eventually I learned to not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

The difficulty with simplicity for me is that it feels good to complicate things. It makes me feel like I'm getting things done, getting smarter, or working harder. It feels like my level of expertise should be rising when I introduce more complication.

When I got out of music school, and started touring, writing and recording with my band full time, it was as if I had every jazzy chord tattooed on my brain and I would be required to use at least a minimum of four of those chords per song, or else my dean would come in the room and kick my ass, screaming "Dominant 7" over and over (forgive the music geek joke)! And guess what, I had no idea how to write a good song. I realize now that I  hadn't learned how to use all that great knowledge that I had spent four years cramming in-between my ears yet.

It took almost ten years after those first, post-college attempts at writing to realize how to use those same complicated chords in a simple way.

Now I love K.I.S., and yes, i prefer it without a side of stupid, because complication does not discriminate between the dumb and the percipient. So if I'm plugging in a microphone, writing a chorus, making business phone calls, communicating with my wife, or telling a joke, I've got my brain tuned to simplicity. I've found that the simplest answers are usually the right ones, and they usually get the complicated jobs done the fastest.

How about you? What do you do to keep things simple? What's your favorite "simple" song?

Listening: The Art of Telling a Story

Slowly but surely, I'm getting better at writing songs. It is a craft as far as I'm concerned, and yes, sometimes we stumble upon complete luck/grace/inspiration and we can write a great song that seemingly comes straight out of thin air. But even that scenario smells of sweaty preparation to me. So I practice, and I write a lot. The David was not created by a man who was picking up the chisel for the first time. We, as humans, learn and get better. We soak in our surroundings and even despite ourselves, we allow it all to influence us and the art we produce. Since moving to Nashville I've made it a priority to get better at listening to the new people I meet. Really listening, not just shaking my head and thinking of my response even before they're done speaking (which can be very hard to do). It is a skill that I think many people take for granted, and one that I want to get better at.

There is a wealth of inspiration that can bubble up when you meet someone for the first time, and hear their unique story, and not just hear it, but feel it. I want to start paying attention more, and capture that empathy, and maybe a bit of someone's story in the songs I write. I wonder if we could wipe away writers block if we practiced our art in the context of listening to the world around us.

When I really listen, I am also a better husband, friend, producer, musician, brother and son.

Writing a great song is often a result of telling a great story, and there are so many amazing stories out there.

Have you ever created anything after being inspired by someone's personal story or journey?

      

   

   

"Trust Me"

"Trust me". It seems like there are a million different ways we communicate that short little phrase. I've been reading a lot of books lately on growth, trust, business, and the world we live in. Trust seems to be a topic that keeps bubbling up each and every time I turn a page, in one way or another. At first, I thought that it was a no brainer... you know, don't tell a lie, etc. But the more I think about it (and I say think, not thought, because it's still very much an on going process), the more I realize it is a lot more complex. Do you trust what people say when they give you their opinions, do you trust the internet, and social networks, or the people on them? Do you trust the quality and character of our leaders (churches, schools,  corporations, institutions, universities and so on), do you trust what they say? Do you trust the advertisements that we see on television, or read in magazines? I could go on and on and on. It seems like we have needed to cultivate this ability to make snap shot judgments on who and what to trust just so we can wade through the waters of every day life.

I think this is why people guard their trust so much today, or why some people say we live in a "low trust world" now more than ever. Which I understand, but I also think it's very sad.

As an independent musician/artist, studio owner, entrepreneur and business owner, I have boiled it down for myself to a few basic ideas. First and maybe foremost, I always do what I say I will do (the old integrity principle, which I happen to believe in very much). Show up on time (related to the first, and I'm still very much working on this one!!!), have a firm handshake, and look people in the eye. I'm a simpleton, so these all seem to make sense for me. There is also something to being a good listener, and listening with out an agenda that I find very important.

These are also things that are actually in my power to control, which is nice. I'm not helpless.

When some one trusts me with their song/production/mix or whatever, its my job to care as much as I would if it were my own piece of art. Sometimes that can be a challenge, but usually not, and it is always rewarding. Again, its something that is in my control, and helps facilitate trust, so it builds and builds, and relationships are born. Good ones, where the two parties don't have to make snap shot judgements towards each other, they can just let the relationship grow, and be.

Like I said earlier, this is still very much a process that I am learning and thinking about, so these are just my thoughts today.

How do you feel about the state of "trust" in todays world? What do you do to facilitate trust in your every day life?

A picture of trust...

Friends Who Write Songs Together Stay Together

This past week has been a fun one. Some dear friends of ours, on their way here to visit us from upstate NY last Thursday, had some rather bad auto-mechanical failures. In other words, they need a new transmission AND clutch, and it was on a truck that they had just purchased three days before, and they drove all the way from NY to Colorado to pick it up. So, basically a cataclysmic failure of a trip. But they took it in great stride, and despite the unexpected, but considerable dent in the wallet, I have been amazed at how calm, collected, and positive attitude-ish they have been. And we have made the most of their time here. We've eaten at some great Nashville restaurants, we've gone out to bars, cooked meals, watched movies, dealt with a clogged kitchen sink, and played cards. And two days ago, after reading a passage from the book "Thinker-toys", we decided to write a song together about the experience. Maybe you've heard of the "Exquisite Corpse" before? In the book, this particular exercise outlines a set of instructions that focuses on group thinking, and cohesion. I won't go into the exact details (you should read the book... very good), but the basic idea is you take random words that each person associates with the given topic without over thinking, and you then have a brainstorm session, and for our purposes, write down together any phrases that come to mind once everyone has shared their words. Essentially taking two different and seemingly random words, and connecting them. Some of the repeating ideas or words were: clogged sink, Nashville, train tracks (they back up to the studio), broken down trucks, garbage disposals... you get the idea. Later we went in the studio to turn these phrases, ideas, and lyrics into the realized song.

The whole process was totally different compared to how I normally work. It was also with people who are dear friends, but people I have never had that kind of working relationship with before.

I am constantly and pleasantly surprised at the genius that can happen when people are excited working in the  cooperation zone together. There seems to be a new level of awareness that becomes apparent when people are in to making it happen. It takes honesty, and a commitment to listening and understanding before speaking.

I can't wait to take this same spirit and energy to the production/engineering sessions I have coming up, and my first co-writing sessions too.

What is your process for writing? What tips or techniques do you find inspirational or empowering?

Eric wearing the magical Wizard Hat...

Kim rocking the Tele...

Meredith was the one taking the pictures...

My First Taste of the Nashville Cool-Aid

Yes indeed, I am high on self esteem, and good vibes. I'm riding the mind blowing currents that make up the Nashville music scene. Now, I've done a few things since getting here, some songs for friends, some official work for other friends back in New York, but this will be the first time I drink the Nashville cool-aid. So, I'm excited! More specifically, it's working with Danny Siera that is getting me excited. He is a great song writer with a great voice, and someone who is open to new sounds and sonic textures. Which is a great combination, because I think it allows us to really push ourselves and come up with something that surprises both of us. Something that we can't help but get excited about.

Synergy. Yes it's an over used word. But more importantly, it is a real live, breathing thing, a force, and it is one of the reasons Danny's EP is going to be kick ass.

What creation have you made or been a part of recently that totally surprised you in a good way? Let me hear em!

New Year, New Gear: A tale of caution and excitement

This week I've decided to share a case study on "gear-disease". A disease that I study closely, keeping track of all the latest studies, research, and experiments. Gear-disease, as defined by the webster dictionary, means "a malady or disorder featuring erratic spending behavior on things that the general public would deem irresponsible, unnecessary, or frivolous." I recently stumbled on a sample case that I found very educational (the names have been changed to protect those involved): John goes to pick up his kids from school, and takes a different route than usual. This route just so happens to take John by "Residence of Guitars", a vintage guitar store, where they entice unwary gear-a-holics with their greased and tatted up sexy sales men and women. In the front window of the store, on a make shift throne lies a mint condition 1959 Fender Deluxe, that looks like it's barely been touched since it was made. A virgin, if you will. John sees the store first, and instantly he feels the first rushes of his gear-disease kicking in, then he sees the amp...  In a semi conscious stupor John stops the car in the middle of the street (causing a multi car pile up behind him) and walks into the store, eyes dilated like frisbees. Fast forward five minutes, and John is buckling the amp into the back seat of his car, and driving directly to his buddy Skip's house to jam. With the responsibilities of a being a father and a husband forgotten, with no remorse for now having to take out a second mortgage to pay for his habit, and with no awareness of how his gear-disease caused more than a few fender benders, John is a shell of his former self. John's story is a sad tale, but a cautionary one, meant to teach us all a very valuable lesson. Don't buy the 59 Deluxe, buy a 72 Bass Man head instead. It's way cheaper, and almost (maybe) as nice.

Yay new gear!!!!

What new gear do you drool over?

Happy New Year!

This is a fun one with Danny Sierra, worshiping at the alter of Banjo's, Tape-Op, Electro-Harmonics and whiskey after a very productive night of tracking for his new record.

Holiday Hooray and Album Give Away

I love this time of year!!!! I love giving gifts the most. Who doesn't love getting them too, but really, it's all about the giving. Somehow it's more satisfying. I love the ramp up, the excitement of waiting. That feeling right as you are about to run downstairs to see what Santa laid below the tree. That feeling has stayed with me all the way into adulthood, only thing now it has transformed into more of an excitement for giving rather than than receiving. So, first five people who comments on this blog post will receive a free vinyl LP. Just leave your name in the comment box with your email so I can get in touch with you.

Happy Holidays, and travel safe! See you in 2014.

What are you most excited for this Holiday season? What are you most excited to give?

Welcome to Awake Studios: My Dream Client

My dream client is someone who values adventure. My dream client is someone who loves to create, breathes to create, and lives to inspire. My dream client is a singer/songwriter, or a band, or a one (wo)man band, or... I love being a mad scientist, locked away, inventing textures, and sounds. I love mixing. I love the gear I have, and the gear I can't afford. Gear-disease, it's real. My dream client allows me to help them achieve their vision, a sonic "dreams come true". Who is your dream client? What type of person do you want to work with? ps: Every studio should have at least one Beatles book somewhere for your perusal. It is law.

Benefit Concert for Andrew Leahey 12/12/13 @ Cannery Ballroom

 

-photo taken from Cannery Ballroom site

It's too easy to take things for granted in life. I don't know Andrew Leahey personally, but he's a friend of a friend. Andrew is a musician, songwriter and has a band called The Homestead here in Nashville. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor some time ago and went in for 12 hours of surgery this past November. With the surgery came risks of hearing loss, paralysis, or even death. Fortunately, he seems to be mending quite well.

Musicians, as self employed people, 9 times out of 10 can't afford health insurance. I hope that changes in the near future.

So, we in the community gather together in support of another human being, who is fortunate to have friends who love and care enough to organize a benefit concert in his honor. I'm guessing that brain surgery isn't cheap. It is nice to be loved when you are in need of love. It's nice to love when someone else is in need of it.

If we want to have a positive impact on the ones we love, and others around us in our community, more than half the battle is showing up. So next thursday, I'm going to show up. I hope you join me. Lets get Andrew back on his feet, and playing music again. Because life is short, and worth the effort.

Share your story. What are you going to show up for? What one thing can you do to have a positive impact on your family/friends and community this week?

-photo taken from Cannery Ballroom site

Moving To Nashville: Things To Be Grateful For

Moving to Nashville was the best thing my wife and I could have done. It has refreshed us, fired us up and inspired us. We are only three months in granted, but I have yet to meet an ass-hole. I'm sure they're out there. But the only thing I have found is talented and passionate people, who don't thrive on competition, but a spirit of "we're in this together". Right up my alley, I've never bought into the idea that there is only so much pie.

Speaking of pie, happy thanksgiving! I am truly grateful for the opportunity I have to live here in Nashville, and be apart of this music community.

I had my first friends-giving already this year, and though I miss my family, it was a ton of fun!

So this year I am grateful for courage, for not listening to the inner demons, but acting out of faith. I'm grateful for the ability to believe before I see, and for acting despite my fear, for taking the plunge, and any other all-to-right-on cliche's that hit the nail on the head.

How about you? What are you grateful for?

RECORD PRESSING