Songwriting Tips

First of all I have to credit this blog post to one of my publishing mentors, Steve Lindsey (one of the only o.g. Publishers, who I really respect as far as identifying and developing new talent). I asked Steve … “How can I impress upon the writers and artists on my roster - just what it takes and where the bar is, and how important ... CONTINUE READING

There’s a deep, ancient history of songwriting ... from the hits on today’s charts, to war chants, spirituals, gospel, blues and ______ (insert historical music genre or a form of communication here). And thus - I welcome you to today’s post - highlighting and exploring the lost songwriting art of “call and response.” I say it’s a lost art, as so few people are really aware of the art form ... CONTINUE READING

Let me guess? You’ve been looking far and wide for that “hit songwriting” special sauce, that unique magical hit equation, or I don’t know, a special amulet you can wear around your neck - and that - simply by chanting a magic spell, you can have the power of hit songwriting. Well, good news. Step aside, Gandalf. You’ve found it. ... CONTINUE READING

Ahh, the “2nd Melody” aka the vitally important yet usually overlooked magical hit factor of “The Riff.” If you’re not already switched on to this idea, I really think this could be a huge insight for you. Now, not everything can be filtered down into a hit songwriting formula, but if there ever was a cornerstone of hitmaking – this is a core piece. And I remember how I came upon ... CONTINUE READING

Here’s a question - not just for beginning songwriters but for established pros: Hmm - What to write a song about? Or maybe it's not so much what to write - but what direction to actually focus on when you’re in your session. I mean - there’s a plethora, just an endless supply of melodies, lyrics, concepts etc. So where do you begin? How do you know the seed of an idea you’ve chosen is even a great one? ... CONTINUE READING