Two Pens Can Be Better Than One: co-writing songs for artistic and commercial success There’s sometimes a stigma associated with co-writing, as if there’s a purity to the “solitary creator” … Continue reading
songwriting
His most famous song? He almost didn’t write it and he doesn’t know what it’s about.
At about 11:50 into this video of Pixies frontman Frank Black (aka Black Francis/Charles Thompson) playing an acoustic set for a wonderful group of kids facing some tough times at … Continue reading
How to keep the momentum going in your songwriting career
This article was written by Dave Kusek, founder of the New Artist Model, an online music business school for independent musicians, performers, recording artists, producers, managers, and songwriters. He is … Continue reading
How to write a pop song
What do you get when you put the hits of Justin Timberlake, Kesha, Psy, Mumford & Sons, Carly Rae Jepsen, and The Black Eyed Peas in a blender? Something like … Continue reading
How literate are YOUR lyrics?
Studying the dumbness of pop music When someone says “literate songwriting,” I think of Dave Carter, Kool Keith, Mary Gauthier, Elvis Costello. But let’s think about it more… literally, as … Continue reading
A letter to a young lyricist, from Gavin Castleton
[This post, written by Gavin Castleton, is part of a series of letters from established artists (including Gretchen Peters and Mary Gauthier) to young musicians — and it originally appeared on … Continue reading
The Business of Songwriting: Co-writers and Split Sheets
As a songwriter, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the creativity and excitement of writing and forget about the business side of things. A lot of times, the very … Continue reading
10 ways to ruin a song
As Spinal Tap reminds us, it’s a fine line between stupid and clever. This is particularly true in the world of popular music, where one bad move can kill an otherwise … Continue reading
There are only nine kinds of songs
There are only 26 letters; there are only 12 notes; and there are only 9 kinds of lyrics. They fit into the following categories: 1. We broke up. 2. We’re breaking up. … Continue reading
How to get out of your comfort zone for increased songwriting success
[This post was written by guest contributor Anthony Ceseri.] The best things in life typically happen when you get a little outside your comfort zone. Think about when you’ve done … Continue reading