Life, family, and music.
Songwriting is mostly shushing. You gotta shush people in your head for a good hour or two. “Dumb idea,” says one.“Shush!” you say.“Stupid,” says another.“Shush.” There are about fifteen or so people badmouthing you and they look like your mom and dad. They look like the kid who sat behind you in math class and …
Is this song any good? That’s a question songwriters ask themselves a lot. But “good” is subjective. What’s less subjective is knowing whether your song is remarkable. Remarkable is the thing you’re after as a songwriter. What do I mean by “remarkable”? I mean someone, of their own volition, remarking about your song. This can’t …
Hi Aaron, When you have nothing to write about, where do you look for inspiration? Do you read true stories that have happened to other people and write about their story? Do you read books, watch movies, or cowrite with someone who actually has something to write about, etc.? Nathanael Such a good question, Nathanael. …
Jealously. It’s bound to happen as a songwriter. Someone has written something you wish you had. Someone is getting the praise you think you deserve. Then you feel bad about feeling this way, which leads to feeling worse until you begin stress-eating Cheetos. What I recommend for the long term is therapy. Like me, you …
Hey Aaron! I hope all is well! I’m finally taking you up on the offer to ask questions. I’m in the process of releasing some music with a friend. I have a ton of confusion around publishing, distribution and ensuring that things are copyrighted and royalties are going to the right place. Any advice on …
AMA: “Any advice on publishing, distribution and copyright?” -Darin Read More »
How’s the hand healing? How has physical therapy been? How are you feeling emotionally? (A lot of you have asked versions of this question, thank you!) Physical therapy… I’m getting there! Little by little. I’m basically doing the same activities as two-year olds. My PT station looks like something out of Sesame Street. The goal …
Everyone says to write what you know. There’s a lot of truth to that advice. You’ll have more confidence and authority, plus you’ll be pulling from a deeper well. But even if you write about what you know, you’re not going to know everything. Yesterday I was trying to write a song about boats. I’ve …
How do you tell when a demo like Burning House becomes a fully finished, ready to release production? Caleb Great question, Caleb. When I turn in a song to my publisher, I get it as close to master/ready-to-release quality as I can without spending too much time on it. I always preface my email to …
Have you ever watched the TV show House? It’s about a brilliant but abrasive doctor who is masterful at solving difficult-to-diagnose cases. In the show, Dr. House and his team of doctors hold meetings. In the room, there’s a white board, and House paces holding a marker while his team offers possible diagnoses. Lupus? No. …
Sometimes when you’re writing you’ll have an idea that seems silly. This happens a lot when you’re cowriting. In these scenarios it’s harder to chase the idea because you have a witness to your potential stupidity. Still, the idea fairy tapped on your shoulder. I find it helpful to use phrases like: “Can we try …