Author: Clay Mills

  When I was 19 and moved to New York to pursue my dream of being a songwriter, I was fortunate enough to meet someone who invited me into a song circle. I had no clue what a song circle was or what it would one day mean to me, but...

      When I was 19 years old, I decided to leave my small Alabama hometown and strike out on a journey to the Big Apple: New York City. It took a combination of naivety and hard-headedness, I suppose. After all, I didn’t know anyone in New York City, and I...

Multi #1 songwriter Clay Mills talks about the importance of creating both rhythmic & melodic "hooks" for verses when writing songs.

All part of the weekly lesson series for members at SongTown.

  Throughout my 20 years as a professional songwriter, I’ve noticed there isn't always a large difference in talent level among creative people. Why, then do some songwriters seem to have an over abundance of fans buying their music while others struggle to sell the first song? The answer is there is not a...

  People often ask me if they have to do full-production demos to present songs to publishers or major artist? I do a fair amount of full demos, but I also have had about half of my major cuts from pitching home demos done on a very basic set-up on...

  Today, being a successful songwriter is not just about sitting down with your instrument and pouring out your heart and soul. Now it resembles more a juggler in a circus act. Once a song is completed, you can pat yourself on the back. But then you must throw the next...

    The Horse & Writer Retreat A few years back I got an invite from one of my favorite country songwriters, Skip Ewing, to go out to Wyoming and share my knowledge of songwriting at a campfor a week. The event was called Horse & Writer. We rode horses during the morning and worked on...

    If I had to choose one thing as the most important thing in songwriting, it would be "making your song believable." Throughout the entire writing process I am asking myself, does this feel real? When someone hears your song for the first time, that's what hits them first. Nothing loses the listener faster than...

  The set-up line is the line just before the title or hook of your song. It is probably the most under-valued yet crucial lyrical line of most songs. Yet, I am constantly reminded in my mentoring sessions of how few writers are aware of this element of a song. Here's an example of a...

These three songwriting exercises are designed to get you into the flow of writing without thinking. Your best ideas come from the subconscious, and you can tap into this with regular practice. Remember to do these exercises quickly, spending three minutes on each in rapid fire succession. I set the...