Posts by Clay Mills
Songwriting Hack – “Lyrical Opposites”
In this episode, Hit Songwriter Clay Mills talks about lyrical opposites and how you can use them in your songwriting to create hookier and more powerful songs. Chapters: Chapter 1: Titles Chapter 2: Implied Opposites Chapter 3: Setup Lines 1. Titles Check out these titles: “I Hate Myself for Loving You”, “Beautiful Mess”, “Nobody In…
Read MoreSongwriters And Artists: Writing Real Vs. Really Clever Songs
Perhaps the most common songwriting mistake that I’ve seen kill a song… If I had to choose one songwriting mistake I’ve seen over and over in mentoring sessions through the years, it would be “writing clever instead of writing real.” Throughout the entire writing process I am asking myself, does this feel real? Could this have really happened?…
Read MoreThe Music Lab: Verses Are The New Chorus
One of the most noticeable style shifts in songwriting over the last few years is the emergence of chorus-like hooks in verses. For the longest time, if you had a memorable and “hit” sing-a-long chorus you were golden. Your chances of finding an audience for your songs were pretty good. Even if you were the…
Read MoreSongTown: A No Guru Zone- Why We Created Something Real For Songwriters
SongTown – A no “Guru” zone for songwriters… At SongTown, we’ve been pretty protective of our songwriting community. It’s a private community of some of the best up and coming songwriters around. Marty Dodson and I started it 8 years ago to help grow aspiring writers into world-class writers. A lot of folks in the…
Read MoreCut The Cheese!
Cut the cheese! (And we are not talking about the smelly kind!!) Hit Songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson share the things that can keep you from getting your song cut… sounding cheesy! They share from their experience what makes a song cheesy and how you can fix it to have a greater chance of…
Read MoreSongwriting Hack! “Short-Short-Long Verse”
Recognizing Patterns Today, a friend of mine posted on Facebook, a song by Bruce Springsteen. It’s an old song called “My Hometown”, and it kind of struck me. I often encourage people, when they listen to melodies, to try to recognize patterns. I hadn’t heard this song in a long time, and the first thing…
Read MoreWhat Do Publishers Look For In Songs?
For many songwriters and artists, trying to figure out what publishers look for in songs can often feel like stumbling through an endless maze. Often this search for what someone else is looking for leaves an artists or writer losing touch with their own talent and uniqueness. Throughout my career I’ve managed to navigate this…
Read MoreHow To Write Songs For Sync Licensing
In today’s ever changing music landscape, writing music for sync has become an important marketplace for songs and songwriters. Knowing how to write songs for sync will not only supplement a writer’s income but it also has the potential to launch a recording artist from obscurity to stardom. More music content is being consumed now…
Read MoreOther People’s Opinions On Your Songs – Is It Good Or Bad For Your Songwriting?
One of the hardest things to come to grips with as a songwriter is other peoples opinions on your songs. Here is a story that can help you navigate the waters of song feedback. I wrote with a writer last week who is actively looking for a publishing deal. He is a super talented writer…
Read MoreSeparating The Song From Its Production
As a songwriter I have been blessed with both a career I never dreamed possible and a chance to help thousands of talented writers at SongTown level-up up their songwriting. I especially love delving into vocal melodies and different production techniques that will make a song stand the test of time. Every January I give…
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