Posts by Clay Mills
SongTown – The Power Of Community For Songwriters
When I first started writing songs I was obsessed with listening to records. Songs and sound just turned me on. I was thoroughly engrossed with my favorite artist. I read books about Bob Dylan, I read liner notes and interviews with the Eagles. Deep down, I felt I was part of their world through their…
Read MoreSongwriters: Are You Using The Power Of Metadata?
Let’s talk about a powerful tool that I use daily in my songwriting life, Metadata. Metadata is the key to mastering your song catalog and making better pitches. It organizes your songs and helps you target with what they’re looking for. And most importantly, when you send your song to a publisher or producer or…
Read MoreSongwriting 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 MoreBad Music And Songwriting
“I want more than anything to get one of my songs recorded by a major artist on the radio.” “Today’s music sucks. The stuff artist are putting out is bad music and it all sounds the same!!” (Two sentences spoken by an aspiring songwriter during a coffee conversation.) The other day at Bongo Java Coffee…
Read MoreFake It Till You Make It: A Pro Songwriter Shares Why It Isn’t A Smart Strategy
How many times have you heard it said that one must “Fake it to make it” or “Act as if you’ve already achieved your goal.” Nice comforting quotes but not a smart strategy for chasing your songwriting goals. I remember starting out years ago, landing my first publishing deal as a staff writer in Nashville,…
Read MoreCJ Solar Unplugged: Revealing His Path to Becoming a Hit Writer
Hit songwriter/artist CJ Solar stops by the SongTown Studios to share his songwriting expertise and sing a couple tunes. CJ is not only a multi-hit songwriter but he’s also a performed on the road for years. Did the artist HARDY once play bass in CJ’s band? Find out all the details! Clay & Marty’s 10-day…
Read MoreHow To Find Great Song Ideas
Ever wonder where your favorite artists or songwriters consistently find those great song ideas? I like to think of ideas as a creative river—constantly flowing by. It may sound simplistic, but maybe it’s purely a matter of learning how to catch them. Once you learn how to find great song ideas, it really is that easy.…
Read MoreFeeling Uninspired? How To Get Your Songwriting Groove Back
Do you feel like your melodies are dated? Are you in a creative rut? It happens to us all. One day we wake up and everything starts sounding the same. Every new idea we create seems familiar. And worse, those ideas may sound like melodies we heard years before! So, how do we stop banging…
Read More5 Ways To Break Out Of Your Writing Rut And Spark New Songs
One of the hardest things a songwriter has to learn to level-up their writing is learning how to avoid or pull themselves out of a songwriting rut. Here are 5 things I’ve learned over my 25+ year career that have me avoid songwriting ruts and stay inspired… Switch instruments to spark new song ideas… If…
Read MoreThe Erin Enderlin Interview: “Last Call”
Find out what Sir Elton John thinks about singer-songwriter Erin Enderlin’s music and soak in some writing wisdom as she stops by the SongTown Podcast set. Host Clay Mills chats with her about her amazing career as a hit songwriter and alt-country singer. It’s truly a don’t-miss episode as she sings a gorgeous raw version…
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