Posts by Clay Mills
9 Things Skilled Songwriters Do Differently
So, what does it take to be a world-class writer? Early in my career, a Hall of Fame songwriter offered me an invaluable piece of insight. He said many people make it 95 percent of the way to greatness, but very few finish the last 5% of the journey. That statement has fascinated me, and…
Read MoreThe Loop/Keys/Vocal Worktape
Hit Songwriter Clay Mills is a ten-time ASCAP awards winning songwriter/producer, penning #1 hits for Darius Rucker (“Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It”), Diamond Rio (“Beautiful Mess”), and Kimberley Locke (“Fall”). Along the way collecting Grammy Nominations for “Beautiful Mess” and Trisha Yearwood’s “Heaven Heartache and the Power of Love”. Clay has had over…
Read MoreSongTown – 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…
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