Posts by Clay Mills
Songwriters! Wake Up Your Dreams
Following your dreams… 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 only had a grand…
Read MoreInspirational Songwriter Matt Warren
For most people having “overnight success” in the music business is far from the truth. Having success takes time and patience. Hit Songwriter, 2x ASCAP Award Winner, ACM Song Of The Year Nominee Matt Warren shares his inspirational journey of songwriting and how you should never stop learning or taking opportunities when it comes to…
Read MoreDealing With Songwriting Frustrations
Are you frustrated with the ups and downs of songwriting? With a combined 50+ years in the songwriting business, Hit Songwriters Marty Dodson and Clay Mills know just how you feel! Listen in as Marty and Clay talk about common songwriting frustrations and how you can overcome them! Write better songs faster! Clay & Marty’s…
Read MoreTurning No Idea Into A Hit Idea – The Story Behind Darius Rucker’s Single “I Got Nothing”
“I’ve got nothing to write a song about today.” I remember standing outside Darius Rucker’s tour bus saying these words over the phone to a friend. She had just asked me what I was going to write with Darius that day. Here I was outside Chicago, having flown there to meet up with the tour,…
Read MoreSetting Yourself Up To Fail As A Songwriter
Putting a specific time limit on your songwriting success just might set you up for failure. Hit Songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson talk real about the music business and the different factors that come into play to “make it” in the music business. Write better songs faster! Clay & Marty’s 10-day video series will…
Read More5 Songwriting Lessons From Master Yoda
Want to become a Master “Songwriting” Yoda? Here are my top 5 tips! 1.Believe As creative people, we tend to be self-doubters. It’s what drives us to look inward, to constantly question life around us, and, if channeled properly, will drive us to write great songs. It’s perfectly natural to struggle with believing in ourselves…
Read MoreSongwriting Success Was Just Around The Corner: How Could We Have Known?
I remember sitting in my small, cramped writing studio in Nashville 10+ years ago chasing this crazy dream of songwriting… One day I was co-writing with my two best friends and co-writers, Sonny LeMaire and Shane Minor. We’d been writing together for two years, mostly because we loved hanging out with each other and creating…
Read MoreThe Out-Of-Town Songwriter: Getting A Major Artist Cut If You Don’t Live In Nashville, NYC, or LA
The number one question that fills our email inbox is “How do I get a song cut by a major artist if I’m an out-of-town songwriter?” “I don’t live in a big music city” is the challenge. This strikes at the very core of why Marty Dodson and I created this virtual SongTown of kindred…
Read MoreMind Your Own Business
If you are a songwriter you must know and understand the business side of songwriting if you want to be successful. Hit Songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson talk about mechanical licenses, record keeping, negotiating deals with artists and your co-writers, and how to take charge of your own songwriting business in this do-it-yourself world.…
Read MoreSplit Sheets Vs Sh*t Sheets
What do you do when songwriter split sheets turn into sh*t sheets?! Hit Songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson give practical advice on how to handle co-writer splits as well as what an actual split sheet is used for. Write better songs faster! Clay & Marty’s 10-day video series will help you level-up your songs…
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