Posts by Clay Mills
Sometimes All A Songwriter Needs Is Someone To Believe In Them: When All Else Fails
Yesterday during a mentoring session I was asked the question, “When did you decide to be a songwriter/musician?” I thought about it a couple of moments and realized it was never a conscious decision. It was more like music made me. Music made me a musician by always being there. When everything else failed, I…
Read MoreWhy Good Songs Fail: 4 Huge Reasons!
Clay and Marty share 4 reasons why a technically perfect song doesn’t mean you’ve written a song that will matter to the world…. And stick around till the end as they discuss what success really means for a songwriter. Clay & Marty’s 10-day video series: This video series will help you level-up your songs and…
Read MoreThe Creative River Series: What’s Stopping You?
I remember sitting in a Mexican restaurant a few years ago with the late songwriter Tim Johnson. We were preparing to play a benefit that evening for a local high school. “What’s stopping you?” Tim asked. You see, I’d just told him that I’d always dreamed of playing the stage at the legendary Ryman Auditorium.…
Read MoreFeed Me – Great Songwriting Needs Constant Inspiration
Do you feel like your melodies sound dated when you’re writing a new song? Are you in a songwriting rut? It happens to us all. We start rolling and write a bunch of songs we really love, and then one day we wake up and everything starts sounding the same. Every new idea we create seems familiar. And…
Read MoreWrite A Great Song Every Time
Clay and Marty share their best tips on leveling up your songs- every time you sit down to write! Let’s get your A-Game bangin’! Clay & Marty’s 10-day video series: This video series will help you level-up your songs and finish them faster. CLICK HERE to begin! SongTown Press Books: Mastering Melody Writing : Check It Out The…
Read More5 Ways To Know If A Song Idea Is Worth Pursuing
A lot of folks email Marty and me asking if we can tell them whether a song idea is worth pursuing. Though I’d love to give an answer, I generally believe it’s better to teach a man to fish, than hand him a fish. This is what my mentors did for me and I’m lucky they didn’t…
Read MoreTop Ways To Complicate Your Songs and Confuse Your Audience
There’s a number of common songwriting errors that complicate the lyric and confuse the listener. If you want to leave your audience scratching their heads (not recommended), try these techniques for songwriting confusion. Switch your pronouns around. Include several female characters in your song and then use the pronouns “she” or “her”. This gets them…
Read MoreTaking Lyrics from Good to Great: 4 Pro Tips
Multi #1 songwriters Clay Mills & Marty Dodson share their top 4 tips for taking your song lyrics from good to great. Whether you’re wanting to know how to write a song or you are a more experienced writer. The SongTown On SongTown Podcast will help you level up your songwriting skills. Clay & Marty’s…
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…
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…
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