This One’s For The Songwriter Girls (and Boys)
Ahh, boys. Men. Boyz II Men. (hang on, be right back) Ok sorry. I had to stop typing for a minute so I could scream sing “ALTHOUGH WE’VE COME, TO THE END OF THE ROAD” but it’s mostly out of my system now STILL I CAN’T LET GO..okay..okay I think I’m good. Today, what’s on…
Read MoreIt’s Not the World’s Responsibility To “Get You” or “Get Your Music”
I was in Starbucks last week enjoying my morning dose of inspiration—COFFEE!—and an aspiring songwriter approached me. “Are you Clay from SongTown?” “Yes,” I said. He asked if he could chat about writing for a couple of minutes. Then he began by saying, “I’m writing some great music, but no one “gets it.” He continued, “I’ve…
Read MoreCreating A Killer Home Recording Studio – On An Affordable Budget
My home recording studio has gone through many transformations/evolutions over the past few decades, ranging from lavish overkill to stripping it down to the bare essentials. Experience has taught me that Creating A Killer Home Recording Studio – On An Affordable Budget gives me the creative tools I need without the demands of keeping up…
Read MoreCreating Moments With Your Songwriting (Updated 2021)
Years ago a friend of mine invited me to attend a workshop led by Tom Jackson, a top live music producer. Tom has spent his career working with artists as diverse and popular as Taylor Swift to Casting Crowns to Shawn Mendez. As I watched Tom work with a new band on stage, I…
Read MoreA Melody Writer’s Secret Weapon: The Wind-up
What’s one songwriting component that separates the promising newbie songwriter from the seasoned pro? How much punch the chorus packs. Specifically, when the chorus hits, does it impact the listener? This is one of the main things I work on with writers in my SongTown Melody MasterClasses. Often their choruses show up un-announced and begin…
Read MoreThe Story Behind The Hit Song: Must Be Doin’ Somethin’ Right
My biggest song so far (by far) has been my Billy Currington hit “Must Be Doin’ Something’ Right”. The song also has an interesting story. My co-writer, Jason Matthews, and I had been working for two days on another song idea. By lunchtime on the second day, we still hadn’t made any progress. Not even…
Read MoreToday’s Music Sucks! A Songwriter’s Cautionary Tale
When I first moved to Nashville nearly 20 years ago, my publisher convinced two different Hall of Fame writers to write with me. Little did I know it would lead to this songwriter’s cautionary tale. I was literally the new kid in town. And even though I had been writing for years and written hundreds of songs,…
Read MoreSongwriting To Drum Loops: Creating The #1 Song Beautiful Mess
One great tool every songwriter has at their disposal today songwriting with drum loops. Whether you have a computer handy, a drum controller, or a smart phone, there are amazing apps for beats that were not available even a few short years ago. Loops are a quick way to add energy and style to your…
Read MoreWhat Should A Song Demo Cost? A Songwriter’s Guide
WAY too often, I run into people that have been taken advantage of in regard to paying for a song demo. So, I wanted to give you all the info you need to answer the question of what should a song demo cost. Here are several demo scenarios you might find yourself in… You write…
Read MoreSongwriting Economics 101 – Song Splits
We get lots of questions here in “town” that relate to the economics of songwriting. I’m going to break down some of the basics of song splits and help explain WHY things work the way they do. Song splits in my pro writing world work like this… We always split the song equally among every…
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