Spinning Wheels While Songwriting, Hidden Gems
I’ve been told that there are two types of songwriters: those who write everyday, and those who write in spurts.
I tend to be creative in sparks and flashes, kicking out three or more songs one week, followed by weeks of no ideas. I don’t stress about the peaks and dips now-a-days, but I still wish I could tap Muse on the shoulder more often. Be like Ryan Adams or Bob Schneider! But how do they do it?
When I try to force writing, I usually get some weak lines, play through a chord pattern for an hour, and get lost in a circle. Then, when I sit down with no intention to write, just strumming for fun, and I’ll get a song like “My Lovely Enemy” or “Only the Rain Knows Why.”
Here’s the thing: Sometimes I don’t trust a song right away. I think it’s a throw-away I won’t ever record. “Only the Rain Knows Why” was a song I didn’t really think was too strong. I played it at an open mic and my friend Mark said, “Man that one’s good!”
“Naw,” I refuted. “It’s too simple.” Then my father heard me strumming it once and like it too. “Hmm, maybe this song has possibilities?” Turns out it was the most fun song to record during the Burning the Boats sessions! Dan Achen heard possibilities of a Salvation Army styled drum beat, Mike Chambers walked a bass line, and boom. Not a bad song if I do ruffle a few of my own feathers.
But I almost threw that one away.
I guess that’s the secret for those prolific writers. They probably write a lot of crap, but the audience just don’t hear those songs left on the shelf. And the prolific writers allow their studios to have more shelves. Us who write in spurts don’t collect the bad ones. We toss them in the trash, and lose opportunties to polish a few hidden gems.
Last night I tried to force some writing but I didn’t get too far. A few verses, a few chord cycles, and after a few hours I was still spinning my wheels. I think I’ve got a song going, but it’s probably crap. It should stay on the shelf. But that’s OK! My digital shelves can store these ideas for my ears only. It was cathartic to write.
Songwriting can simply be like hopping in the car and going for a drive. It’s OK not to have a destination in mind with every writing session. Just play and write for the fun of it. Don’t worry if this song doesn’t finish itself, or doesn’t become a tune worth recording. Put it on the shelf. You might find you want to reexamine it later.
