Give Em’ What They Want

Once we put out a call for songs. We were looking for an uptempo pop country song, and gave VERY SPECIFIC examples, as well as the EXACT Carrie Underwood and Kellie Pickler songs that the songs should sound like.

Of course, only about half of the 50 or more songs were even close to what we were looking for. People sent us ballads, they sent us backwoods country, they sent folks, they sent country gospel!

Attention songwriters: Yes, I know you love your babies, your songs that God gave you. But if a publisher or artist or producer puts out a call for a fast song, DO NOT send a slow song because it’s great and would be perfect for them.

The Reason For Your Life Story

"I’ll pray a hedge of protection around you because I’m pretty sure you’re on a slippery slope. I might go as far as loving on you through this season. Just sayin’." - Jon Acuff

So many times, especially as songwriters that write for church or other religious reasons, we tend to write Christiany things. Yes, it’s a word. Ok, no it’s not, but you know what I mean.

Christianese. Words that sounds good to Christians because they know them and are comfy with them with our church friends or driving in the car praise-driving. But are these the only things to write about? Does writing more Christianish songs really get the true job out of reaching people for Christ?

Songwriting Essentials: Rhyme Time

(Guest post by the inimitable Robert Sterling. Find out more about Robert here.)

The single most common Poetic Device used in songwriting is without a doubt – rhyme. Unfortunately rhyme is seemingly so simple, the beginner songwriter may assume it to be easy. (Simple is very different than easy.) Really great rhyme is a well-practiced craft.

For those of you songwriters that haven’t read my book (Shame on you, by the way.)here are some quick tips that might help you better master a part of the craft we all too often take for granted.

How to Get Better as a Songwriter

I've been right where you are.

At some point in your life, it became apparent that you could put words and music together and make a song.

People know you as a songwriter.

But for some reason, no one has realized your genius (or least no one that MATTERS!) There has been no publishing contract with Word. There has been no calls from Toby Mac because he heard your music on Soundcloud. There has been no word from Hollywood, Nashville, or New York, even though you've sent a few demos that way.

So what is the deal?

5 Steps to Songwriting Success

As you can imagine, we hear a lot of songs on a week to week basis. People ask us daily for our thoughts on their songs and we work with artists trying to help them move to the next level with their songwriting. In all this work we see a lot of the same things happening in songs. So I thought it might be good just to lay out a few things that might help beginning songwriters as well as songwriters who have been at this for a while find more success.

Fighting Writer’s Block

You're trying to put together a new album, or haven't written any music in a while, but every time you sit down to write, the same thing happens. Either nothing comes to you, or you feel like everything you come up with is so stale and predictable you can't stand it.

Don't you hate when THAT happens?

Here's a few things you can do to fight this very common problem.