Dear Artist: Behind The Music Video

The video clip to "Dear Artist" is the first time that I have discussed any of my songs at any great length publicly. There are a few factors that I feel I should address to put you in the picture before viewing the "Dear Artist" video clip with the idea of increasing your insight and enjoyment of the track.

I'm a recovering alcoholic. I have been sober for several years now. I suspect that I was an alcoholic since I took my first drink. I reacted to alcohol differently to other people. I could drink much more and yet cause no harm to others....any direct harm that is. The severity of my abuse led to numerous alcoholic seizures. Once a person experiences a seizure, they remain prone to seizures for the rest of their lives; alcohol induced or not.

I had been sober for two years and gave the aforementioned alcoholic seizures no thought as I had been put on medication to help prevent them. At around 7pm. one evening I began to feel 'odd.' As my former seizures were alcohol induced, I had no recollection of any aura that often surrounds gran mal seizures. I took myself to bed. Approximately an hour later (according to my parents) I had a seizure. They were alerted by me slamming against my bedroom wall. The seizure lasted approximately 15 minutes.

After each seizure I can recall feeling 'odd.' On this occasion I can recall spending the night listening to the rain and trying to escape the odd sensation that I was experiencing. I tried to visualise a calming scene. It took me some time to reach a scene that my mind was happy with.

The scene ended up as a French cobble-stoned street. It was in black and white. I took this image one step further and pictured how this scene came about. In my minds eye I came up with an artist painting this scene from a second storey window, so I was actually picturing a scene upon a scene. It sat very well with me. It sat so well with me that I was able to get to sleep. The following morning, I had the lyrics that you hear on the video below written in the space of about 15 minutes.


The 'scene' of the video was, to my mind, a stroke of genius by Haych Storm. I think the various 'displaced' paintings in the background of the video really capture the confusion of "Dear Artist." The 'jaunty' beat & uplifting lyrics of the chorus, from comments received, act as a perfect counterpoint to the more serious & cynical nature of the verses.

The video clip is obviously mimed. Haych suggested wearing headphones purely as a prop. My initial response was "What?" She thought that I wasn't keen on the idea. The fact is, I was so blown away by the idea that I was half-shocked. 

It worked a treat. "Dear Artist" became the first track on my "Mean Business" album.


-->

Is Music Changing Us?

For a number of years the music industry has seen record sales plummet with access to free music all over the internet. People will often sample a song online but move onto another before it finishes as the possibilities of what to look up are almost endless. With the internet having impacted everything now-a-days to become more fast paced with little tolerance for patience, perhaps the internet has made that impact on music as well. When an iPod is filled with hundreds of songs and set to shuffle often times people will shuffle to a new song before the one that's playing has even finished. The cost and time to acquire the songs was virtually nothing so the desire to let a song play out all the way becomes less desirable frankly.

This attitude of impatience has in some ways left its mark on the music industry as a whole, as the music itself becomes less valid to a recording artist. There needs to be an eye catching event or controversy to promote themselves online for the population to look into and only then take an interest in hearing the music. Not to single out these specific artists but in many cases rappers will try and develop a following by trashing a fellow rapper's material and calling them out for some kind of big clash. Fights begin verbally and physically, feuds develop, a reputation is made, and only then is the rapper's actual recordings brought up to hear. This may in some cases lead to artists not putting a full effort into their music instead focusing on a big PR stunt to add a controversy to their name and let the music be a secondary aspect.

Sometimes certain groups or styles of music can just become outdated or a different lineup for a band is not able to bring as solid a performance as a previous incarnation could; as a result, music itself is not as important as keeping up a certain band label and in the end the music suffers for it. A prime example of this is Guns n Roses or what passes for it today. The early albums that came out under the GnR label had a raw, hard sound that was to many people the launch of a strong, hard rock rebellion that helped reshape the music business; Rolling Stone magazine and other critics sited the band as revolutionary in ways the Rolling Stones were back in the '60s and '70s. But the feuding between the bandmates led to a split; Steven Adler the original drummer was fired due to a heroin addiction, Izzy Stradlin the rhythm guitarist and co-writer on some of the best songs quit the band as he was unhappy with Axl Rose. Slash and Axl had a huge meltdown that to this day is still unresolved, and Duff McKagan the bassist followed Slash's exit. Since then all these artists have gone their separate ways shattering what was one of the best sounds in modern music. Axl is the only remaining member of GnR and his attempts to maintain the label have been nowhere near capable of putting out music that was the trademark of the old GnR. He continues his feuds with his former bandmates, other bands, and causes many PR stunts at his shows to try and keep up an image but the music itself fails to grab attention and be solidified. The music is forgotten about because it doesn't seem worth the effort of listening to; the only reason the label is still in the media is because Axl's ego refuses to let it go.

Other times there are artists who are the children of successful artists, and try and use mommy or daddy's name in the industry as leverage to promote themselves for similar validation. An example of this is Kelly Osbourne who granted, has basically given up after making her initial attempt to use daddy's name for her own promotion. Another is Will Smith's children particularly his youngest daughter with her single that basically is one line repeated again and again. These attempts to use the parents' success falls flat and adds more questions as to what is happening in the music industry today. There's no question that Ozzy Osbourne and Will Smith each are two of the most successful artists in music, their contributions to the industry will live on long after they're dead. But their children's attempts to leech, to put it bluntly, off the success of their parents raises the questions as to what record companies are signing onto. Is talent no longer a requirement, just a name and bottomless pockets?

One positive aspect in the music industry today is artists are in larger numbers writing music that caters to protests against government and big business who choose to ignore issues around the world that need a voice to stand out and be heard. Key modern examples today are Rise Against and Anti-Flag, two bands that have made it their trademark to stand against government, particularly right wingers, and call out big business on their morally and sometimes legally ambiguous actions. Modern technology may have impacted the patience of music lovers to listen to music all the way through; but it has also led people en masse to become more aware of social, environmental, and political issues around the world. Artists catering their music as a voice to the 'waking up' of global civilization in regards to these issues has served to reignite a flame in the music industry; with deep poetically blunt lyrics mixed with an angry, raw sound demanding better of executives higher up, Rise Against and Anti Flag along with many other artists have gathered massive followings of people who share these opinions and hear the sounds of their thoughts echoed in the music they love.

So the music industry has its ups and downs, what business doesn't eh? The problem is there are far too many downs these days and the music itself is suffering for it. Some of the best music has a message to it that the artists writing it are keenly passionate about, this passion is what's needed to maintain good music. Lyrics don't necessarily need to be poetic or even protesting, but there should be some point to what's being written about. Together with a solid sound music is able to at times make people relaxed, make people think, make people be focused, make people want to better themselves. Music is very powerful and rightly deserves its power but only when used properly.

Write Your Own Songs

In this entry I'll be discussing how songwriting fits into the 'big picture' as opposed to
specific songwriting techniques, which shall be addressed in a future publication. Let's
face it, a song is a story put to music. Say this to most songwriters & they'll babble on
to the point of tedium. I'll cut to the chase.


Most people who listen to music and have no connection with musicians don't give any
thought as to how a song actually comes to fruition.


• People don't care how long you took, just tell them the story.


Write a brief synopsis about each song IMMEDIATELY on completion. Save this, along
with the song lyrics, to the relevant folder & print AT LEAST two hard copies. Add your description to EVERY site that you submit the track to. This gives each track an identity of its' own to the listener & to the all-important search engines before it has even been heard. 


Song genre' (not everyone has heard of you...yet!) & tempo should be included wherever you are able.


• Let the song introduce itself.


Liner notes for albums, let alone individual songs, are grossly overlooked by most musicians these days. Give the public the credit they deserve. Liner notes work for you & FOR you. That's right. They're a win-win option that should not be passed up. You are PERSONALISING the song before its' even heard! You are drawing the prospective buyer inadvertently closer to a sale and you're giving a glimpse of what the song is about to YOUR way of thinking.


• Listeners rarely get the same meaning from your songs as you do. This is a HUGE positive!


How cool is it to have your own lyrics and music analysed

so closely as to have them
mean something totally different to someone you have never met? A great mistake
many songwriters make is to become 'precious' about the interpretation of their songs.


• Let people to enjoy your music as THEY want to.


By providing the aforementioned liner notes you are keeping your inbox clear of
lengthy descriptions of your own material. Whilst initially flattering, it becomes tedious.


Lyrically, people tend to enjoy exaggeration in a song. This can be problematic at times
but many years ago I found a couple of marvellous ways of doing this without any
effort at all. Swap from singing in the first person to singing in the second person.
Become “...the hollow guy at the bar...” If this isn't enough, swap gender!


• Don't sing about YOU & try role-reversal!!!


Each songwriter has their strengths & weaknesses. Well prior to utilising these to hilt,
one must be FULLY aware of them.


There is only one way to do this and it's the long way. Have one of your recorded
songs listened to by as many people that you know and have them honestly appraise
it. Ask them to actually WRITE their opinion down for you. Ask people from as many
different walks of life as you can. That's the easy part.

• Involve people before a song is even released!


Most people will initially laugh but believe me, secretly they'll be quite taken that you
have asked them. They'll be telling a lot of THEIR friends about it too! It's the most
congenial form of advertising that there is.


Now for the difficult part; sifting through your feedback. It will vary in every possible
manner that you can think of. Don't get bogged down. Look for consistencies, good
and bad. Keep firmly focussed on the fact that it is your SONGWRITING that is being
analysed and nothing more.


• So the guitar isn't loud enough. Who cares?


It is, of course, common courtesy to thank those kind enough to appraise your
songwriting skills by way of a finished product.
Once you have sifted through all of your opinions you should have a pretty definite
idea of where the general public see your strengths & weaknesses as a songwriter.
Now the fun really starts.


• Who are you really writing for?


Ask the vast majority of independent songwriters if we write because we enjoy it &
we'll say “Yes.” It's a pretty solid & stock-standard answer, otherwise we wouldn't be
independent. Ask the vast majority of independent songwriters if we write for the money, most jump up & down saying “No! Never!” Ask the vast majority of independent songwriters if we're writing for listeners, most will say, “Yes,” almost as an afterthought.


Truth be told, we write songs for all of the above reasons in varying degrees.


Get you 50% discount for "Mean Business" by entering the codeword: thistle

Custom Search