Songs, Songs, Songs . . .
As a songwriter, when you write a song or a group of songs, sometimes in the back of your mind you think - Well, is that it? Will I ever be able to do that again? Was that the best I'm gonna be able to deliver? I'm sure that's all I'VE got! That's it! All the way to the extreme panic of - Oh my god! what if it REALLY NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN!!!?
Sounds funny, but I've read comments from a lot of legendary songwriters who all think the same thing from time to time.
After writing hundreds upon hundreds of songs thus far in my career, you'd think I'd feel secure about it.
I am, but there's always that question somewhere in the back of my mind nonetheless. There's never a lack of inspiration, subject matter, or desire, but still, I am always amazed when we pull it off again and again.
Jimmy is always an inspiration to me personally as a friend, musically and as a songwriter. He never has a lack of new ideas. Like any great writing team there's probably an unspoken friendly competition that keeps us on our toes, like - Oh yeah!? That's pretty frickin' great!, but just wait till you hear what I've got up my sleeve! It reminds me of reading how McCartney would come in with say - 'Yesterday' and Lennon would be like - okay great! then respond with 'In My Life', etc. Constant back and forth, including inspired collaboration.
You always want to see the lights come on in the guy sitting across from you, that's part of the fun and you end up with some great songs because of it. It also helps to live in a portal like I do. lol
So here we are, writing and recording for the new record "Life Happens Here".
We've written an unbelievable amount of material for this record and we are using nothing each of us had in reserves from past projects. You can never have enough strong material to choose from, but we never force it. We both really believe in quality over quantity. We're each such prolific writers and have such a great chemistry between us that quality material just seems to pour out of us whenever we choose to focus in that general direction.
Throughout the recording process several more great new songs have come along and were added to the record list. As we've said before - At any moment in time something new can spill out without even trying and while we've been completely focused on what we already have, that's exactly what has happened. No complaints though! After all, you never know when it will end right?
Things are sounding really good recording wise, but now we have decided to focus primarily on writing again before final pre production demos are done. Not that we don't already have enough great material to fill out the album, but it's more to make sure that we fill out the concept of the albums title - "Life Happens Here".
Also, it's to get as many different angles from the lens of life as we can included and just to see what else we can come up with since the final recording of the album probably won't occur until late spring, or sometime next summer.
There's no rush, there's no deadline. It has to be right. This can't be just another record out there. It has to be THE RECORD for it's given style and market, which hopefully includes crossover potential.
We don't quite know where it will fit in actually. No one is doing anything like it out there. We're in good company though, since the most classic albums were done in similar circumstances. Fingers crossed!
The material Jimmy and I have written for this record is so much better than anything either of us has ever done before. Some of it is astoundingly better! I know we have said that over and over, but I think we are continually surprised by it ourselves. Nonetheless it's true and can't really be emphasized enough for this blog and this record. Just when I think that we have written the best song we've ever written - out comes another! If the average person only knew the feeling of when that happens . . . It's Amazing!!
Just this last Wednesday we finished what is one of our best called "The Last Goodbye".
It's one of those that we both said almost in unison - 'That's definitely going on the record!'
With some, you just know instantly, while others have a longer journey and judgement path to that point.
We were talking the other night about how difficult it will be to choose what actually goes on the final record, as there will be so much to choose from. Luckily, it's gonna be a double record and we're gonna have four or five non album singles, not to mention an acoustic record following close behind. I said - 'hey, if we already have the follow up to "Life Happens Here" and the acoustic record in the can, I won't complain!'
I can't wait until people can hear this stuff. It won't be all things to all people, but we'll definitely find and solidify our audience, and that's all that really matters in the end.
Once you are finally able to hear and own "Life Happens Here", you will finally know 'Walking Tall'.
At the end of the day, it's only music and we hope you like it . . .
- Bret.
As a songwriter, when you write a song or a group of songs, sometimes in the back of your mind you think - Well, is that it? Will I ever be able to do that again? Was that the best I'm gonna be able to deliver? I'm sure that's all I'VE got! That's it! All the way to the extreme panic of - Oh my god! what if it REALLY NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN!!!?
Sounds funny, but I've read comments from a lot of legendary songwriters who all think the same thing from time to time.
After writing hundreds upon hundreds of songs thus far in my career, you'd think I'd feel secure about it.
I am, but there's always that question somewhere in the back of my mind nonetheless. There's never a lack of inspiration, subject matter, or desire, but still, I am always amazed when we pull it off again and again.
Jimmy is always an inspiration to me personally as a friend, musically and as a songwriter. He never has a lack of new ideas. Like any great writing team there's probably an unspoken friendly competition that keeps us on our toes, like - Oh yeah!? That's pretty frickin' great!, but just wait till you hear what I've got up my sleeve! It reminds me of reading how McCartney would come in with say - 'Yesterday' and Lennon would be like - okay great! then respond with 'In My Life', etc. Constant back and forth, including inspired collaboration.
You always want to see the lights come on in the guy sitting across from you, that's part of the fun and you end up with some great songs because of it. It also helps to live in a portal like I do. lol
So here we are, writing and recording for the new record "Life Happens Here".
We've written an unbelievable amount of material for this record and we are using nothing each of us had in reserves from past projects. You can never have enough strong material to choose from, but we never force it. We both really believe in quality over quantity. We're each such prolific writers and have such a great chemistry between us that quality material just seems to pour out of us whenever we choose to focus in that general direction.
Throughout the recording process several more great new songs have come along and were added to the record list. As we've said before - At any moment in time something new can spill out without even trying and while we've been completely focused on what we already have, that's exactly what has happened. No complaints though! After all, you never know when it will end right?
Things are sounding really good recording wise, but now we have decided to focus primarily on writing again before final pre production demos are done. Not that we don't already have enough great material to fill out the album, but it's more to make sure that we fill out the concept of the albums title - "Life Happens Here".
Also, it's to get as many different angles from the lens of life as we can included and just to see what else we can come up with since the final recording of the album probably won't occur until late spring, or sometime next summer.
There's no rush, there's no deadline. It has to be right. This can't be just another record out there. It has to be THE RECORD for it's given style and market, which hopefully includes crossover potential.
We don't quite know where it will fit in actually. No one is doing anything like it out there. We're in good company though, since the most classic albums were done in similar circumstances. Fingers crossed!
The material Jimmy and I have written for this record is so much better than anything either of us has ever done before. Some of it is astoundingly better! I know we have said that over and over, but I think we are continually surprised by it ourselves. Nonetheless it's true and can't really be emphasized enough for this blog and this record. Just when I think that we have written the best song we've ever written - out comes another! If the average person only knew the feeling of when that happens . . . It's Amazing!!
Just this last Wednesday we finished what is one of our best called "The Last Goodbye".
It's one of those that we both said almost in unison - 'That's definitely going on the record!'
With some, you just know instantly, while others have a longer journey and judgement path to that point.
We were talking the other night about how difficult it will be to choose what actually goes on the final record, as there will be so much to choose from. Luckily, it's gonna be a double record and we're gonna have four or five non album singles, not to mention an acoustic record following close behind. I said - 'hey, if we already have the follow up to "Life Happens Here" and the acoustic record in the can, I won't complain!'
I can't wait until people can hear this stuff. It won't be all things to all people, but we'll definitely find and solidify our audience, and that's all that really matters in the end.
Once you are finally able to hear and own "Life Happens Here", you will finally know 'Walking Tall'.
At the end of the day, it's only music and we hope you like it . . .
- Bret.
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