Part II - Find new songs to get inspired by
Bachelorette
It may seem really obvious, but when it came to finding a new direction for my songwriting, listening to new music was (and still is) a great inspiration to me. When I first began writing songs back in the mid 90's, I held the naive notion that I should only write truly 'original' music that wasn't influenced by anyone else. It took me years to realise (I may have been a little thick) that of course I was being influenced, all the time, by music I loved and listened to (at the time, songwriters such as Neil Finn) - and rather than ignoring this fact, I would benefit from actively listening to what they were doing. If someone writes a great song, we should be listening hard and taking notes on what it is they have done that works so well! It's about building up an arsenal, or a toolbox, of tricks, techniques and ideas, which give us a great starting point for our own songwriting. Then, with the greats behind us, our individual style and originality can shine through.
When it comes to getting out of the 'songwriting rut', inspiration from your new favourite artist (or an old one you're revisiting) can be gold. Is there a danger that we may copy what we're hearing, either intentionally or unintentionally? Sure. But even if that is the case some of the time, inevitably we are propelled forward into something that we can truly call our own. Ride on the backs of the greats - they are great for a reason, and we should learn all we can from them.
I'll leave you with a few of my favourite songwriters in the noughties, that have helped me out of many a songwriting rut. Happy listening!
Amy :)
Stephin Merritt from The Magnetic Fields
E from the Eels
Jason Lytle from Grandaddy
Kathryn WilliamsBachelorette
