Yesterday I was writing about switching things up. It’s a very simple concept yet so many find it so hard.
In finishing up listening to a lecture given by John Mayer at one of my alma maters I pretty much discovered that he and I have a very similar view on things when it comes to music, life, and dealing with stuff. I’m not very sure John would remember meeting me or playing with me when I auditioned for his band, but I can understand why I was 2nd choice in his quest at the time our paths crossed.
One of the things I’ve generally prided myself on with my own writing is that I don’t like to write the say song over and over. I think on the whole I’ve done that pretty darn well. I think I got that mentality from listening to Queen’s material. I admire how they never wrote the same song twice and that they still sounded like them, no matter what they did. It’s an impressive feat. It’s always a great idea to look to the past at bands that have had huge careers and examine what it was that worked for them.
John does much of the same thing, in looking at music and the past. While I would have never come out and said that I specifically avoid a particular idea in music because I’ve done too much of it, rather I remember in recording some of my first songs that I never really wanted to repeat songs on myself. The more songs I write, the harder it gets. But I still hold as true as I can to the maxim. What I do notice is that certain vibes continue to pop up in my writing.
I think that’s why for the next album that I’m knee deep in, I’ve been writing a massive amount of songs, over 50 and counting. They’re all in pre-production. Which as John would call it, the incubation period. There’s a up and downside to the current ability of musicians, and I know full well I’m guilty of this… And this is, it’s now too easy to create a song and release to the public for sale. Probably why I’m now pulling back and letting the batch of songs I’m working on incubate.
It’s also why I’ve been spending time working with others and spreading my ability to write to their worlds.
With that said, I’ll leave you with a recent song that John did. I remember watching this movie and when the song came on I was actually very taken with how simple it was. John talks about that in his lecture. That he’s been working on simplifying his songs. Upon hearing Say I really liked it. It sparked something in me that I then translated into a song I’ve written with Mark Luna and Warren Sellars.
John admits to looking at songs he really loves and coming up with his own versions of the same thing. In a sense I do the same thing. I get inspired by lots of things, but hearing a song I wish I had written is one of the best. When I’ve been asked where I got the inspiration on some songs and I mention a song it may have come from and it’s absolutely nothing like the song I created. Go figure!
Anyway, I dig John. I know a lot of people dig John. Are you someone who’s able to say what you mean to say? A lot of people aren’t. Luckily, I run my mouth a bit much and I say what I mean to say. Go get the song and have it run thru your head.