I’ve been writing songs since I was about 13 I think. First it felt simply like fun, a way to express myself and in return, I am left with a small gift and if I chose to share then so be it. As I grew older, it became more more about what I needed to learn about myself. Through the songs I was figured out how sensitive I was, but that it could be used as a tool to get to the bottom of how other people function, what makes them tick, and so psychology was my main inspiration.
I also learned through writing that I am one serious bitch, and if I’m angry with you, you’ll know it. Now as I’m getting older, my songs are starting to evolve of more than just curiosities. I used to write, like my emotions were…in Huge Monster Waves. now I feel like instead of riding them, I’m stepping back and learning what kinda storms work out here in the real world of the music business and which storms are just a plain mess! ( and need to stay on the re-work folder on my desktop)
Writing for people, people that want to spend money on music nowadays that sounds like something that rhymes with what they have on, like an accessory. ….well that’s one way to go. I think you get there when someone says either ” That’s Grey’s Anatomy ready” for instance….or whatever band someone cooler than you tells you is cool because they played at that venue in town that’s cool right now because some famous Canadian rocker was spotted there last weeked. What!?
Ya I could sing in my jazzy sexy pop voice and write witty simple songs for I-stuff commercials in hope that one day someone will unconsciously think ” Hey ., that sounds like something I know, because it’s been on the radio a trillion times, it makes my brain feel comfortable”
Or I could write songs that take the hard road, OR, is there an in between? It was all so simple when Joni Mitchell did it right? How deep did she dig , I wonder to unravel what makes a hit song? or did she trust in her back pocket that those tricks of foundation were locked, and she had her artistic freedom?
So it comes down to this, a decision. What kind of songwriter do you want to be? How hard do you want to play the game? I’m still trying to figure this one out for myself , if I’d like to be an all-star or not and I don’t think it matters really which way you chose to play as long as you can find a way to step out of the Baseball jersey at night.
Katie
