01: Already Know
This is number 1 of a series of 11 articles, each one based on a song from This Is Not An Album.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Old is the new new.
Deep down you love what you already know. However much people seek out new experiences, new people, and new places, they are still searching within a set defined by their previous experiences and relationships. A novel experience is exciting and interesting when there’s a part of it that you recognise and a part that has changed.
I find the same listening to new music. It’s very difficult to get into something new until it’s become a little familiar. That’s why I don’t often get excited about a new album until the second or third listen. Once my brain starts to fire off the happy sparks of recognition, I start to get excited by the stuff that I haven’t heard before. Of course, if an album sounds like one I already know it’s easy. I’ll always like a new Little Feat album.
Writing the song
In the summer I was visiting Greg, a friend who had moved from Oxford to Manchester and been living there for a couple of years. As I waited for him on the benches in front of the train station, I was thinking about how the first thing you do when you move to a new place is find the places that feel like home. When I lived in London I found a local pub that was exactly like the pubs in Oxford I knew so well.
I scribbled down a couple of verse ideas and spent the afternoon with Greg. He showed me his favourite places in Manchester, and I instantly liked them too. They were almost exactly like the places we used to hang out over ten years ago.
Close enough for jazz
During the 50/90 Challenge I had some pretty strict rules about the time I took to write and record songs. I had this one mostly finished when I got home, so I spent an hour or so tidying it up and finding a good middle 8. Then I ran up to the barn and grabbed a guitar.
In the 50/90 I always wrote the lyrics first (it’s usually more efficient – you avoid the drawn out jamming process), so I didn’t yet have any music. The chorus lyrics suggested a strong melody, so I used that. I probably spent about half an hour trying different verse progressions, and figuring out that it wasn’t going to work in 6/8. Two or three takes in front of a couple of microphones straight into ProTools, and it was mixed, bounced and uploaded in time for tea.
In my head, this song sounds like a Bryan Adams anthem in the chorus, an Elliott Smith tune in the verses, and Bon Jovi in the middle 8. Sometimes it’s a good idea to keep the recording basic. ;o)
Tagged with: songwriting, This Is Not An Album
Related posts
If you enjoyed reading this, why not subscribe to the RSS feed? ;)
No Comments, Comment or Ping
Reply to “01: Already Know”