As musical styles progress and change with the times, one thing is for certain, writing song lyrics continues to play a vital part in what sets artists from being good to being considered a great. So for those of you currently in a creative drought, here is some advice from a few of the greats.
Jimi Hendrix on Artistic Liberties with the Facts
“Imagination is the key to my lyrics. The rest is painted with a little science fiction.”
Many artists pigeonhole themselves by believing that every word written must be 100% accurate to their lives and story they are telling. Of course, speaking from your own personal experiences is vital in creating meaningful music. But the point is to get your message across in the best way possible. Sometimes, this might involve a little science fiction.
Dolly Parton on Throwing Yourself into the Process
“It’s therapy. It’s fun. It’s creative. I love getting on a big writing binge and staying up a couple days working on song and knowing at the end of those two or three days that I’ve created something that was never in the world before.”
If this is your passion, don’t be afraid to throw yourself into your work. The stories of artists writing a hit song in 5 minutes’ time, on a napkin, in an airport is incredible! But most great songs come from hard work, dedication, and focus from the artist. This mean sitting down and wrestling with a song until it feels right.
John Mayer on Speaking Your Own Truth
“I hope that what it comes down to at the end of the day is that people believe that I believe what I’m singing. It comes down to being believable.”
Authenticity is key in songwriting and producing. This may seem strange since the first piece of advice was to stretch the truth in the songwriting process. Don’t be confused, there is a difference between writing a nonfiction story to produce a personal truth, and writing a meaningless song for the sake of staying on trend. Be true to your artistic endeavors and creative process because the song will thus come across genuine to the listeners.
Now go on and be inspired to create and then when it comes time to perform, remember to sign up for youbloomConnect to get the chance to connect with your fans and other artists to grow not only your fan base but your connections in the industry. To get more information on how youbloom can help you book more gigs across the world and have the chance to play at #youbloomLA and #youbloomDublin, follow the link: http://www.youbloom.com/
