[Wicked Deeds]

I wonder if this idea might appeal to anyone.  I though that perhaps those who wish to do so, could post their thoughts about how they go about writing; almost like a diary so that we can all see how their thoughts about day to day life shape their creativity.  I think perhaps that this could be an interesting thread and also that it might motivate us to get down to the business of songwriting when perhaps motivation might be lacking.  Let me know your thoughts and feel free to begin this process if it is of interest.

Paul

[rightly]

Ok
.
This last year has been slow
I've been producing for others

The last one i clearly remember of my own
Was after a dry patch

I was irritated with nay sayers
Their cop-outs n how they like to share their inaction

I'd been playing around with guitar
I started listing what these people haven't got
It became a list of things I really liked
I found a nice riff

The list was objective

Then i injected an alternate verse, approaching a different angle
These alternates would address my personal run ins with such people.

There were some other things i wanted to look into
A resounding beat that doesn't move but lifts expectations
Also harmonising with my voice.

I had something
But my confidence was low
I sent it to a friend
She got back to me saying variations of "no"
Her nos were inaccurate though, I compared her nos to my doubts
I realised if I were to respect her nos and my doubts I'd never make another sound.

At the same time I working on the song
And it started being a lot of fun.

I completed the song

"People without"

The song has given me pleasure since I started
Doubtful beginning though.

[Wicked Deeds]

That's exactly what I was hoping to read, how our approach to writing, is often influenced by our day to day life.

Cool stuff @rightly

[Wicked Deeds]

Monday 15th

I’m on a rest day from work, easing my way into the day.  It’s cold and miserable outside and I’m searching for a reason to be doing all the things that I know will be more fulfilling than moping around.  I’ve been teaching myself French for a little while though I am disappointed at my progress.  That should be my main free-time activity but today, I’m struggling for motivation. My partner Marie and I will be getting engaged next month and I’m frustrated that I’m not a fluent French speaker (something that was very obvious on a recent visit to The Loire Valley in France where I met Marie’s family for the first time.)

Some lovely things are hopefully about to happen.  We’ve bought a new house in the South East of England (a new build.)  Christmas is around the corner and I’m in a good place.  I miss my boys  (they  are really young men of 18 and 19 years.). That reminds me, Tom my eldest, is on BBC Radio Tees today commenting on tv programmes (he has a weekly slot and I’m really proud of him, as. I am of James too.)  I must tune in later today!   It’s lovely to know that the boys are doing well and that they are fine young men though I miss them incredibly. 

I think about songwriting.  I’ve been the most creative writer that I could have dreamed of being for a long and intense period until my Mam passed away at the end of May.  Whilst I did very well to process all of the feelings associated with both the life that we shared and also her passing, that was a game changer.  It halted the songwriting train in it’s tracks for a few months and then suddenly, the wheels slowly began to turn again.  I wrote a new collection of songs:  ‘Brave New World’, ‘Dress Rehearsal’, ‘Sleep Can’t Come too Soon’ all about the thoughts and feelings that I have for my Mam and her passing.  More songs followed:  ‘Through The Years’, a declaration of love for Marie,  ’Sad When It’s December’ a song about old friends and then a lovely song called ‘Snowflakes On Noses’ after I bought both a Ukulele and also some cool  virtual Ukulele software.  The latter is another song for Marie and how we are both filled with optimism for the future.  You might think that all is well in the songwriting Garden.  By the way, I also reworked an old song Called ’Blinded’, which is currently listed on the finished songs section. 

Truth is, despite being able to write and produce almost with ease, I’m asking myself why?  At the moment, the only answer that comes back to me is that I have to do this.  Songwriting has defined who I am for such a long time; 30 years in fact!  So, I will begin.  I guess today, I will start with a drum loop and see what comes along when I either fingerpick or strum something to accompany.  Perhaps this will kick start the day and then I’ll move on to learning a little more of the French Language.  All of the above will inform the direction that I take because I write from emotion, often commenting on where I am at in life. 

16th November

I wrote an instrumental piece yesterday morning and sent it off to @rightly.  It’s different to my usual approach  and it’s good to let go of the reigns at times to allow someone else to steer the ship in a slightly different direction.  @rightly, I hope that you are able to work with the track. That I have sent.  Good luck!

Paul

[rightly]

@Wicked Deeds

It takes time for me to digest long texts these days.
To think I used to be a reader !

Paul, it's seems you have a rich life
Your sons, beautiful, French fiance, the move, your skills.
Congratulations.

After reading through your post the other day
my thoughts keep returning to your despondancy about songwriting.
I think I sometimes feel something similar.

Writing a good song has always been gratifying for me.
I'm beginning to think writing isn't as reliable as it used to be.
And recently I took a break without planning to, it was strange for me.
I was sort of relieved when I started again.

There's always a guitar in my reach,
I tend to play looking for interesting chord progressions,
sometimes there'll be something on my mind and I'll try singing it.
Some might say it's therapeutic, it certainly relaxes me.
It can be fun at times and the hours will run along quickly.

Then there are other aspects I want to investigate
Better singing and harmonies, also the piano,
 and I've barely scratched the surface of all the vsts I have.

Collaborations on songs can be thrilling too.
I've a punk friend who can write with an urgency I seem to lack.
He sticks to acoustic guitar, and is quite conservative with his taste regarding productions.

I could go on
But the point I wanted to make is
I don't think songwriting can always be counted on for me.
And that's fine as long as I don't expect it to be.

Ah well I need to get to it.

And please send me a link I can open.
I'm quite excited about your suggestion and I'm very keen to see if I can work with your track.

Have an amazing day!

 Rightly 

[Wicked Deeds]

@rightly,

Sorry that the link doesn't work.  I've resent it in a PM.

Paul

[rightly]

@rightly,

Sorry that the link doesn't work.  I've resent it in a PM.

Paul

Gave blood and then drank beer with a friend, feeling a bit off.
so I'll call up the muse tomorrow morning

the music is really interesting.
I've never done it like this before, so I'll definitely try something,
if I make a fool of myself I'll have to follow up with a stone cold classic

Oh, i hope I'm not responsible for promoting it. lol.

[Wicked Deeds]

Unfortunately, this idea didn't take off. However, I'm going to seize the opportunity to present my own diary of songwriting.  I don't write every day but will update from time to time and hope that the insight into my world of writing proves interesting or perhaps useful.

I was on holiday last week. I didn't go anywhere but I completed  many music related activities.  My first foray into the world of music after a period of limited activity was to produce the song "Last thing at night" for my good friend Andy Cruise.  How did I approach it? I knew that Andy loved the Aha song "Hunting High and low." I therefore decided to analyse the instruments used in the production of that song and also the structure that was implemented. Unfortunately Andy's structure was a little different but, it was a useful goal to create a similar mood and to a point, follow the structure.  Had I been writing a Aha style song like Hunting high and low, I would have began with perhaps a minor chord.  It wasn't long before, I became entangled in the very unique feel of Andy's song and so I began to follow my own instinct. I guess Andy would freely say that his final verse was not quite up to the early standard that he had set. I often work with such problems as I strive to make such compositions work. It helps so much when the writing aspect is very meticulous.  Since Andy had covid and couldn't sing at the time, I suggested  that I write a new contrasting section and so, I did. Andy loved the finished production and to be honest, I did too. Andy is a great songwriter but I firmly believe that a good song isn't enough. Several people can produce a song but it needs the right treatment from a producer and a caring approach to really bring a song to life.  I think it helps tremendously if the producer is also a writer.  I wouldn't give anything but my best to any project. "Last thing at night" can be heard on the  Finished songs board.

Enjoy!

Paul

[PaulAds]

It’s a great song!

I love catching up on these kind of threads…it’s really useful to hear how other people do it (especially when they do it so well)

Thanks for posting the song and the story 😀

[Wicked Deeds]

After producing for Andy, I had such a strong urge to complete something for myself. I had a rare unfinished song that I was developing around the title "Aeroplanes “. It didn't take long to fly this one home.  I feel to some extent that my life is blessed (it hasn't always been this way).  I have also experienced great sadness at times. The best way to explain this song is with a quote. With reference to the end of my marriage and the life that I now spend away from my children in a different part of the country, I analysed my feelings about these events. "it crashed and burned the landscape like an aeroplane".  That's the depth of pain that I feel about how my earlier life unfolded. The devastation was tantamount to a crash landing. "Aeroplanes" is a guitar/piano/ vocal and percussion song. Should anyone wish to hear this song/recording, it's listed on my soundcloud page: www.soundcloud.com/wicked-deeds.

[Wicked Deeds]

I had the bit between my teeth ans so I urged Andy @kafla to send me something new. He wrote a four chord song called "Breaking", a gospel hymn. Andy wrote the song in half an hour and I produced it in 2-3 hours. It's a different kind of song to "Last thing at night" and required a more subtle, yet speedy approach. It was such an easy production. Simple, yet effective writing that demonstrates Andy's skill as a melody writer. What a chorus! I guess it's a song about watching a loved one pass away. It was to me. My passed away last summetime and so, her photograph sat beside me as I began to experiment with production  ideas.  I wanted the song to build and to have a prominent acoustic element of guitars. I love the way the drums build (my favourite element being the toms towards the end). I looked back when it was all finished and realised that  such beauty that had unfolded. It happened because Andy knows how to write. I'd say that he knows me too. We are so incredibly on the same wavelength! it's on Andy's @kafla soundcloud page and I'm sure we'll be sharing this song soon as we strive to complete our album. Our work together falls under the umbrella of "The Spirit Poets".

[Wicked Deeds]

and so to the end of last week......
It was Andy 2, Paul 1 in the songwriting stakes (I'm smiling to myself as I write)  The collection of songs that I had written for Marie in just over 2 years was at the time 14. There is a song for every season and for every occasion. How will I decide which ones to include on the long overdue album "Let Your Umbrella Down"?
Song number 15 arrived," Paris or Rome". It's a simple guitar/vocal that documents our journey to buying the very lovely, rural home that we now share together. The song is in the unfinished songs section but really, it is complete (although I will probably add further  instruments in time) .  I listen back and it warms my heart whilst I am incredibly grateful to find such happiness after years of heartache. “The sound of the cars, their bumpers of chrome. So far from this peace, this delightful release,. Ths is home“ 🙂 I deliberately resisted the urge to compete with the two productions that I did for Andy. My songs demand to be written, often in a gentle manner. Andy's are often anthemic. I have written one or two such  songs but often, I simply listen to and follow my heart. 4 production over 2-3 days. I'm fairly happy at this achievement. I should be practising my French skills but this is such an addictive hobby. I'm off work tomorrow. I have no idea what I might write but I have a strong desire to put pen to paper once again.

Paul

[Wicked Deeds]

@PaulAds, you're a star my friend. Thank you for replying! 😊

[Wicked Deeds]

and so I awoke early this morning at about 7am.  It's a rest day from work.  As is the case for many people, the wind is very much on my mind today.  I hope that everyone manages to stay safe as the storm rages.  After a quick shower and breakfast I immediately began to write.  I wanted to write something about the strong winds but following my instincts, I began to contemplate reincarnation and inevitably began to think about the people that I have lost in life:  my two cousins Keith and Neil who were young guys.  They should still be here.  This led to thoughts about my mam who I lost last summertime.  She is never far from my thoughts.  For me, songwriting requires that I think very deeply in an almost trance-like state.  It is then that I connect with my innermost thoughts and feelings.  I thought about the summers when I was a boy.  Time seemed to last forever and I believed, that so would all of the people around me.  Fast forward to today.  I now reflect upon the many years since I talked with my cousins and of course  course my Mam.  We couldn't. enjoy a meaningful conversation as she suffered for such a long time with Alzheimer's disease.  I thought about the holidays spent together, cricket and football with my cousin Neil.  I thought about the walks along the beach with my Mam who was simply an amazing woman.  My mind turned to the Mystery Tour that Mam would save for so that her children didn't go without.  The journeys to the South on the National Express coach to visit other cousins who are thankfully, still safe and well.  A whole parade of images frequented my mind, from the long country walks to picnics with my family.  My Mam seemed to look after everyone's children.  I recall the day my friends and I went to the Park with my Mam.  The heaven's opened up and we all, including my Mam were soaked.  Still, we had the best of times and returned home as night fell.  The wind was bound to make an appearance in this song.  I've been trying to write yet am worried about Marie who is out on the road today.  My fence is shaking and I hope it manages to hold up to the weather.   All of the above haunt me like ghosts from the past.  How do we cope with the conundrum, contemplating if we will ever see our loved ones again?  Perhaps people simply pass away and the world moves on.  Some  of us,myself included hope and pray that we will meet again with those who have been/dear to us.  My songwriting approach to embrace the theme of the wind, led to the following:

I tell myself your hiding in the weather.
Through wind and rain we’ll always be together.
Let the wind blow cold, may the day ahead unfold.
’til we meet I’ll look, I’ll listen to the breeze.
Whisper through the trees “I still exist.”

and finally, it led to a song called "Ghosts from the past."


This is often the way that I write.  Today, I am more please than I could have wished to have written this song which I adore.  It's up on my soundcloud page. www.soundcloud.com/wicked-deeds

It will one day make an appearance on the finished songs section of the forum. 

A big thanks if you've tuned in for an update re my songwriting diary.

Paul

Ghosts from the past

I was young and the world was new.
Summer solstice, the summers spent with you.
A day would last a week, a week would last a month,
A month would last a year.  Anyway, I didn’t care.

Many years have gone since we last talked.
We caught the train, rode the bus, we walked.
My mistake to think these days would last.
They haunt me like ghosts from the past.

I recall miles and miles of sand.
Beaches swept, my hand placed in your hand.
Picnics in the park,  the rainfall after dark,
the way you looked at me. My confidante, now absentee.

Many years have gone since we last talked.
We caught the train, rode the bus, we walked.
My mistake to think these days would last.
They haunt me like ghosts from the past.
They haunt me like ghosts from the past.

I tell myself your hiding in the weather.
Through wind and rain we’ll always be together.
Let the wind blow cold, may the day ahead unfold.
’til we meet I’ll look, I’ll listen to the breeze.
Whisper through the trees “I still exist.”

Written by Paul Vasey February 2022

[pompeyjazz]

Great to read your diaries @Wicked Deeds