Good morning! Wow, Mondays are tough! I’m feeling pretty tired this morning and a little grumpy.
A bad nights sleep a mardy Heidi makes!
Which leads me quite neatly into my track of the day by Little Dragon- Ritual Union. it’s a great happy tune guaranteed to put a smile on your face!
I first heard Little Dragon when Gorillaz brought out Plastic Beach, on which she features heavily. The band are from Sweden and feature Yukimi Nagano and her close high school friends Erik Bodin, Fredrik Källgren Wallin and Håkan Wirenstrand. This song is taken from the album of the same name. Ritual Union- Little Dragon
I’m so excited for Eurovision this weekend! This year it is being held in Sweden as they won last years contest.
I know, this is a music blog and should I blog about good music (wayhey!) but I love Eurovision not just for its cheesiness but because it is a 4 hour-long comedy show! As a songwriter it is the perfect event to watch more so for the don’t than the do’s.
Eurovision songs are typically cheesy, dated, with bad lyrics and, well they are just terrible! However there are some pearls in there. Euro songs are invariably written for the event and tailored to sound like previous Eurovision winners. This takes skill. Expect big epic string sections, key changes, very broad universal lyrics, songs about love, trust and just having a good time.
This year Bonnie Tyler is taking the stage for the UK with “Believe In Me” a country-style ballad written by Desmond Child, Lauren Christy,Christopher Braide & Andrew Lane. The song is taken from her 2013 album “Rocks and Honey” And it’s actually very good.
So while I love and loathe Eurovision all at once, I’ve compiled a “5 reasons why” list. So here it is; 5 reasons to love Eurovision.
You will pee you self laughing. Graham Norton who took over from his whiskey infused predecessor Terry Wogan, continues Eurovision tradition by providing witty commentary throughout. Not to mention the outfits, wardrobe malfunctions & the out of tune vocals. And of course don’t forget the translation errors when you press the red button for the karaoke mode on BBC. Beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful!
It brings people together! The first Eurovision event took place on 24 May 1956 in Switzerland with only 7 countries participating. Today there are nearly 40 countries taking part. In theory this sounds great, countries forgetting their differences through music?…..NAH! The voting is famously political and is heavily swung by geography. Historically most countries will always give the highest points to their neighbours. In our household it is alway the source of hilarity when the UK always vote for Ireland and Ireland just don’t! I surmise this: that we in the UK, who have had some of the worst songs in Eurovision history, take this all too seriously! Ireland on the other hand who have won the contest 6 times, three times in a row at one point, submitted a singing turkey one year! The reason why the Irish don’t vote for the Brits; give it a rest it’s a bit of fun! Anyway they are all voting for Moldova as they have little dudes dressed as gnomes! DUDES DRESSED AS GNOMES!! GNOMES!!
It’s cheesy. This may not seem like a positive thing but it is. Music & music appreciation is very cliquey and exclusive these days. Today’s bands are obscure indie-folk/electro bands who have a hipster following and NO NEW MEMBERS! As soon as they hit the radio they are discarded as mainstream. Eurovision is what it is! It is like the 90s & 00s never ended! Cheesy lyrics, key changes & crazy drum beats! Let go and let the cheesy music wash over you!
“What the hell are they doing?!” It’s the biggest freak show! In more recent years they’ve started broadcasting the quarter and semi finals. I’m not big into that. I like to experience the crazy with no preconceptions. You have no idea who is representing who so when these two wallies jump out wearing sparkly red jackets (lovely!) it’s all the better for not knowing!
“Ah she wasn’t to bad” and finally music prevails and there is one song that is actually good! Last years winner Loreen representing Sweden was just that with her track “Euphoria.” I wouldn’t class myself as a pop fan but do appreciate a good tune when I hear one. Soundtrack summer 2012!
So there you have it, my top 5. I will not be buying the Eurovision 2013 CD at the end of it and to be honest, the main reason I will be watching is purely for the sh!ts and giggles!
What are your Euro plans? And what do you think of Eurovision?
So yesterday was great, we spent a great day at Live at Leeds in the glorious sunshine! Live at Leeds is a music festival which has been running since 2007 and is hosted by both Leeds City Council & local music promotion company Futuresound. Yesterday we saw bands all over the city; at The Faversham, Brudenell Social Club, Leeds Met Stage 1, Milo & Holy Trinity Church.
We worked out who we were going to see and planned out our route. First on our list; was Swiss Lips at 3pm.
Swiss Lips- The Faversham
Swiss Lips are a dance-electro-pop band from Manchester. My friend Doug is from that neck of the woods recommended them to me a couple of months back. So yesterday afternoon, we headed for The Faversham for some electro pop goodness. They were fantastic, although the venue was too small for a band like Swiss Lips. As their music is synth and electro heavy, it was so loud and we couldn’t hear the lead vocal. Regardless of this, they were incredible, I love their music! Swiss Lips have a single out now called U Got the Power- watch this amazing video below and visit their site & download their music here:
The Coopers are friends of ours and they performed nearby at Brudenell Social Club. The Coopers are a folk/pop band with great energy & a happy sound. The band are based in Leed consisting of two Aussies, a Greek & an Englishman; the combination is electric! Keep an ear out for these guys! You can check out their music here and their new single “Summers Child” is available for free download at www.thecoopers.net
As the day drew on we sunk deeper into folk and delved head first into country music, to a minuscule overcrowded bar near the Corn Exchange. As we squeezed through the door to join our fellow revellers we surrounded the two piece band “Spirit of John” It was a mind-blowing performance by Joshua Sheard on guitar and vocals and Adam Richards on Double bass and BV’s. I felt at one point we could have been in a bourbon soaked bar in the deep south. Sure I nearly got crushed by some music lovers but it felt like the most real performance of the day and how music should be appreciated. Crowded in together to see and hear some talented nutters smack the sh!t out of their instruments with such passion. Spirit of John are influenced by country, folk, blues & punk and are well worth seeing if you get the opportunity! You can buy their album Snakes here for £3 or more.
We first saw Laura Mvula on Graham Nortons Show a few months back. She rescued viewers with her soulful performance of “Green Garden” from Mark Wahlbergs amusing but distracting drunkenness on the show. Laura, 25 is from Birmingham and is tipped to be BBC’s Sound of 2013. Despite a technical difficulties that pushed the start time on by 20 minutes (which produced a slightly grumpy Yorkshire crowd) the gig was flawless! Laura is a classically trained, effortlessly brilliant vocalist. Together with her band which included her equally talented brother and sister on cello and violin; it was a tight performance. Not only is she talented, confident and gorgeous; she has some incredible tunes! Catchy melodies and beautifully arranged tracks; I was both impressed and inspired! She graduated from Birmingham Conservatoire with a degree in Composition; and it certainly shows. Nice job Laura!
I highly recommend seeing her if you get the chance. She is one of those artists whose voices you need to hear in person, mp3s do not do her justice. You can buy her debut album “Sing to the Moon” here
The final gig of the night was the Staves. Of all the acts we saw, this was the one we knew would blow us away. Slightly tired from walking from venue to venue; we found a little corner to perch in. We had an obscured view with a marble pillar and some very drunk dancing dudes blocking the way; and although at the most I saw 1 to 1 and a half Staves it was unforgettable.
The girls beautiful harmonies filled the church and flooded the rafters; you did not need to see them to appreciate the music. It was the perfect end to the day; sleepily drinking in the music in the stunning Holy Trinity Church. The Staves are an acoustic folk rock trio from Watford… oh and they are sisters! They were funny, witty and pitch perfect! They have a new EP out called Facing West, and you can also download their album “Dead & Born & Grown” here:
It was an fun-filled musical day with a wide range of music styles; electro-pop, folk/pop, folk/rock, country, blues, punk, acoustic and soul. There wasn’t a disappointing band amongst them. We left for home on the last train, tired and happy.
So as another bank holiday approaches, this weekend is going to be very exciting.
Myself and himself are off to Live at Leeds tomorrow. Hopefully the sun will pretend it’s Spring time and we’ll have perfect beer drinking weather!
Live at Leeds ethos is to celebrate local talent as well as showcasing national talent. This years headliners includes:
Laura Mvula, Everything Everything, The Staves, The Pigeon Detectives, The Walkmen, Tribes, The 1975, Swim Deep, Peace, Rudimental, Savages, Little Comets, Darwin Deez & Alunageorge.
And many many many MANY more. Check out the full line up here: http://www.liveatleeds.com/artists/ One of our friends bands The Coopers will be playing at Brudenell Social Club at 4pm. Also a fantastic Manchester band, Swiss Lips are playing at 3pm at The Faversham.
The venues are spread out across the city with venues such as the O2 Academy, Brudenell Social Club, The Wardrobe, The Cockpit, Milo, Nation of Shopkeepers, Leeds Met & the Faversham.
I’ve never been before so I’m looking forward to it! Tickets are £22.50, hurry and see if there are any left! Quickly, quickly!
What makes this track extra special is that the song was created during a 22hr crowd sourcing session online. Writer Joel Zimmerman found vocalist and fan Chris James on twitter. He had written and performed a version of the song and Zimmerman loved his voice and the references to The Veldt, the Ray Bradbury short story.
More proof that collaboration works better than isolation!
From my brief research the Veldt is a science fiction story about a family who live in an automated house called “The Happyhome life” the machines in the house do everything for them! Cook, clean, clothes them and even rocks the children to sleep. Obviously somewhere there is a sinister turn!
I have an appreciation of songs that have links to literature! I didn’t want to read much further, I want to download the short story later to my kindle.
Well I hope your Monday is starting more energetically than mine! I could have done with an automated house this morning.
So this Monday I am not standing on a crowded train, on route to spend the rest of the day slaving away at my desk. Instead, I am enjoying the delights of Ireland and having fun by the sea.
Therefore it’s only fair todays song be from a fantastic irish band to give your Monday some sparkle. So today’s track making my Monday slightly more “Fridayish” is “Feelin’ the Pull” by the Swell Season. This is taken from their album Strict Joy.
The Swell Season is essentially made up the genius that is Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová; together with the rest of the band who all used to play with Hansard in a band called “The Frames”
Markéta Irglová is an enviously talented pianist with whom Glen Hansard collaborated with for an album a few years back. They also starred in the modern day musical “Once” in which Hansard won an Oscar for best song “Falling Slowly”
This is incredible music! These are songs which have been a big part of my life so far. Save these names and get some unreal folk/rock music in your life!
Now to enjoy my ice cream in the sunshine & listen.
Happy Monday!
“Now where do I start?!”
So the irony is that its taken me a long time to finish this blog post; how to finish a song.
We’ve all done it. We look in our notebook, hear our demo recordings on our phone labelled “idea230412″ and “piano riff idea” I have tonnes of half finished songs and snippets of ideas that never made it past a crackled iPhone recording.
Lets face it, it’s easier to start a song than it is to finish it. We all have reams and reams of potential song ideas that have yet to take root and grow.
So here are a few tips on finishing a song!
When thinking about this topic I’ve found that the biggest excuse is “It’s not ready yet”
Be brave and take risks!
Songwriting is a brave and personal art. You are pouring your thoughts, dreams and experiences into your music. The key word here is BRAVE! Don’t let that song sit and gather dust because you are scared. One of the biggest fears I battle and still have to overcome at times is self doubt. I’m sure most songwriters at song stage or another have questioned their talent.
The fact is that songwriting like most crafts are 1% inspiration/talent and 99% perspiration! It is a skill to learn and hone. The more you write the better you will get. But if you are too scared to finish a song because you are worried it will sound bad; you won’t improve.
Take a risk!
Editing your song.
Its true that it’s important not to edit too soon in the writing process. It’s better to have too much than not enough.
But once you have the framework of your song in place its time to edit! Don’t be afraid to cut a verse or swap them around. This goes for chords too; you can change the whole feel of a chorus by simply substituting a major chord for a minor one.
Be harsh and honest with your work. If its just “ok” then it’s not good enough- find the line, melody or chord that works.
Record it
It may seem premature to start recording but this is actually a great was to build on a song and create dynamics. I use Logic Pro 9 to start playing around with different instruments, sounds, loops to start building my song up. I find this process really helps separate the good ideas from the great. That line you have always felt a bit unsure with will suddenly stick out like a sore thumb. If it becomes blatantly obvious it doesn’t belong there it has to go.
Make sure once you’ve recorded you take a break. Give your ears a rest. Then bounce a copy, listen back and make notes. Be honest. Each line, chord progression and melody needs to earn its place in the your song.
Ask someone’s opinion
Getting someone to listen to your music is a great way to suss whether or not your song is ready. Choose someone objective- remember friends and family will often be kind but may not give you an unbiased opinion!
I have both songwriter friends and non songwriter friends who are invaluable when it comes to my new music. My songwriter friends will advise me on the practicalities of how to make the song better.
On the other hand; my husband Adam has a great musical ear but doesn’t write is a great sounding board. He has a great ability to see the song as it is now.
He is unbiased by the potential of what I feel the song could be and judges it on how it sounds now.
I tend to play him my song once I’ve gone through the instrumentation and its being formed into the song I have imagined. He gives me his honest opinion and often flags up the issues I knew where there but was too close to admit to. Which leads me to my forth point…
Develop a thick skin
Don’t be offended, I’ve thrown my fair share of song tantrums and sulked over someone’s opinion. But the fact is critiquing will make you a better songwriter! They are not criticising you, you are more than a songwriter. The industry is tough and if you can’t take honest feedback from a close friend you are screwed! Take in board honest feedback and use it to get better.
So you’ve finished your song.
What next? Time to record!
What software do you guys use?
What are your cunning tips for finishing songs?
it’s a great happy tune guaranteed to put a smile on your face! 
