Category Archives: Building A Hit

Building A Hit, Write Like A Pro

Building A Hit: Tim McGraw & “Neon Church”

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Tim McGraws’s current single, “Neon Church,” is lighting up the country singles chart. Today, let’s take a look at some of the ways the songwriters built this song to be a Tim McGraw hit.

Great songs don’t happen by accident- they’re a series of wise choices.  And the songwriters (Ben Stennis, Ben Goldsmith and Ross Lipsey) made some great choices when building “Neon Church.” Now, I wasn’t in the room with them, so I can only speculate at the thought process behind the end results. But as a professional songwriter myself, I can take an experienced and educated guess.

If you want to write hits, too… read on!

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To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

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1. Stick to the brand.

Overall, this song is built to fit Tim’s brand of country. Tim has shown time and again that he likes songs with different language.  And I don’t mean Mandarin or Spanish.  I mean, he likes interesting wording.  Check out songs like “Felt Good On My Lips” (“Mellow yellow umbrella for a fella like me”), “Everywhere” (“Albuquerque, waitin’ out a blizzard”)  or “Live Like You Were Dying” (“A bull named Fu Manchu”).  And the list could go on.  Tim likes unusual words and wording, and “Neon Church” is full of them.  “A little Friday night hallelujah” “A congregation of backsliders just like me.”

Also, Tim has a history of somewhat spiritual songs.  I say “somewhat” because while he isn’t known for straight up “I love Jesus” songs, the subject of Spirit pops up on his albums.  Just not in a straight ahead way.  “Book Of John” “Drugs Or Jesus” “Kill Myself” “Nothin’ To Die” “Better Than I Used To Be” and “Touchdown Jesus” all touch upon the spiritual, but not in a gospel way.  “Neon Church” does that, too.  It uses the language of the church without being a “church” song.

 2. Show, don’t tell.

There are a lot of images in the song, they’re fresh, and they’re memorable. Right in the first line, we see Jesus and whiskey.  Okay, you have my attention, Mr. McGraw.  The title is an image, of course.  Then we see a jukebox choir and angels with their wings on fire.  Tim’s not just telling us he needs a neon church, he’s showing us what a neon church looks, feels, sounds and tastes like.

These fresh, vivid images help the song stand apart from all the other songs that get pitched to Tim for every album.  Not only that, but it helps the song to…

3. Stay on theme.

The theme of the song is how the singer wants spiritual healing in a bar.  And just like the title smashes a bar and church image together (“neon/church”), so do most of the lines in the song.  “Bartender/preach,” “sipping/unholy water,” “jukebox/choir,” “honky tonk/angels,” etc.  This not only keeps the language interesting (back to point 1), it keeps it visual (point 2), and it keeps the song on theme.

In the 2nd verse, he stays on theme, explaining how he tried to find healing for his heartache in a traditional church.  It didn’t work, however, so he’s looking for that healing in a  bar.  It makes the whole setup of the song make even more sense.  “I couldn’t heal my heartache in a stained-glass church.  So now I’ll try it in a neon church.”

4. Clear eyes, full heart can’t lose.

The first lines of the song set up the emotional center of the song immediately and clearly.  What does he need?  Jesus or whiskey or whatever gets him through.  Through what?  Getting over you.  Okay, it’s a lost love song.  Got it.  And now that we know why the singer’s torn between Jesus and whiskey, we can connect emotionally.  We know Tim isn’t just worshipping whiskey or seeking a spiritual experience at a bar for no particular reason.

And you can feel the desperation and loss in Tim’s vocal.  The situation and his performance are full of heart.  He’s hurting, and he’s desperate for healing.  I, the listener, can feel his pain,  And that’s what keeps this from just being a song that’s clever or interesting.  The singer’s “hurt” is what makes it emotional, which is a huge deal when connecting with an audience.

Okay, those are four areas in which Ben Stennis, Ben Goldsmith and Ross Lipsey built “Neon Church” to be a hit song. Of course, those aren’t the only elements that make the song a hit, but they’re four important ones. If YOU want to discover even more of the elements of building a hit song, I have an awesome opportunity for you.

In the month of January, I’m hosting a transformative online songwriting event called, “Building A Hit: From Blank Page To Finished Lyric.” In this powerful 4-week online workshop, I reveal:

How to find great song ideas. Kill writers block and fill up that blank page again and again.

How to focus your ideas for maximum impact. Don’t waste any more great ideas by leaving them under-developed or confusing.

How to frame your idea for maximum commercial appeal. Having a great, compelling idea isn’t enough. You have to build your song in a way that an artist will want to sing it and an audience will want to hear it.

How to finish your song. Stop leaving your best ideas unfinished. Nobody loves a song they never hear, and a song that’s only 99% finished will never get recorded, never get on the radio, and never change your life.

If you want to join me on a journey that will help you think and write like a pro songwriter, click on the link below. Spots are limited for this event, and I only host it twice a year. Miss out, and it’s gone for another 6 months. Don’t delay. Transform your songwriting today..

DON’T MISS OUT- CLICK HERE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY.

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent

Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US, a #1 in Canada & a top 10 in Texas… so far.  He also hosts a top-rated songwriting and music business podcast called, “The C.L.I.M.B.” which can be found on iTunes or your favorite podcast app.

Building A Hit, Think Like A Pro

Your song’s title is like a movie trailer. Does it make anyone want to watch?

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Songs are like mini movies. And your song’s title is the trailer for the movie. If a movie has a boring trailer and no star-power, people won’t be lining up around the block to see it. And if your song has a boring title, the music industry won’t be lining up to listen to it.

Sure, you might still pay to see a movie with a bad trailer- if it stars one of your favorite actors. You’ll give the movie a shot if it has The Rock or Brad Pitt in it. After all, you know you like those guys, and they’ve earned your trust.

In the same way, fans will give a song with a boring title a listen if one of their favorite singers is singing it. You can probably think of a few “boring-title” songs you like from major artists. But there’s the bad news for you…

YOUR song is NOT starring Brad Pitt or The Rock.

If you want more people to listen to your songs, read on.

________________________________

To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

_________________________________

It isn’t sung by a major artist YET. And unless you or your cowriter is a star songwriter like Tom Douglas or Shane McAnally, it’s just a demo without any star-power.

Here’s the thing. You haven’t earned the benefit of the doubt from publishers and producers. They don’t know you, so they aren’t impressed by your name. So they better have some reason to pick your song out of the too-many-to-listen-to stack in their inbox or on their desk.

Your song’s “trailer” better be compelling.

A movie might be great, with a great story, great acting and a lot of plot twists. But if the trailer makes it look boring or predictable, we may not feel a need to ever see the movie. We might just assume it’s a retread of a hundred other movies we’ve already seen. We won’t know how great it really is.

Likewise, your song might be sonically hooky and amazing, but if the title is a worn-out cliche’ like “I Love You” or “You Broke My Heart Again,” music industry professionals will assume it’s a boring, predictable, cliche’ song. They’ll assume that listening is a waste of time, and they’ll bump it back to the bottom of the stack. And they’ll probably never get to the bottom of the stack.

Write more interesting titles if you want more people to hear your songs.

And this doesn’t just apply to music industry pros. If you share your songs in a Facebook group like the one Songwriting Pro has (link here), other writers are more likely to listen if the title is interesting.

After all, aren’t YOU drawn to intriguing titles? Don’t certain titles make YOU want to listen to the song? Are YOU more likely to click on an interesting song title or a cliche’, boring one?

If you want to write better titles, better songs, and earn the attention of more listeners, I have a great opportunity for you.

In the month of July, I’m hosting a transformative online songwriting event called, “Building A Hit: From Blank Page To Finished Lyric.” In this powerful 4-week online workshop, I reveal:

How to find great song ideas. Kill writers block and fill up that blank page again and again.

How to focus your ideas for maximum impact. Don’t waste any more great ideas by leaving them under-developed or confusing.

How to frame your idea for maximum commercial appeal. Having a great, compelling idea isn’t enough. You have to build your song in a way that an artist will want to sing it and an audience will want to hear it.

How to finish your song. Stop leaving your best ideas unfinished. Nobody loves a song they never hear, and a song that’s only 99% finished will never get recorded, never get on the radio, and never change your life.

If you want to join me on a journey that will help you think and write like a pro songwriter, click on the link below. Spots are limited for this event, and I only host it twice a year. Miss out, and it’s gone for another 6 months. Don’t delay. Transform your songwriting today..

DON’T MISS OUT- CLICK HERE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY.

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US, a #1 in Canada & a top 10 in Texas… so far.

Building A Hit, Write Like A Pro

Are you killing your song’s emotional power with 1 of these 7 mistakes?

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Are you having a hard time getting your songs to resonate with your listeners emotionally?

You can tell they’re hearing you, maybe even giving you their full attention, but you can tell their hearts aren’t in it.

If your listeners aren’t crying at your sad songs or getting all dreamy-eyed at your love songs or pumping their fists in the air during your rebel songs, you’re probably making at least one of the following seven mistakes.

But there’s good news- if you can identify these mistakes, you can fix ‘em!

If you want to avoid these mistakes, read on.

________________________________

To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

_________________________________

Here the 7 mistakes, in all their emotion-killing glory.

1.  Your song has too many characters.

If your song has too many characters, your listener won’t have enough time to get to know them or care about them. You, your girl, your ex, your best friend, her BFF, her ex, her mom… I’m lost.  And now I don’t care.

2. Your song has too much story.

Songs can tell amazing stories, but you have to keep them simple enough that the facts don’t crowd out the emotion. Too much story will turn you into a bland reporter, busily relaying facts just so the listener gets from point A to point B. “This happened then that happened. Two years later in a different town, this other thing happened.” Give enough space in your story for the emotion to come through.

3. Your song is too cliche’.

If your song is just a regurgitation of the same old stories told with the same old rhymes and cliched phrases, stuck in the same old melody… why would the listener get excited or moved? It’s like telling the same joke with the same punchline with the same delivery to a crowd that’s already heard it a hundred times. Don’t expect a big laugh. It’s just not going to happen.

4. Your song is too “inside.”

It’s great for a song to be very personal to you. But if you write it in a way that only you understand it, your audience will not be moved. You might know what you’re talking about, but if there’s not enough there for a listener to engage with and latch onto, they’ll just be frustrated, lost, or bored. Let the listener in on your inside joke!

5. Your song tells but doesn’t show.

Don’t just tell the listener you’re sad and expect them to be sad. Even if you show them tears in your eyes, don’t expect them to cry any of their own. Paint a picture of what made you so sad, and it’ll give the listener context and maybe something to relate to. And then they may be reaching for their own Kleenexes.

6. Your song’s melody doesn’t support its emotion.

If your song is supposed to be angry or resentful, but your melody, production, etc. is smooth and poppy… I’m not buying it (literally or figuratively). If your singer is singing about regret and heartache, but the melody feels like happy good times, I’m not buying it. It’s like mumbling a half-hearted, “I love you” or yelling “I’m sorry! Will you forgive me!?!?!?!” in an angry tone of voice. Or when a woman says, “nothing’s wrong, I’m FINE, okay?” in a tone of voice that tells you the opposite. You’re sending mixed emotional signals that cancel each other out or confuse the listener.

7. Your song idea is not emotional enough.

Is your song too “head” and not enough “heart?” Is your topic too trivial or just an interesting (but un-emotional) thought? You can write a song about how the square root of 49 is 7. That’s fine. But don’t expect anyone to laugh or cry when they hear it. Unless they REALLY hate math. So… me in 7th grade. Yep, 7th grade me would cry about a square root song, but that’s not a real big market.

If your songs don’t connect emotionally with the listener, the listener won’t connect financially with you. The heart is connected to the wallet.

Knowing simple things like this is how you write stronger, more commercial songs.  And if that’s what you’re after, I have a great opportunity for you.

In the month of July 2019, I’m hosting a transformative online songwriting event called, “Building A Hit: From Blank Page To Finished Lyric.” In this powerful 4-week online workshop, I reveal:

How to find great song ideas. Kill writers block and fill up that blank page again and again.

How to focus your ideas for maximum impact. Don’t waste any more great ideas by leaving them under-developed or confusing.

How to frame your idea for maximum commercial appeal. Having a great, compelling idea isn’t enough. You have to build your song in a way that an artist will want to sing it and an audience will want to hear it.

How to finish your song. Stop leaving your best ideas unfinished. Nobody loves a song they never hear, and a song that’s only 99% finished will never get recorded, never get on the radio, and never change your life.

If you want to join me on a journey that will help you think and write like a pro songwriter, click on the link below. Spots are limited for this event, and I only host it twice a year. Miss out, and it’s gone for another 6 months. Don’t delay. Transform your songwriting today..

DON’T MISS OUT- CLICK HERE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY.

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent

Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US, a #1 in Canada & a top 10 in Texas… so far.

Building A Hit, Think Like A Pro

Here’s how to be a happier, more successful songwriter.

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I hate to tell you, but nobody really reaches songwriting success.  But you can experience it.

Sure, certain songwriters might get a song recorded.  Maybe they even get a bunch of songs recorded.  Maybe a few of them become hits.  But do they ever reach “songwriting success?” I don’t think they do.  I don’t think anybody does.

But this doesn’t mean you should quit writing.  It means you should keep on writing!

If you want to be a happier, more successful songwriter, read on. ________________________________

To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

_________________________________

Here’s the deal.  I don’t think songwriting success is a destination.  I believe it’s the journey itself.

Here’s the thing about a journey: it has movement.  You don’t sit still.   You move. You make progress.  Sure, sometimes you might slide back down the hill, get lost, or take the long way around. But that’s all part of the journey.  And it’s okay.

Ever get stuck in bad traffic?  I’m one of those guys that would rather take a detour that I KNOW is a few minutes or miles longer just because I’d rather be moving than sitting still.  Why?  Because…

The “success” we experience as part of the journey is just that- a part of the journey.  It’s not a destination.  Cuts, hits, whatever… they’re evidence of success, but they aren’t success all by themselves.

Writing better songs is success.  Forging new, stronger relationships is success.  Cuts and hits are outward signs that sometimes mark our journey, but they aren’t success.  They are evidence of progress, and progress is success.

That is why the most successful writers keep working so hard.  They don’t just get that first #1 hit and coast.  Surely, they’ve reached success, right?  If so, why do they keep working so hard, day in and day out? Because it’s progress (success) to write a new song that they love.  It’s progress (success) to write a better song than the last one.  It’s progress (success) to build their catalog and discography.  It’s progress (success) to climb the cowriting ladder.

Humans are wired to be happier when we’re making progress.

True story: my 1st year in Nashville was probably happier than my 5th.  Why?  Because my 1st year was full of progress!  When you start with almost nothing, almost everything is progress.  Every song was a step forward.  Every new cowriter was a big deal.  Every time a publisher heard one of my songs, it was a huge win (even when they passed).

The first time a major artist (Tim McGraw) heard one of my songs, it was an amazing, fist-pumping, made-my-month event.  And he passed on my song!  So why was it such a big deal?  Because it was progress.  A major artist had NEVER heard one of my songs before. But that day, one did.  That was unbelievably exciting.

By my 5th year in Nashville, a top 5 hit was behind me, and I was in my 3rd year of a publishing deal.  I was trying to climb back up “Hit Mountain.”  I was writing every day and not doing the day job I had in that 1st year.  And my songs were better, no doubt.  I was getting some holds, and a little activity.  But was I happier?  I don’t really think so.

Don’t get me wrong, it was still great.  But I wasn’t making as much progress as I did that first year, and those smaller gains were harder to make, so it wasn’t quite as exciting.

Want to be happier with your songwriting?  Make progress.

Learn some new chords.  Learn a new songwriting technique.  Reach out to a new cowriter.  Dig deeper and write your best song yet.  Develop a songwriting calendar where you set appointments with yourself and start to feel like a professional (even if you don’t have the awards yet).

Let yourself feel the excitement that comes with progress.

Don’t ignore it or feel that it’s beneath you.  Don’t hold off celebrating until you get that #1 or whatever you’ve defined as success.

Keep making progress.  That IS success.

Sometimes cuts and recognition flow from it.  But sometimes, cuts don’t happen.  You can’t really control that.  But you can control whether or not you’re becoming a better songwriter.  You CAN control whether or not you make progress.

I want YOU to experience a successful songwriting journey, so I want to help you make progress.

In the month of July, I’m hosting a transformative online songwriting event called, “Building A Hit: From Blank Page To Finished Lyric.” In this powerful 4-week online workshop, I reveal:

How to find great song ideas. Kill writers block and fill up that blank page again and again.

How to focus your ideas for maximum impact. Don’t waste any more great ideas by leaving them under-developed or confusing.

How to frame your idea for maximum commercial appeal. Having a great, compelling idea isn’t enough. You have to build your song in a way that an artist will want to sing it and an audience will want to hear it.

How to finish your song. Stop leaving your best ideas unfinished. Nobody loves a song they never hear, and a song that’s only 99% finished will never get recorded, never get on the radio, and never change your life.

If you want to join me on a journey that will help you think and write like a pro songwriter, click on the link below. Spots are limited for this event, and I only host it twice a year. Miss out, and it’s gone for another 6 months. Don’t delay. Transform your songwriting today..

DON’T MISS OUT- CLICK HERE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY.

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US, a #1 in Canada & a top 10 in Texas… so far.

Building A Hit, Write Like A Pro

Building A Hit: Blake Shelton & “I Lived It”

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Blake Shelton’s current single, “I Lived It,” is living it up on the country singles chart. Today, let’s take a look at some of the ways the songwriters built this song to be a Blake hit.

Great songs don’t happen by accident- they’re a series of wise choices.  And the songwriters (Ashley Gorley, Ben Hayslip, Rhett Akins and Ross Copperman) made some great choices when building “I Lived It.” Now, I wasn’t in the room with them, so I can only speculate at the thought process behind the end results. But as a professional songwriter myself, I can take an experienced and educated guess.

If you want to write hits, too… read on!

________________________________

To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

_________________________________

1. Stick to the brand.

Overall, this song is built to fit Blakes’s brand of country. The lyric is really country, and the song is about what it’s like to grow up… country.  Really country.  This subject matter fits nicely beside other songs he’s cut, like “Green,” “Boys ‘Round Here” and “Hey.”  The phrasing and production are also a little more traditional than progressive, which also (generally) fit’s Blake’s brand.

 2. Show, don’t tell.

There are a lot of images in the song, and it puts us in those moments. Right in the first line, we see a guy driving a flatbed Ford.  Then we see flies and a hole in a screen door.  Blake’s not just saying he grew up country, he’s showing us what growing up country looks, feels, sounds and tastes like.

These fresh, vivid images help the song stand apart from all the other, vague “I grew up country” songs that no doubt get pitched to Blake for every album.  Not only that, but it helps to…

3. Give the listener a reason to connect.

How many people can relate to growing up this way?  A lot of us remember mama pouring bacon grease in a can, sitting in front of a box fan, and so many more things in this lyric.  It pushes the nostalgia button for many, many listeners.

For example, if it’s been years since you’ve thought about how cool it was to get your hands on a two dollar bill, that line sets off a “nostalgia bomb” in your brain.  And nostalgia is a great way to connect to the listener’s emotions and get them to invest in your song.  It’s not the only way, but it sure is a powerful one.

4. Keep it moving.

Writing a sentimental, nostalgic song might lead some writers to write a slow ballad.  But not these hit songwriters.  They know that their chances of getting a cut go up as they add some tempo, groove or energy to the song.  So that’s what they did.

The song is by no means an uptempo rocker. But they put about as much tempo on it is as they could without breaking the sentimental, nostalgic vibe of the song.

Okay, those are four areas in which Ashley Gorley, Ben Hayslip, Rhett Akins and Ross Copperman built “I Lived It” to be a hit song. Of course, those aren’t the only elements that make “I Lived It” a hit, but they’re four important ones. If YOU want to discover even more of the elements of building a hit song, I have an awesome opportunity for you.

In the month of July, I’m hosting a transformative online songwriting event called, “Building A Hit: From Blank Page To Finished Lyric.” In this powerful 4-week online workshop, I reveal:

How to find great song ideas. Kill writers block and fill up that blank page again and again.

How to focus your ideas for maximum impact. Don’t waste any more great ideas by leaving them under-developed or confusing.

How to frame your idea for maximum commercial appeal. Having a great, compelling idea isn’t enough. You have to build your song in a way that an artist will want to sing it and an audience will want to hear it.

How to finish your song. Stop leaving your best ideas unfinished. Nobody loves a song they never hear, and a song that’s only 99% finished will never get recorded, never get on the radio, and never change your life.

If you want to join me on a journey that will help you think and write like a pro songwriter, click on the link below. Spots are limited for this event, and I only host it twice a year. Miss out, and it’s gone for another 6 months. Don’t delay. Transform your songwriting today..

DON’T MISS OUT- CLICK HERE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY.

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent

Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US, a #1 in Canada & a top 10 in Texas… so far.

Building A Hit, The C.L.I.M.B., Write Like A Pro

The C.L.I.M.B. #98: Separate The Emotion From The Event

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Why is it that you have no emotional concerns with any kind of failure at your day gig, but you’re paralyzed with fear of failure in your artist career?  Let’s dive in and and get you moving past fear and into success!

If you’re a singer, songwriter or indie artist who wants to grow your career, THIS is the podcast for you!

The C.L.I.M.B. Podcast is live and ready for download!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE C.L.I.M.B. ON ITUNES

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE C.L.I.M.B. ON STITCHER (for Android)

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN ON THE C.L.I.M.B. WEBSITE

The C.L.I.M.B. stands for “Creating Leverage In The Music Business,” and that’s the goal of this podcast- to help singers, indie artists and songwriters like YOU to create leverage in the music business.  What is leverage?  It’s “strategic advantage; the power to act effectively.”  We want to help YOU make stuff happen in the music biz.

It’s exciting to see how folks are digging the show- and being helped on their CLIMB.  If YOU like it, we’d really appreciate it if you’d subscribe and leave a rating or review on iTunes.  Positive ratings and reviews help us to climb the iTunes rankings so more people become aware of the show and we can help more singers, songwriters, and indie artists like you make The CLIMB!The CLIMB iTunes review 3

CLICK HERE TO LEAVE AN iTUNES REVIEW

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE C.L.I.M.B. ON ITUNES

If you aren’t on iTunes, you can listen to the show at our website:

TheCLIMBshow.com

If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe to the show on:

Stitcher

Thanks for your time. It means a lot to me, and hopefully it’ll be a lot of help for you!

God Bless and keep C.L.I.M.B.ing,

Brent

Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US and a #1 in Canada… so far.

Building A Hit, Write Like A Pro

Bring One Of These To Your Next Cowrite (Or You’ll Be Sorry)

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Let me tell you a tale of two cowrites, both from my early “pro” days. First… the bad cowrite.  It was a nightmare…

I was signed with Major Bob Music at the time, and “Monday Morning Church” had recently been a top 5 country hit for Alan Jackson.  But in spite of having a publishing deal and a hit under my belt, I was still pretty much a newbie trying to figure things out.  (I still feel that way to be honest.)  Anyway, Major Bob hooked me up to cowrite with a legit hit songwriter.  This guy had many cuts and hits to his credit, and I was honored to get in a room with him.

We met at his publishing company on Music Row.  After a little chit chat, he got that familiar look on his face.

“So… got any ideas?”  No.  Not really.

I mean, I had a bunch of hooks and some ideas, but nothing great.  Nothing I was busting a gut to write.  And I apparently didn’t have anything that impressed him, either.  After I threw out several “shoulder-shruggers,” he said, “Man, we need an idea like ‘Monday Morning Church.'”  Too bad.  I must have left my stack of “Monday Morning Church” ideas at home that morning.

We chatted some more, eventually moving out to the porch where he smoked a cigarette and I watched my hopes of making a good impression going up in smoke.  We called it a day.  I call it a failure of preparation on my part.  We’ve never written again.  For me, I was embarrassed and in no hurry to risk wasting his time again.

Now for the good cowrite.

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To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book _________________________________

I met Byron Hill at Chad Green’s ASCAP Country Workshop.  And, if I remember correctly, Carla Wallace at Big Yellow Dog Music also helped connect us.  We got a cowrite on the books, and I was pumped.  Byron has written a bunch of hits including, “Fool Hearted Memory” for George Strait, “Born Country” for Alabama, “Politics Religion & Her” for Sammy Kershaw and many, many more.

This time, I did my homework.  I pulled together several ideas and lyrics that I thought he’d like.  I really wanted to make a good impression on him. When Byron asked, “So… got any ideas?” I was ready.  He loved a lyric sketch I brought in called, “Ring On The Bar,” and we were off to the races.

This first cowrite led to some success and more opportunity.  While “Ring On The Bar” hasn’t been a big hit yet, it’s been recorded by John Pierce (RCA), James Dupre’ (The Voice), and has been on hold by several artists, including Brad Paisley.

But the big thing is that Byron and I went on to write several more songs together, including the 2014 Canadian Country Music Awards Single Of The Year (and my first #1) “When Your Lips Are So Close” with artist, Gord Bamford.

Good thing I showed up with a good idea on that first day, huh?

And that brings me to the point of these two stories.  I believe that a strong idea is the most valuable thing you can bring to a cowrite (other than Tom Douglas).  “Well,” you might say, “how come these big-time songwriters didn’t throw out any of THEIR ideas?”  Here’s why:

A great idea is sometimes the only thing a newer songwriter has to offer a seasoned pro.

Let’s face it, if you get to write with an established pro songwriter, what do THEY need from YOU?

new songwriter offer pro

They have a more valuable name in the business.  They have more connections.  They most likely bring a higher level of songwriting skill.  The only thing they need is a fresh, cool idea or melody.  Unless you’re swinging around a big fat record deal, your job is to bring in the idea or the start of a song.

If the pro has a great idea, he surely has several proven, established cowriters or artists who could write it with him.  Why risk giving 50% of HIS idea to a songwriter who might not contribute very much?

Let me tell you, it’s more fun (and profitable) when you have a strong answer for “got any ideas?” – and I want you to be prepared when that question comes your way.  And that question doesn’t need a good answer ONLY if you get a pro cowrite.  That question comes up in EVERY cowrite.  Every time you step into the writing room, you have the opportunity to blow away your cowriter with a great nugget or idea.

Feeling like I have a stack of strong ideas allows me to walk into any cowrite with confidence.  We might not always write my idea, but I came prepared… and my cowriter knows it and appreciates it.

I want YOU to have that confidence – and those results, too.  I want your cowriters to be glad they showed up to write with you.  But I DON’T want you to have to go through years of trial, error and the occasional embarrassing cowrite like I did!

That’s why, in the month of January, I’m hosting a transformative online songwriting event called, “Building A Hit: From Blank Page To Finished Lyric.” In this powerful 4-week online workshop, I reveal: How to find great song ideas. Kill writers block and fill up that blank page again and again.  Always have an answer for, “So… got any ideas?” How to focus your ideas for maximum impact. Don’t waste any more great ideas by leaving them under-developed or confusing. How to frame your ideas for maximum commercial appeal. Having a great, compelling idea isn’t enough. You have to build your song in a way that an artist will want to sing it and an audience will want to hear it. How to finish your song. Stop leaving your best ideas unfinished! Nobody loves a song they never hear, and a song that’s only 99% finished will never get recorded, get on the radio, or change your life.  Stop leaving your success to gather dust, unfinished, in some old notebook. If you want to join me on a journey that will help you think and write like a pro songwriter, click on the link below. Spots are limited for this event, and I only host it twice a year. Miss out, and it’s gone for another 6 months. Don’t delay- THE DEADLINE TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT IS THIS SATURDAY!

DON’T MISS OUT- CLICK HERE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY.  THE DEADLINE TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT IS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30!

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US, a #1 in Canada & a top 10 in Texas… so far. SWP 4

Building A Hit, The C.L.I.M.B., Write Like A Pro

The C.L.I.M.B. #97: Building A Hit with Luke Bryan & “Light It Up”

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How did Luke Bryan build “Light It Up” to be a big hit?  What are some of the songwriting choices he and Brad Tursi (of Old Dominion) made that’s helping it connect with fans while climbing the charts?

On today’s episode, I pull back the curtain on hit songwriting and share lessons that can help YOU build a hit of your own.

If you’re a singer, songwriter or indie artist who wants to grow your career, THIS is the podcast for you!

The C.L.I.M.B. Podcast is live and ready for download!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE C.L.I.M.B. ON ITUNES

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE C.L.I.M.B. ON STITCHER (for Android)

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN ON THE C.L.I.M.B. WEBSITE

The C.L.I.M.B. stands for “Creating Leverage In The Music Business,” and that’s the goal of this podcast- to help singers, indie artists and songwriters like YOU to create leverage in the music business.  What is leverage?  It’s “strategic advantage; the power to act effectively.”  We want to help YOU make stuff happen in the music biz.

It’s exciting to see how folks are digging the show- and being helped on their CLIMB.  If YOU like it, we’d really appreciate it if you’d subscribe and leave a rating or review on iTunes.  Positive ratings and reviews help us to climb the iTunes rankings so more people become aware of the show and we can help more singers, songwriters, and indie artists like you make The CLIMB!The CLIMB iTunes review 3

CLICK HERE TO LEAVE AN iTUNES REVIEW

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE C.L.I.M.B. ON ITUNES

If you aren’t on iTunes, you can listen to the show at our website:

TheCLIMBshow.com

If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe to the show on:

Stitcher

Thanks for your time. It means a lot to me, and hopefully it’ll be a lot of help for you!

God Bless and keep C.L.I.M.B.ing,

Brent

Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US and a #1 in Canada… so far.

Building A Hit, Think Like A Pro

Beat Second Verse Hell And Finish Your Song

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Ever been trapped in “2nd Verse Hell?”

“2nd Verse Hell” is that lovely place you reach at the end of the first verse and chorus where you stare at the page for an hour, pulling out your hair and trying to figure out what to say next. I’ve been there, and it’s not fun.

Here’s a tactic that can help you beat 2nd verse hell.

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To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

_________________________________

Sometimes the solution to 2nd Verse Hell isn’t what happens NEXT. Sometimes, the solution is what happened BEFORE.

Think of each section of your lyric, or even each thought, as a single playing card in a deck.

Shuffle the deck.

  • Take what you thought was your 1st verse and move it to the 2nd verse. Now what needs to be said in the 1st verse?
  • Maybe verse two is really the chorus and the chorus is really verse two.
  • Maybe you told too much in the 1st verse and you need to play some of those cards in the 2nd verse instead.
  • What happens if you make your chorus the 1st verse?  Or 2nd verse?
  • What if the last line (or thought) of verse one is really the 1st line of verse two?

Don’t be afraid to shuffle the deck several times. If you don’t like the result, you can always put the cards back in their original order. Go ahead. Give it a try.

Shuffling the deck just might change a losing hand into a winning one.

Shuffle-Deck

Having a song you can’t figure out how to finish just feels awful, doesn’t it?  I want YOU to have a winning hand with every song.  I want you to have the songwriting skill to find, focus and finish more of your song ideas. 

And by the way, becoming known for consistently finishing your songs (and finishing strong) will help you attract more and better cowriters.  Finish more songs = attract more cowriters.  That’s a win-win.

And I want to help you win.

That’s why I’m hosting a transformative online songwriting event in January called, “Building A Hit: From Blank Page To Finished Lyric.” In this powerful 4-week online workshop, I reveal:

How to find great song ideas. Kill writers block and fill up that blank page again and again.

How to focus your ideas for maximum impact. Don’t waste any more great ideas by leaving them under-developed or confusing.

How to frame your ideas for maximum commercial appeal. Having a great, compelling idea isn’t enough. You have to build your song in a way that an artist will want to sing it and an audience will want to hear it.

How to finish your song. Stop leaving your best ideas unfinished! Nobody loves a song they never hear, and a song that’s only 99% finished will NEVER get recorded, get on the radio, or change your life.  Don’t let that happen to you.  Don’t leave your future unfinished in some old notebook somewhere.

If you want to join me on a journey that will help you think and write like a pro songwriter, click on the link below. Spots are limited for this event, and I only host it twice a year. Miss out, and it’s gone for another 6 months. Don’t delay. Transform your songwriting today..

DON’T MISS OUT- CLICK HERE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY.

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent

Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US, a #1 in Canada & a top 10 in Texas… so far.

Building A Hit, Think Like A Pro

Writing Songs That Are “Just As Good” Isn’t Good Enough.

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Ever turn on the radio, get mad and think, “Well, my songs are just as good as THAT!  Why aren’t MINE getting cut???”

Raise your hand if you’ve been there.  Yep.  Me, too.  And you might actually be writing songs that are, in fact, just as good as a few of the ones on the radio.

But “just as good” isn’t good enough.

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To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

_________________________________

Unless you’re already one of the cool kids on Music Row with a track record and a strong network, being “just as good” equals “just as good as invisible.”  It’s not enough to get you noticed or to get your song on the radio.

If your songs are just as good as a pro’s, expect the pro writer to get the cut.

After all, the pro has paid his (or her) dues, written a lot of really good songs, has industry contacts and might be writing with the artist or producer.  If anyone’s going to get their mediocre song recorded, it’s them, not you.  It might not seem fair, but a songwriter in that position has earned it.

Your songs have to be better. Period.

Not only do your songs have to cut through all the clutter of “bad” songs, they have to leapfrog all the “good” songs and be so good they land in the stack of “great” songs.

Sure, vanilla songs will get cut, but yours probably won’t.  As an outside songwriter (one without strong industry connections), you’re up against songwriters who DO have those connections.  Basically, your song has to be so good or so right for the artist that they pick yours INSTEAD of their buddy’s (or even their own song).

Write songs so good they can’t be ignored.

So… how do you actually do that?  The shortest answer is just to “dig deeper.”  (Have you ever heard that in a song meeting?  I have.  And it used to drive me NUTS.)

Thankfully, I don’t hear that these days.  Why?  Well… I’ve learned to DIG DEEPER!

I’m a lyricist, so I’ve found my advantage in finding and developing ideas.  Find an interesting title.  Then find a compelling, fresh angle to that idea.  Then develop the idea into something that makes sense commercially.  Then finish strong.  Sounds simple.  But it takes hard work and dedication to the craft of songwriting.

However, becoming known for consistently bringing in strong ideas – and knowing what to do with them – will help you attract great cowriters and maybe even land some great cuts.

I want to help you find, develop & finish great song ideas.

A great idea is one of the best ways to get other songwriters to not only notice you, but to tell their friends about you. If you can make another songwriter say, “I wish I’d thought of that!” they’ll remember you.  And if they remember you, it’ll speed up your success in the music biz.

I want you to be memorable.

If YOU want you and your songs to be memorable (in a good way), I have an awesome opportunity for you.

In the month of January, I’m hosting a transformative online songwriting event called, “Building A Hit: From Blank Page To Finished Lyric.” In this powerful 4-week online workshop, I reveal:

How to find great song ideas. Kill writers block and fill up that blank page again and again.

How to focus your ideas for maximum impact. Don’t waste any more great ideas by leaving them under-developed or confusing.

How to frame your ideas for maximum commercial appeal. Having a great, compelling idea isn’t enough. You have to build your song in a way that an artist will want to sing it and an audience will want to hear it.

How to finish your song. Stop leaving your best ideas unfinished! Nobody loves a song they never hear, and a song that’s only 99% finished will never get recorded, get on the radio, or change your life.

If you want to join me on a journey that will help you think and write like a pro songwriter, click on the link below. Spots are limited for this event, and I only host it twice a year. Miss out, and it’s gone for another 6 months. Don’t delay. Transform your songwriting today..

DON’T MISS OUT- CLICK HERE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY.

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent

Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US, a #1 in Canada & a top 10 in Texas… so far.