Tag Archives: Kenny Chesney

Building A Hit, Write Like A Pro

Want Artists To Record Your Songs? You Need S.P.I.N.S.

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Want to make a living as a songwriter?  Want a publishing deal? Would you be happy just to get a song or two recorded, even if they don’t become hit singles? The answer for all this is the same...

If you want artists to record your music, write songs with built-in S.P.I.N.S.

So, what are S.P.I.N.S., and how do they help you get cuts? 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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These days, it seems like it’s harder than ever to land a cut on a major artist.  There are literally tens of thousands of songwriters in Nashville trying to get one of their songs recorded by a handful of major artists.  And that’s not counting the thousands of songwriters in other major music cities and small towns around the world who are competing for cuts on those same records.

But the competition (and opportunity) doesn’t stop there.  A quick check of any online music platform will reveal that there are thousands of independent artists who are releasing new music every day.  How do you get a song on one of their projects? 

You get cuts by writing songs with S.P.I.N.S.  (You know how much I love acronyms.)  Let’s break it down.

S. is for Stickiness.

Your song has to get stuck in the listener’s head.  It has to be memorable- to stick with the listener.  You can do this multiple ways.  A great way to start is by having a unique, compelling hook or title.  Avoid titles that have been done a million times.  “I Love You.”  “Over You.”  Those titles aren’t going to send any publisher, producer or artist scrambling to hear your song.  Be more creative and more memorable.

Have melodic hooks in your song that are ear-worms.  There have to be some melodic pieces that stand out and stay with the listener after the first listen.  If a listener can sing along by the time you hit your last chorus, that’s a great sign.

Imagery is a great way to be sticky.  Give the listener something to see in their mind’s eye, something fresh, real and unexpected, and there’s a much better chance the song will be memorable.

P. is for Positioning.

Your song should be well-positioned for your target market.  It has to make sense for your target genre and its artists.  Your “I’m a whiskey-drinking, fist-swinging rebel” song is not going to work for an artist who is positioned as a “lover, not a fighter.” 

Also, it helps to write songs that are artist-friendly.  Do your songs make the artist look good?  Do they say what an artist wants to say to their audience?  That’s being artist-friendly.

If you song is sticky, but it’s not well-positioned, an artist isn’t going to record it.

I. is for Impact.

Your song needs to make an impact on the artist and listener.  It should make them feel something.  Does your song make the listener want to laugh, cry, dance or think? Will a large audience care about your song’s subject matter ?  This is called being “universal.”

Start by having a clear emotional goal for your song.  Is your song all about getting the listener on the dance floor, on their knees praying, on the phone with mama, or on their boyfriend?  If you don’t know the response you want to get from the listener, you’re probably not going to get it.

Write about something emotional.  It’s not enough for your song to be based around an interesting turn of phrase.  The song must impact the listener’s emotions.

Keep it simple.  Make your song about one clear thing.  If you throw too much at the listener, you’ll confuse them.  If you confuse the listener, you lose the listener, and they won’t be emotionally moved by your song.  Keeping it simple also helps it be more sticky.

Use powerful imagery.  It’s a great way to bring the listener into the story and keep their attention.

It doesn’t matter if your song is sticky and well-positioned if it has no impact on the listener.

N. is for Network.

You and your song have to get connected to the right people.  This is where relationships are key.  Can you get your songs to a legit publisher- who can then get the song in the right hands?  Can you play your songs for a producer?  Are you writing with the artist?Building and leveraging your network is the major difference between great songwriters and great songwriters with great careers.

Your song can be sticky, have positioning and impact, but it’ll never get recorded if it isn’t networked.

S. is for Start Again.

One song written with S.P.I.N.S. isn’t going to be enough.  S.P.I.N.S. isn’t a guarantee.  And even if it were, one song doesn’t make a career.  But the more songs you write with built-in Stickyness, Positioning, Impact and Networking, the better your chance for songwriting success.

S.P.I.N.S. : Stickiness – Positioning – Impact – Network – Start Again

If you want to write songs with S.P.I.N.S. and get your songs recorded by artists, I have a great opportunity coming up.

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.  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, Write Like A Pro

Building A Hit: Billboard Country Chart Breakdown

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Want to land one of YOUR songs on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart?  Then an important step is to study what kind of songs already DO land on the chart.  If you want to hit a target, you gotta know where the target is.

Today, let’s dive into the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of May 25, 2019.  We’re going to look at some of the important qualities of those songs- qualities that can help YOUR song get on this chart someday.

If you want to write hits… 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

_________________________________

I focused on the top 15 country songs on the chart.  I looked the writers, the tempos, the overall vibe, point-of-view, and a few other aspects of these songs.  Here are my biggest takeaways.

1. Keep It Positive!

Of the top 15 country songs, not a single one was a “downer.”  There were a couple of lost-love or breakup songs: “Whiskey Glasses,” “Beer Never Broke My Heart” and “Miss Me More.”  But even those songs felt really good or were empowering.  None of them was a cry-in-your-beer song.

So that’s the biggest takeaway: keep it positive.  Even if it’s a breakup song, it doesn’t have to feel sad or make you wanna cry.  True, some downer songs can still be hits, no doubt.  But look at the math.  Most hits – and EVERY SINGLE ONE of these 15 songs are feel-good or positive songs.

 2. Write Tempo!

Of the top 15 country songs, 11 were mid-tempo or up-tempo.  This means they have a good groove to them or have a beat you can rock out or dance to.  Energy!

Even looking at the 4 songs I listed as “slow,” they aren’t all sloooow ballads.  “Beautiful Crazy” is the most ballad of them.  After that, “Good As You” “Speechless” and “Talk You Out Of It” each have some R&B elements to them.  They don’t just sit there.  They have groove and make you want to move, even if they aren’t true tempos.  And they’re sexy, makeout songs.  That’s different than a slow, contemplative ballad about the singer’s grandpa or how the singer’s girl left him.

Bottom line: Radio loves tempo, so it’s hard to beat a good beat.

3. Write With The Artist.

Yeah, this one is the most painful.  But I’m not doing you any favors by hiding the truth.  Of the top 15 country songs, 9 were cowritten by the artist.

Let that sink in for a moment.

The hard truth is that it’s hard to get a cut of any kind.  And it’s REALLY, REALLY hard to get a hit single without writing with the artist.

Does this mean you should quit?  Give up right now and go back to that cubicle?  No.  But you do have to be honest with yourself about reality.  For one thing, some songs still become hits without the artist in the writing room.  But you do yourself no favors by ignoring that your odds go up dramatically when an artist IS in the room.

So, as you build your songwriting career, it’s wise to 1) start cowriting if you don’t already.  It’s gonna be extra hard to write with an artist if you don’t write with anyone.  2) Try to identify and write with future stars- while they’re fairly unknown and still accessible.  3) Build your music business network.  The more people you know who also know you, the better chance they’ll connect you to an artist someday.

However, one of the best ways to eventually attract an artist cowrite is by writing songs that are hit-worthy.  It IS so much about relationships, but relationships are a whole lot easier to make if you’re writing commercial, compelling, hit-worthy songs.

Great commercial songs will solve so many of your problems.

So, there you go.  These are some of my biggest takeaways from a recent hit country singles chart.  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.  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, Write Like A Pro

Building A Hit: Kenny Chesney & “Better Boat”

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Kenny Chesney’s current single, “Better Boat,” is navigating up the country singles chart. Today, let’s take a look at some of the ways the songwriters built this song to be a Chesney hit.

Great songs don’t happen by accident- they’re a series of wise choices.  And the songwriters (Travis Meadows and Liz Rose) made some great choices when building “Better Boat.” 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

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1. Stick to the brand.

Overall, this song is built to fit Kenny’s brand of country.  Kenny is like the tide- time and again, he returns to the ocean.  So a song with a title like “Better Boat” certainly fits that bill.

Chesney is also tends toward introspection every now and then.  If you’ve listened to his beach albums especially, you get that feeling in several of his songs.  Some artists don’t tend to go there, but Kenny will.

 2. Fill a G.A.P.

We all know how much Kenny likes “beach songs.”  But at this point, he’s done so many…. like… a LOT of them.  So how do you bring something different?  Well, you get it into his brand (as mentioned above) by the theme of a better boat.  Then you open it up by making it a metaphor for dealing with life and growing as a person.

Maybe the Chesney of 10 years ago wouldn’t have released this.  But as a mature superstar, he’s going to these more thoughtful themes.  He’s doing more introspection, as also mentioned above.  Mixing these two things: a boat-song-not-about-the-beach and introspection, puts “Better Boat” into a gap in Kenny’s catalog that isn’t over-served.  It gives him (and the listener) a little different slice of the familiar pie.

3. Hit me in the feels.

This doesn’t go where you’d think a country song with “Boat” in the title would go.  It’s not a good-time-boats-and-beaches song.  It’s very emotional.  It’s honest, raw, bittersweet, and ultimately hopeful.

It doesn’t spell everything out.  What put the singer in this emotional place?  What demons haunt him?  What “ain’t workin'” and what’s “still hurtin’?”  While it leaves out many details, the song does a great job of painting enough of a picture that we don’t feel lost.  It contains enough imagery to anchor us.  It presents the moment wonderfully, while leaving the backstory open.  It’s a really hard thing to do, but I think they did it well.

The song makes you FEEL.  It’s not a “heady” song.  It’s not an intellectual thing, and it’s not a toe tapper.  The writers know that if you’re gonna write a ballad, you sure better bring the EMOTION.  It doesn’t mean you can’t also bring imagery, but you sure better bring the feels.  What’s in this song for the listener?  It moves them.  And if they’re dealing with something like the singer is, it lets them know they’re not alone.

4. Break every rule (for a superstar).

First of all, this song is a ballad.  That’s one strike “against” it.  The production is also strikingly sparse.  It’s just acoustic guitars (courtesy of Mac McAnally).  Of course, that kind of simple production worked out okay for “The House That Built Me,” but it’s still a risky move.  It really sticks out on country radio, and country radio doesn’t usually like that.  It takes both a killer song and a powerful artist to make that risk a worthy gamble.

These days, most country singers seem to reach into the pop world for a female guest spot (Florida Georgia Line’s “Meant To Be feat. Bebe Rexha,” Keith Urban’s “Coming Home feat. Julia Michaels,” and… Chesney’s own “Setting The World On Fire feat. P!nk”) .  However, Chesney brings Mindy Smith, an Americana darling, on board.  She’s great, but she’s not a name that’s going to bring over a ton of pop listeners.

And this song isn’t a fun positive uptempo.  It’s not shallow (boat pun intended).  That’s not the mark of the usual radio hit.  Again, Chesney is bringing his superstar muscle to bear on this one.  Most artists simply couldn’t get away with this type of song.  But Chesney has earned it by years of bringing radio hit after radio hit.

What’s the lesson here?  If you’re going to break the rules, realize that you’re hurting your changes of getting a cut.  And know that you better be writing something AMAZING that also happens to fit right where an artist is or is going in his or her career.  Travis and Liz wrote the heck out of it, that’s for sure.  But there are probably only a couple of major artists that could cut this song, and only one who could make it a hit.  Just so happens they got it to him.  And I’m glad they did.

Okay, those are four areas in which Travis Meadows and Liz Rose built “Better Boat” to be a surprising 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.

Know The Row, Think Like A Pro, Write Like A Pro

Songwriting advice from hit songwriter, Jimmy Yeary!

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Here’s golden advice from a #1 songwriter.

Jimmy Yeary’s Lee Brice hit, “I Drive Your Truck” was awarded Song of the Year honors at the 47th annual Country Music Association Awards, as well as Song of the Year at the 49th annual Academy of Country Music Awards. More recently, he landed another chart-topper with David Lee Murphy and Kenny Chesney’s “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright.”

Yeary’s songwriting credits also include Kenny Chesney’s #1 hit “Til It’s Gone,” Rascal Flatts’ #1 single “Why Wait”, Jake Owen’s #1 “Anywhere With You,” and Martina McBride’s top 10 hit “I’m Gonna Love You Through It.” He’s also had songs recorded by George Strait, Leann Rimes, Troy Olsen, Heidi Newfield, and more.

Jimmy was a recent guest on Frettie.com’s “Know The Row,” and he shared some great, real-world advice for songwriters.  Here’s some of what he had to say.

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 is a bit of Jimmy’s advice (paraphrased):

You don’t necessarily need to write with the artist. It certainly helps, but the right song can overcome that. I’m a firm believer that the best song wins.

If I write with an artist, I generally let that artist lead and guide. Nobody knows what the artist wants to say better than the artist.

If I feel the emotion of the song, you (the listener) will feel it. If I don’t feel it, you won’t either.

It’s really important to be yourself- to do what YOU do. Expose that to other people and let them decide if the value you bring is something they want. And it helps to be a writer that people want to be around.

I go through a ritual every day to get my brain revved up. Reading, vigorous exercise and brain exercises get me ready to write. I can’t just wake up, hop in the truck and go write.

Get going early. Bring in ideas so you can find the idea quickly.  Then you have more time to work on the song.

I know what makes me be my best. And then I make sure I do those things that make me the best I can be.

If you want a Blake Shelton cut, you better have every Blake record and study ALL the songs. Because if you haven’t, other songwriters have. If you want to give yourself the biggest advantage, you have to study their music.

The key to everything I do is the prep I do. I have a healthy diet, I exercise, I read, and I study artists and the market- on a very consistent basis- to give myself the best chance for success.

I don’t want to write a good song. I want to write a great song.

What’s important between cowriters is not having ego. You can’t get easily offended. You have to be able to be honest with each other.

One of the worst attributes you can have as a new songwriter is thinking you’re really really good. You need humility to get better. The more stuff you can figure out that you’re doing wrong, the more stuff you can fix.  And that’ll make you better.

If you’d like to hear EVERYTHING Jimmy had to share, the full video replay is available in Frettie’s Member Area.  It’s right there along with full video replays of other events with hit songwriters, Byron Hill & Chris Lindsey, music publisher Scot Sherrod, artist/writer Aaron Goodvin, and more.

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE

If you want to join our next event live, “Know The Row” is a cool opportunity for us to hang out together (online) with a music industry pro.  It starts off with a brief conversation between me and our guest, as he or she reveals information YOU need to know about the music biz.  After that, we’ll open it up to YOUR questions.

This month, our guest is hit songwriter KENNA WEST!  Kenna has had over 31 #1 singles in the gospel and southern gospel markets.  She currently writes for Word Publishing.   He’s has been nominated for multiple Dove Awards, multiple “Songwriter Of The Year” nominations (AGM, SGM), and over twenty “Song Of The Year” nominations.  Artists who have recorded Kenna’s songs include Karen Peck & New River, Jeff & Sheri Easter, Marty Raybon, Brian Free & Assurance, and more.

This is something you do NOT want to miss!

This event will be on Thursday, November 29, in the evening.

Can’t make it to the live event?  Every “Know The Row” is recorded and added to the Frettie Members Area.  These videos are a resource for Frettie subscribers.

CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE INFO.

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, and a top 10 in Texas.  His songs appear on 5 industry-certified gold & platinum albums & singles… 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.

Think Like A Pro

Hey, I Remember That!

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SWP 2

It’s not about you.  It’s about the listener.  What’s in it for the listener?

As we began discussing a few weeks ago (READ IT HERE), successful songwriters know it’s not about us- it’s about the listener.  When it comes to your song, what’s in it for the listener?  What’s going to make them stick around till the end and hit “repeat?”

If your song doesn’t have something in it for the listener, there’s no money in it for you.

Yep.  I’ve said that over the past few weeks, and I’m gonna keep saying it till I finally run out of this series!

So I’ve been pointing out some things you can build into your songs that can connect with your listeners.  So far, we’ve discussed “It’s What I Want To Hear” and “It’s What I Want To Say.” and “That’s Who I Am.” and “Give The Listener Great Advice!”    This week, let’s talk about…

all about the listener

“Hey, I remember that!”

A powerful way to connect with a listener is to push the nostalgia button.  Take the listener back to a point in their past that they recall fondly.  Use your song like a time machine.

When you do this effectively, your listener isn’t so much connecting to your song as connecting to their own past THROUGH your song.  This can be very powerful.  Let’s look at a few examples.

“Boys Of Fall”

by Kenny Chesney (written by Casey Beathard, Dave Turnbull).  This song takes me back to playing high school football.  It takes me back to running through a banner, the taste of grass in my mouthpiece, all of it.  It makes me miss those days.  Love that song.  It makes me think of my teammates like Steve Caughron, Willy Kuykendall, and Brian Krug.  Good times.

“19 Something”

by Mark Wills (written by David Lee, Chris DuBois).  This song describes a lot of my formative years.  Big hair, parachute pants and Stretch Armstrong all conjure up childhood memories.  It’s fun to remember when getting a microwave was a big deal.  The Challenger disaster is definitely NOT a feel-good reference, but it takes me back to intermediate school, watching it on a big TV rolled into the classroom on a big cart.

“Every Head Bowed”

I dug into my own history and nostalgia for a song I had recorded by Randy Travis, “Every Head Bowed” on Randy’s “Around The Bend” album.

Randy Travis- Every Head Bowed

Twinkies, corduroy coats, clip-on ties and “I Surrender All” each make me recall growing up going to Calvary Baptist Church back in Batesville, Arkansas.  And I know my cowriter, Brandon Kinney, had a lot of the same experiences at his home church back in Texas.  Mining our nostalgia made the song more real, which helped it connect to Randy- and hopefully to a lot of other people, too.

“Old Alabama” “Doin’ It To Country Songs”

by Brad Paisley (written by Brad Paisley, Dave Turnbull, Chris DuBois, Randy Owen) and “Doing It To Country Songs” by Blake Shelton (written by Marty Dodson, Jacob Lyda, Paul Overstreet) each use nostalgic artists to bring an extra “smile” to the songs.  Paisley, of course, builds his song around classic Alabama hits.  Blake doesn’t reference The Oak Ridge Boys in his song, but they add their distinctive sound to the record.

Most longtime country fans probably don’t hear Alabama or Oak Ridge Boys music that often these days, so these newer songs remind us of hits like “Mountain Music,” “Elvira” and others.

So one way to make your song more “cut/able” is to have your lyric connect the listener to his or her own past.

So here’s your homework.  Turn on the radio or your favorite playlist- or dig through your stack of favorite albums.  Find a song or two that answers the question, “What’s in it for the listener?” with “Hey, I remember that!”  Please leave a comment and let me know what you discovered!

If you want your songs to be more “cut/able” – able to be cut – then you should definitely check out my new, expanded and upgraded version of “Cut/able: Lessons In Market Smart Songwriting.” It’s five powerful lessons will help you write songs that artists want to sing, radio wants to play, and listeners want to hear! CLICK HERE TO WRITE CUT/ABLE SONGS.

cutable-2-3d-cover-large

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 and a #1 in Canada… so far.

SWP 4

Think Like A Pro

Songwriters, Give The Listener Great Advice!

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SWP 2

It’s not about you.  It’s about the listener.  What’s in it for the listener?

As we began discussing a few weeks ago (READ IT HERE), successful songwriters know it’s not about us- it’s about the listener.  When it comes to your song, what’s in it for the listener?  What’s going to make them stick around till the end and hit “repeat?”

If your song doesn’t have something in it for the listener, there’s no money in it for you.

Yep.  I just said that over the past few weeks, and I’m gonna keep saying it.

So I’ve been pointing out some things you can build into your song that can connect with your listeners.  So far, we’ve discussed “It’s What I Want To Hear” and “It’s What I Want To Say.” and “That’s Who I Am.”    This week, let’s talk about…

all about the listener

“Thanks for the advice!”

Personally, I love those songs that leave me a better person than I was before I heard them.  Songs have expanded my thinking on topics such as loneliness (“That’s What The Lonely Is For” by David Wilcox), life (“The Dance” by Garth Brooks), God (“Jesus Loves Me” by my parents and so many others as I was growing up), and so many other things.

Notice that these songs aren’t preaching at me.  I don’t like getting talked down to, and I don’t imagine you do, either.  But I appreciate it when the sing (songwriter) is being “Humble And Kind” enough to share some wisdom that’s helping them through life and just might help me, too.

“The Good Stuff” and “Don’t Blink” by Kenny Chesney, “You’re Gonna Miss This” by Trace Adkins, and “Live Like You Were Dying” by Tim McGraw remind me to stop, smell the roses, and live life more fully.  These songs have a clever way of avoiding the “preaching  at” trap.  They tell the story of how the singer heard the advice from someone else.  The singer’s not preaching at me.  The singer puts himself in the position of not knowing it all or being better than the listener.  He’s just sharing some great advice he heard from a wise person.

So what’s in songs like these for the listener?  We get friendly advice that helps us live life better!  Pretty good deal.

One way to make your song more “cut/able” is to have your lyric share some advice that the listener will value.

So here’s your homework.  Turn on the radio or your favorite playlist.  Find a song or two that answers the question, “What’s in it for the listener?” with “Thanks for the advice!”  Please leave a comment and let me know what you discovered!

If you want your songs to be more “cut/able” – able to be cut – then you should definitely check out my new, expanded and upgraded version of “Cut/able: Lessons In Market Smart Songwriting.” It’s five powerful lessons will help you write songs that artists want to sing, radio wants to play, and listeners want to hear! CLICK HERE TO WRITE CUT/ABLE SONGS.

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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 and a #1 in Canada… so far.

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Biz

Encore: The Band Is A Brand. Are You Brand Conscious?

3 Comments

Here’s an encore of one of my very first blog posts.  I’m sharing it for two reasons: 1) a lot of you have started following this website since it was originally posted (thanks!) and might find this post helpful, and 2) I need to lay low this week.  I’ve been getting so busy with Songwriting Pro stuff that I’ve neglected some very important things (namely Bible study and prayer time).  Plus, Emily and I are adopting and there is a TON of paperwork (and even more need for Bible study/prayer time).

Thanks for understanding.  I hope to be back in the swing of things next week!

God Bless,

Brent

Man vs. PRO

This is the part of songwriting I didn’t know I was signing up for- the business, strategic side of things. Sure, I have my MBA, but I really just wanted to write my songs and have them pitched by somebody to somebody and- whammo! Cuts. But the world is how it is, not how I wish it were. So now I think about artists as brands and try to act accordingly.

An artist is a brand, and they and their team (label, promotion, management) work really hard to position their brand (artist) into a certain place in the market. In business terms, they want to increase their market share- on radio and in our wallets. Everything supports the brand image: album artwork and photos, songs, videos, etc.

Artists are looking for songs that fit their brand.

Whether you are writing FOR or WITH a certain artist, it’s important for you to understand their brand. Ask yourself: who is their audience- who do they speak to? What message do they send to their fans? How do they deliver this message? How do they want to be perceived? This goes deeper than just “traditional country” or “pop country.”

If you can write a song that really fits an artist’s brand, you have a great opportunity. Think about “Real Good Man” for Tim McGraw. What a great song for him. Musically, it fits him well. Great feel, and Tim can sing it. Lyrically, that’s totally his persona- a real bad boy, but a real good man.

The artist is Coke. Their songs are Coke Classic, Cherry Coke, Coke Zero, Diet Coke, etc. They want songs that both reinforce and expand their brand. They may want Cherry Vanilla Coke or Raspberry Coke or something. Your song needs to fit on the same shelf. Your song may be the best $200 bottle of wine to be found, but it doesn’t matter. That artist is Coke.

Taco Bell doesn’t sell hamburgers.

My buddy, Tim Meitzen, told me one time, “They only have about three ingredients, but they keep putting them in different shapes!” That’s how some artists are. They keep giving you the same basic ingredients, but they put a little different spin on them. And when they do add something new, say, a Dorito as a taco shell, it still makes sense for the brand.

Luke Bryan is married with children. (So was Al Bundy, but that’s a different topic altogether.) Anyway, Luke has a family, but you wouldn’t know it from listening to his music. His music presents him as a Spring Breakin’ tailgatin’ good ‘ol party-boy who loves the ladies. I believe there’s only one song in which he has a wife and kids. But that was on his first album before he really found his image/voice/brand. And it wasn’t a single. Since he found his image, he has really stuck to it. And who can blame him? It’s working great.

It’s not about what you think an artist should sing or who they should be

… or where you think they should go as an artist. Unless you’re in their circle of influence, it doesn’t really matter what you want. Sorry.

I ran into a branding issue with Lady Antebellum.

Back before Lady A existed, I wrote a song with Hillary Scott, Casey Koesel, and Jon Armstrong called, “A Woman Scorned.” It’s a fun, rocking, fairly aggressive song that shows off Hillary’s vocals really well. Later, when she, Charles, and Dave formed Lady Antebellum, they started playing our song in all their shows (it’s on YouTube). They even cut it for their debut album. Score! Right? Wrong. When it came time to deciding which last couple of songs wouldn’t make the record, “A Woman Scorned” was reduced to a bonus track. That was disappointment with zeroes on the end of it. But after hearing their album, I understood why. It didn’t fit their brand. It was too aggressive. Even though the song had served them well and helped them get their deal, it didn’t fit the image. I couldn’t argue with that.

The lyric and melody BOTH have to work for the artist.

I’ve mainly focused on lyrical content, but the music has to fit the artist’s brand, too. Miranda Lambert isn’t likely to cut a song that sounds like Shania Twain no matter how well the lyric fits her. Ask yourself: is this song the right kind of pop? The right shade of country?

And it’s important to remember that these brands change over time. They aren’t locked in forever. Lonestar was one thing before “Amazed,” and another thing after. Toby Keith was one thing before “How Do You Like Me Now” and another thing after. Kenny Chesney had a slower, but no less important transition to beaches and nostalgia. So don’t lock a brand in your mind with super glue. Make sure to look for the shifts that are inevitable.

Agree? Disagree? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

God bless and enjoy the journey,

Brent

Muse

Fail. Fail. Fail… Win.

6 Comments

Man vs Row

Let me share some failures with you. Don’t worry. There’s a happy ending.

Elvis Presley was booed off stage in Batesville, Arkansas (my hometown). Garth Brooks got passed on by every record label in Nashville. “Bless The Broken Road” was a non-hit single for an artist named Melodie Crittenden in 1998. A songwriter named Brett James gave up on the music biz and moved back to Oklahoma. A young songwriter named Kenny Chesney was told by a cowriter they should hire a demo singer for their song because Kenny “can’t sing.” “Monday Morning Church,” written by two unknown writers, failed to make NSAI’s Pitch-To-Publisher Luncheon.

What a bunch of losers, right? What a bunch of nobodies who never made it and songs that failed miserably.

Of course, we all know that’s not how these stories end.

Garth, Elvis, and Kenny became hugely successful artists, selling millions of records. Brett James started getting cuts, moved back to Nashville, and has written a ton of hits. “Bless The Broken Road” became a multi-week #1 and career song for Rascal Flatts. “Monday Morning Church” went top 5 for Alan Jackson and got me into the music business.

That’s how life often works. Fail. Fail. Fail… Win.

Obviously, not every song and songwriter that gets rejected will eventually find major success. Honestly, most won’t. Some songwriters have countless “fails” before a win. Some don’t have very many at all.

So, if you have some failures on your ledger… so what? Dust yourself off and try again. Learn from your failures. Fail again. Fail better.

The truth is, we rarely know when we’re close to a success or a breakthrough. We just keep working hard, plugging away. Fail, fail, fail…

I know. It’s easy for me to say. I’ve been blessed with some wins to go along with my losses. And I can’t promise you that your next (or first) win is just around the corner. But I can promise you that failing is just part of the process. It’s a part of every success story.

Don't Fear Failure

Maybe you’ve had so many “fails” in a row that you’re considering quitting your pursuit of professional songwriting or getting cuts. If that’s where you are, there’s a book by Seth Godin that may serve you. It’s called, “The Dip,” and it’s about when to stick it out and when to just get out. I’m a fan of Seth’s work, and while I haven’t read this book just yet, it’s on my to-read list. Here’s a link if you want to check it out.

I’d love to hear from you! Have you read “The Dip?” What did you think? Have you heard (or lived) any good Fail-Fail-Fail-Win stories? Please share your thoughts in the comments!

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 and a #1 in Canada… so far.

Man vs Row

Craft

Take A Cliche Moment And Make It A Hit Moment

2 Comments

Replay Wednesday

Every time you use a cliche in your song, you miss an opportunity to do something great.

cliche or great

Cliches get used so much because they’re so easy. They are the first things that come to mind when we want to communicate certain things.

For example, it’s a lot easier to just say we’re “raising hell” or “painting the town” than it is to dig deeper and say we’re “filling Friday night full of empty cans” or “trying to make the Barhopper’s Hall of Fame.”

The cliche gives the listener information, but it’s forgettable because the listener has heard it a thousand times. There’s no emotion left in it. (Unless you somehow set up the cliche in a way that makes it fresh.)

When you go beyond the cliche, you have a chance to wow the listener with something they haven’t heard before.

A great example of this is “Summertime,” recorded by Kenny Chesney and written by Craig Wiseman and Steve McEwen. It’s about being young in the summertime, and there’s a part in the chorus where they reference driving around.

Young + summertime + driving = radio up + windows down. Right? Yes, and that’s why it’s a worn out, cliche image. Sure, it’s true- we’ve all lived that line many times. But there’s nothing memorable or “wow” about it.

Instead, these hit writers reference a Yoohoo bottle on the floorboard. So much better!

It’s believable- I can totally picture young guys leaving a Yoohoo on the floorboard.

It’s fresh- I’ve never “seen” that image in a song before.

Bonus: It provides a fun melodic moment when Chesney sings, “Yoohoo!”

The writers took a cliche moment and made it a hit moment by using a fresh, believable image. It’s our job to do the same.

Dig Deeper

What do you think? What’s your take on this topic? I’d love to hear your comments. And if there are some lyrics where the songwriter make a cliche moment a hit moment, share those in the comments, too!

Since strong imagery is such an important part of turning a cliche moment into a hit moment, I’ve put together a course on imagery. It’s called, “Use Imagery To Supercharge Your Songwriting (Like The Pros Do)” and it’s available now. By the end of the course, you’ll have the basic skills to:

  1. Effectively use both literal and figurative imagery.
  2. Make your story come to life using imagery.
  3. Prove your character’s personality using imagery.
  4. Make your listener connect to your character’s emotions using imagery.
  5. Hook your listener in the song’s first few lines using imagery.
  6. And to begin more songs (more easily) using imagery exercises as the start of your songwriting process.

Click here if you’re ready to “Use Imagery To Supercharge Your Songwriting (Like The Pros Do)” or click on the image below.

God Bless,
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.

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Man vs Row

Craft

Take A Cliche Moment And Make It A Hit Moment

9 Comments

Man vs Row

Every time you use a cliche in your song, you miss an opportunity to do something great.

Cliches get used so much because they’re so easy. They are the first things that come to mind when we want to communicate certain things.

For example, it’s a lot easier to just say we’re “raising hell” or “painting the town” than it is to dig deeper and say we’re “filling Friday night full of empty cans” or “trying to make the Barhopper’s Hall of Fame.”

The cliche gives the listener information, but it’s forgettable because the listener has heard it a thousand times. There’s no emotion left in it. (Unless you somehow set up the cliche in a way that makes it fresh.)

When you go beyond the cliche, you have a chance to wow the listener with something they haven’t heard before.

A great example of this is “Summertime,” recorded by Kenny Chesney and written by Craig Wiseman and Steve McEwen. It’s about being young in the summertime, and there’s a part in the chorus where they reference driving around.

Young + summertime + driving = radio up + window down. Right? Yes, and that’s why it’s a worn out cliche. Sure, it’s true- we’ve all lived that line many times. But there’s nothing memorable or “wow” about it.

Instead, these hit writers reference a Yoohoo bottle on the floorboard. So much better!

It’s believable- I can totally picture young guys leaving a Yoohoo on the floorboard.

It’s fresh- I’ve never “seen” that image in a song before.

Bonus: It provides a fun melodic moment when Chesney sings, “Yoohoo!”

The writers took a cliche moment and made it a hit moment. It’s our job to do the same.

Dig Deeper

What do you think? What’s your take on this topic? I’d love to hear your comments. And if there are some lyrics where the songwriter make a cliche moment a hit moment, share those in the comments, too!

Knowing simple things like this is how you write stronger songs- and market-smart songs (songs that have a competitive advantage in the market).  If you want to  learn more about how to write market-smart songs, check out my ebook, “Cut/able: Lessons In Market Smart Songwriting.”  Click on the image below or click here to write market-smart songs.

God Bless,
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.

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