(Composing)
I’ve been threatening to present something musical for, well it seems like a long time.
I get asked occasionally how I write (songs)? and the answer is, I have no one set method.
Generally, but not exclusively, lyrics are first, and sometimes that can be a random phrase that just “feels” promising. Of course that comes up in conversation far more often than ever gets used – ” Oh that would be a good title..” and the conversation and evening drift on, and later, if there even is a later, the moment has slipped away.
However if you can grab the lyric right away, perhaps a title, maybe a first line, or a chorus you can sometimes dig away and get the song. One thing about this method is that you are never really sure what you are going to get, untill you actually dig it all up.
So a breakfast conversation, involved an (anonymous) tale aroud a profound alcoholic, who put his malaise down to a couple of pints of “bad cider” he had consumed a few weeks ago (nothing to do with his 40 unit a day habit). {bad cider!}
The conversation moves to speculating how he -the acoholc- can have time to actually “do” anything, which is then rebutted with various tales of functioning substance abusers we have known – who, remarkably appear to hold down (loosest sense) jobs as drivers! {Bad Cider!}
At this point I have to absent myself from the group and find pen and paper while I can still hear this in my head {BAD CIDER!}. I don’t know if it’s the title or what, but like some kind of musical archaeologist, I’ve uncovered a bit of bone, and I rather suspect – or hope – there’s a whole skeleton there.
I thought at first, it might be a bit rocky, slightly light hearted… it appears I was wrong. I don’t say it is finished, but I offer you the bones of “Bad Cider” pretty much as I had discovered it by dinner time. (To those present at the dinner, I apologise, I had temporarilly mislaid the rythm,- nothing to do with the wine- this is what it was meant to sound like.}
Assuming this is all one song, and not, as has happened before, bits of two songs mixed up, I’ll try and get back when it has a bass line and maybe some lead? Maybe it’ll go somewhere, maybe not. I’ve certainly written 3 or 4 forgettable songs for every one that “works”, but I thought it might be interesting to share such progress as I make.
Next week on IaDL: Apparently he’s really going to Japan…
Dalmallyfest the Asylum 