Cover Songs Are a Big Deal

I’ve been hearing a lot of great cover songs in TV series and commercials lately. Last week, The Handmaid’s Tale featured a spooky, electro cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” by Kerala Dust. VRBO is re-airing a commercial with John Legend covering the Johnny Nash hit “I Can See Clearly Now.” An INXS cover version of “Never Tear Us Apart”—a hit for both Tom Jones and Joe Cocker—is currently being used in a long-form commercial for Michael Hill Jewelry. And recently NCIS: Hawai’i used Kina Grannis’ great guitar/vocal cover of “Shut Up and Dance” originally by Walk the Moon.

Cover songs are giving old favorites a new life and new, indie artists added traction!

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Overcoming “Collab-o-phobia”

Q & A

I’d Like to collaborate but I’m not sure how or whether it’s even a good idea. Can you help?

Lately I’ve been nudging songwriters toward more co-writing. Joining up with someone to combine your skills, resources, ideas, and energy will help you pick up your songwriting speed, finish more songs, find more opportunities and outlets, and so much more.

But my nudges are often meet with resistance. A lack of confidence or worry about looking foolish can really put the brakes on this idea. I call it collab-o-phobia: fear of co-writing. Here’s list of great tips that will banish it forever!

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Be Your Own Music Arranger

The phrase “music arranger” isn’t one you hear very often in today’s Pop music industry, but arrangers used to be an indispensable part of the music scene. In the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s, record producers hired well known, in-demand arrangers to create arrangements for their recording sessions.

If you didn’t have the money for a Nelson Riddle, Jimmie Haskell, or Quincy Jones, the musicians would make “head arrangements” on the spot in the studio. The arranger might be used just for a horn or string session.

Quincy Jones was an arranger before he became a music producer.

But things have changed dramatically since then. Today’s music producers often build an entire track from the ground up—from sounds, samples, loops, and overdubs through the final vocal recording. That means that the music producer is also the music arranger.

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Nail a Vocal Performance

Whether you are singing your own song or hiring a singer, know what you need from a vocal performance before you start recording.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT A VOCAL

If you ask most people what they think a good vocal must have, they’ll tell you that it’s all about pitch. A singer has to sing in tune. They might occasionally mention rhythm, but it’s usually pitch.

Truth is, the most important thing about a vocal is how it makes us feel. A vocal performance that creates an authentic, emotional experience for the listener is a great vocal. That’s the only thing that really counts.

So, what are the elements of a vocal performance that are absolutely essential to making this happen?

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Your Songwriting Career: Are YOU In the Driver’s Seat?

Picture your songwriting career as a car. Just for fun, let’s say it’s a Ferrari. It might not feel like one right now but that’s because it’s not going anywhere very fast.

It could be that your car is driving in circles, starting and stopping, or stuck in neutral. Maybe the driver is asleep at the wheel or doesn’t know how to get where they’re going. Wouldn’t it be better if the driver woke up, checked the GPS, took hold of the wheel, and harnessed the power of that amazing engine to get to a real destination?

You are the car’s driver. The engine that powers this car is your Energy, Inspiration, Desire, and Excitement. There’s plenty of potential there but unless the you have a real idea where you’re going and how to get there, the car can’t take you there on its own.

Start your engine

A successful journey starts with a clear destination in mind. Do you want to…

  • Have a career as a recording artist?
  • Write songs for other people to sing?
  • Write songs for film and TV?
  • Be a songwriter-producer?
  • Make money with your songs or write for friends, family, or your community?

Maybe you want to do all of these. Destinations can change, of course, but it’s a good idea to start your trip with one clearly in mind.

WRITE DOWN A DESTINATION YOU WANT TO REACH. If you can’t decide on just one, pick the one you want to go to first, then list the others.

The road starts at your front door. If you wait for someone to come along and pave a road just for you, it’ll never happen. You have to make your own road.  At the end of this post, I’ve included four ideas to get you started.

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