What’s your writing process like?

It’s like that part in “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” about how to fly: “There is… a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” Which is to say, at its best, it catches me off guard; it picks me up and swings me around; it just comes. Or not. I try not to overthink it – for me, thinking is the end of writing. I’m a bit artsy fartsy about it in that respect – I just start to sing when I’m moved to do so, and the muse doesn’t always have the greatest timing, but I do my best to accept her when she arrives. I can also sit down, be deliberate and say “I’m going to write a song about this now” as I have the tools to do so – but I’m never connected to those works in the same way as I am to the ones that reveal themselves to me on their terms. And for me, the connection is what makes it worthwhile.

What’s something you refuse to write about?

That seems like a trick question! Wouldn’t telling you be the end of my refusal? That said, there are things I keep private – even for all my conversational, autobiographically work. My relationship with my husband is pretty well protected, save for the occasional love song. But it’s not for me to share his stories with the world. I keep us safely stowed away.

What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to you?

I love you.

Tell me about how you wrote the featured song.

I had just been at a gig – my friends Tons of Fun University at Cafe Deux Soleils on Commercial Drive in Vancouver. It was a hot, packed room on a summer night and their fiery performance added to the buzz and heat. I was so moved by their music and poetry and feeling lifted and inspired by them. As I walked home I sang/wrote this song. It’s about musicians, how often I am inspired, fueled and touched by what those around me do. That’s when I know I’m moved most by an artist’s work – when it sets me to creating my own. So this song came as a mirror, a thank you, a big wet kiss to my fellow artists.

Listen to the featured song!

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Purchase The Wedding Singer and the Undertaker here!

Artist web site

Put on your red/cyan 3D glasses and check it out!

Like the song? You can download it for free if you make a post about it on Twitter or Facebook!

More information about The Simple Carnival’s Smitten 3D project can be found here.

Songs and Sonics is also taking a vacation. Happy holidays, and see you in a bit!

-Jeff

My suggestion is to try making a musical daybook this year.

What’s a musical daybook?

Think of it as a diary where you can work out whatever musical or artistic issues you’re grappling with.

It can be a place to store little technical tricks that you might use (or reuse) in the future. Or reminders of things that worked. (How you got that perfect guitar tone, for example.) Or a place to store how-to information from web sites, books, and magazines that you’ve come across. Or a mish-mash of all of the above.

If you’re ever feeling a bit creatively lost, or if you want to see how much (or if) you’re growing as an artist, it can be illuminating to look back at older entries.

Besides, after keeping a musical daybook for a while — like, say, ten years — you never know if there might be enough material in it to turn it into a blog one day. (Hint: you’re reading it )

What are you up to right now, music-wise? Current or upcoming recordings, top secret projects, etc.?

Well, I started learning guitar this past May and since then, I’ve been writing a ton. I’m writing on my own and the music I’m working on is all vocal and acoustic guitar based. The music will be on my next record, which is being produced by Wheatus frontman Brendan B. Brown. We’ve already started experimenting in the studio with different mics and I’m sooooo excited to record these songs. I’ve also started playing guitar at my gigs, which is mega-stressful. I love it but the stress is exhausting — I keep wondering, why am I doing this to myself? But I can’t stop.

I also just released my first record, which was produced and co-written by the awesome Leo Sidran. It’s available on iTunes and Amazon and I’m really excited to finally have it out in the world. It was a long time in the making!

Does your best songwriting come from active, conscious thinking about what a song should say?

No, I wouldn’t say that it does. My ideas can come at any time, but usually they come in the morning, sometimes before I’m totally awake, and sometimes while I’m still sleeping. I always have a dictaphone and a pad handy so that I can record my ideas whenever they come. I could get an idea for a lyric or melody while I’m on the subway, or even watching TV. Sometimes I sit down with my guitar or at the piano and some chord catches me. I try not to involve my conscious mind until after the initial creative impulses are out. I feel like if you have to plan what a song “should say” it’s probably not as true as what would just come out when you’re not looking.

What are some of your likes outside of music?

I’m an actress. I love dance. I’m also a very enthusiastic foodie. I love Food Network and when I have time, I’m fairly awesome in the kitchen.

Could you provide a little bit of context to your featured song?

“It’s You” is a song on the self-titled record I just released. It’s one of the few songs I’ve written on piano and I think it is definitely influenced by the jazz standards I listened to growing up. It was also recorded the day I broke up with someone. It was a pretty raw day, but I think that was a good thing.

Listen to the featured song!

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Artist web site

Purchase Gabrielle Aimée’s self titled album!

If you’re honest with yourself, you DO care if anyone likes your art.

It’s OK to admit that. It doesn’t mean you’re a sellout.

Marc Sirdoreus said a similar thing on this blog back in September:

You see, I understand to an extent when people say “I made this music for myself, and I could care less if you like it”, but that begs the question: “Then why did you go through the trouble of mass producing it”?

I can see that it was fun to write the song in those situations, and it was probably fun to make the demo, too. But why’d you bother showing it to anyone? Wouldn’t it have been more effective to make the creation and hoard it if you are unfettered by anyone’s reaction to your art?

For example, let’s say I have an idea to make a mix CD for someone, but it’s not an ordinary mix CD. (I admit — I came up with this trick years before it was passe to make mix CDs. Just bear with me for a moment.)

This mix CD has segues, overdubs, and weird transitional effects. Not quite a DJ mix, but something similar structurally.

And I decide to provide no song titles (so the listener can’t prejudge anything), no silence between tracks, and no complete songs — only snippets and abbreviated versions.

On one hand, something like this could be fun to make.

But what if you were the recipient of such a CD?

Would the style/format frustrate you?

Note the difference/gap between something that would be interesting to make and interesting to listen to.

The ideal project should be both.

They can be found online for around $30. I’ve not used one, I don’t have a need for one, and I have no affiliation with Korg — just thought this was a cool little gadget.

Do it through your music.

For example, I’d written a song called “Hey Lancaster”…

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

…which was inspired by some old friends I had lost touch with — and missed.

A few years later, they were serendipitously back in my life. I’m not even sure how it happened.

I credit the song.

Songwriter Derek Webb articulates this position in a must-read blog post, Giving it Away: How Free Music Makes More Than Sense.

What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts below.