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Tips & Resources by Brent Baxter, Team SWPro on January 06, 2020
Stacey Willbur, VP of Publishing and A&R for Full Circle Music was a recent guest on Songwriting Pro’s “Play For A Publisher,” and she dropped some commercial songwriting knowledge on us.
Full Circle has a ton of hits in the CCM market with a bunch of different artists, and they’re building a list of country hits with artists such as High Valley. Stacey has been in the publishing business for years, and she’s well-respected.
Johnny and I dive into Stacey’s “dos” and “don’ts” on Episode #203 of The C.L.I.M.B. Show. You can listen to the full episode right here.
But, if you’re in a hurry, here are some key takeaways:
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DO: Write a cool 1st line.
You want your song's first line to be different and to draw the listener in. “Woke up this morning” won’t cut it. “I saw you the other day” isn’t cool enough. You need to start off strong and get the listener's attention right off the bat. Give your song a first line to live up to, not a first line to overcome.
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DON’T: Make your chorus melody too much like your verse melody.
Lift your chorus melodically! There needs to be a clear change from your verse to your chorus. The chorus needs to announce itself. A listener shouldn’t need the lyric sheet to know when you’ve hit the chorus.
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DO: Write interesting titles!
Fresh titles get publishers excited. They tend to get the same ones over and over, so you can “win before they spin” your song by giving them a title they haven’t heard before. Have a common title? Try tweaking it to make it more unique. Or find a different hook altogether.
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DON’T: be afraid to rewrite
Rewrite! So many great songs come from rewrites. The pros rewrite, so why can’t you? Don’t be afraid to dig back in. Don’t be scared, and don’t be stubborn. And don’t be precious about your songs. If you don't like the changes, you still have your original version. You have nothing to lose.
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DO: Polish your chorus!
Catchy, singable choruses are SO valuable! It’s great when a publisher has a catchy chorus melody get “burned in her brain” after just one listen. They want that, and THAT’S your goal.
Also, some songs need editing because the chorus has “a lot going on.” This makes them less memorable. Stacey encouraged writers to "boil it down" to get a stronger chorus.
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DON’T: Do a full demo for every song.
Not every song needs a full demo. Some of the more ballad, lyrical songs are perfect for just a guitar/vocal. Stacey herself does pitch guitar/vocals.
It’s better to have a recording of your song that is less-but-great than it is to have a recording that is more-but-not-great. Don’t let your production distract from your song with too-loud background vocals or production elements that don’t fit.
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DO: Simplify.
On a few songs, Stacey mentioned how the lyric “had a lot going on”. This could mean story or a bunch of pictures or just a lot of words. First of all, get to your chorus quickly. She mentioned that a few times. Also, if you have more going on in the verses, she suggested simplifying the chorus. Give the listener some relief from your lyrical onslaught.
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Those are just some of the great bits of insight from Stacey Willbur, VP of Publishing and A&R at Full Circle Music.
What’d you think of Stacey’s advice? What would YOU like to ask her? Well… here’s your chance!
On February 11, 7pm-8pm Central, I’m hosting an online Know The Pro event with Stacey. This will be YOUR chance to get literal face time with a music industry professional. You get to ask YOUR questions... and get answers! And it’s all online, so you can join us from anywhere in the world. And this event is FREE for Songwriting Pro members. Can't make it to the live event? No problem- SWPro members have unlimited access to ALL of our previous Know The Pro events in the SWPro Member Area.
CLICK HERE TO GET DETAILS AND JOIN THE EVENT.
God bless,
Brent
PS- Thanks for stopping by Songwriting Pro! I appreciate it. As a matter of fact, I want to give you a special little something just for your visit. It's my FREE ebook "Think Like A Pro Songwriter," and it reveals valuable I-learned-it-the-hard-way-so-you-don't-have-to tips to help you succeed at the art, craft and business of songwriting. You can download it at www.GiftFromBrent.com.
