“Whenever I fill out the job description I put ‘songwriter’, never ‘singer’ or ‘artist’. Singers come and go”
— Brian McKnight
When starting any new job, you are more likely to be successful if you are given a proper description of what you’re supposed to be doing … and what you’re expected to achieve.
Songwriting is no different, except it is down to you to define your role.
—Are you a composer? Or a lyricist? Or a songwriter who writes both words and music? —Do you see yourself as a singer-songwriter?
—Are you writing songs for your own self-contained band?
—Do you want a career writing songs for other artists?
—Are you offering your services as a ‘top liner’, writing the melody and lyrics (the top line) for backing tracks created by dance DJs and producers?
—Do you aspire to co-write with writer/producers? (producers sometimes sign young writers to work with them in writing sessions)
—Are you a budding writer/producer yourself? Are you creating and recording songs for a new singer or band that you’re nurturing?
Whatever your role is, your job description will probably read something like this:
“Part creative genius, part tireless market researcher, and part ‘never take no for an answer’ salesperson”.
SINGER-SONGWRITER OR BAND MEMBER
Jimmy Webb once said: “The people who are making money are the ones who are writing and singing their own songs.”
If you’re trying to sell yourself to record companies as a singer-songwriter—or as part of a band that performs its own material—you’ll have to put a much greater emphasis on style and originality to help you stand out from the crowd. A&R executives don’t usually like to chase trends (at least they don’t admit it!), so you’ll need to show that you can push the musical envelope and offer some longevity. If you’re doing the singing yourself, you need to be sure your voice is good enough (or distinctive enough). You’ll also have to focus on getting gigs and performing live—so that music publishers and A&R reps can come along and see you if they’re interested.
TOP LINER
Talented top liners are in short supply. But if you want to add this form of song- writing to your ‘job description’, be aware that DJ/producers and dance labels often send the same track to a multitude of top line writers. They ask them all to come up with a melody, hook and lyrics which can be laid over the musical sound bed that they have created. The producer then selects the one that he or she likes best.
If your top line isn’t chosen, your efforts (and the cost of your demo) may have been wasted. You might not be able to use your primary melody for anything else because the chord progressions, riffs, beats, and instrumental sounds on the track are all owned by the producer. You may, however, be able to re-work your lyrics for another song.
SONG PROVIDER
If you’re going to write for other artists, you’ll have to learn how to tailor your songs (melodically and by subject matter) to meet the requirements of each artist you’re targeting.
“If you’re good at writing then you have to be able to do it in any genre,” Emeli Sandé believes. “And if the production changes, the song can still stand.”
This means doing plenty of research—including studying other songs by the artist, analyzing their vocal range, and writing songs in their style. You’ll also have to find a way to get your song to the artist past ‘gatekeepers’ such as the artist’s producer, personal manager, or A&R manager (more research!).
Be aware that it is common for major artists to demand songwriting credits on a track, even if the artist doesn’t make any contribution to the writing. Songwriting pros jokingly refer to this as “change a word, get a third”.
Diane Warren believes tenacity is vital if you’re going to succeed as a song provider for other artists. “I’m the one who got my songs covered,” she once said. “My dad was a salesman who didn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. I’m kind of known as someone like that too. When I believe in something, I’m hardcore about it. You can’t really turn me away.”
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