People have been asking me how I approach writing songs - particularly if I write the music or the lyrics first. Of course, I've been so tainted so that whenever I hear the phrase "music and lyrics" I think of Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant duking it out about which one of those elements was more important in their romantic comedy, "Music & Lyrics." You might think it kind of ruins it, but I think in a way they kind of make a point that it's pretty much a marriage of the two that makes the song a song.
And I guess that's kind of how I start coming up with songs, too. I don't come up with the music or lyrics in its entirety right away. It either starts with a spark of inspiration or this itching to write a song, or both. Maybe a particular phrase or word catches my ear, or I'll start playing around with my guitar to see if something strikes a chord in me (hahahahaha pun totally intended!).
It's like ice skating: you slide one foot forward and then the other. For me it'll be a little phrase of words or music that glide forward, allowing space for the other to slide forward. And soon its gets into this rhythm where things just start flowing. Sometimes I'll re-work something or whatnot, but if I have a relative idea of direction and the inspiration, I'll be excited enough to keep going until I think it's ready to say hello to the world.
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