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New Album Release "Emotional Sushi"

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Last week I released my first album containing songs that all use my lyrics ! I have had cuts on other artist's albums and EPs, but I thought it would be fun, and good for promotion, if I created an album with some of my songs written for tv and film.  Hence the title, Emotional Sushi, as songs for tv have to convey a strong emotion in order to increase the emotion in a scene. Many of these songs have featured in TV shows already, including NBC's Golf Channel. You can listen to the songs here: Emotional Sushi album on cdbaby Emotional Sushi is available to download from cdbaby, iTunes, Amazon and many more. You can also stream it on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music etc. I will have a hard copy CD available in the very near future, which will be for sale on Amazon. All the songs are available to license, easily and with no fuss. Track 3 "No More Being Nice" is courtesy of Black Toast Music, California. Album title: Emotional Sushi Artists: Futur

Never Let Your Dreams Die

“Our dreams do not die because we grow old;  we grow old because our dreams die.“ Gabriel G. Marque z

Six Songs In New LA Library

I rarely kiss and tell publicly (or even privately for that matter), but yesterday was a good day for me with regards to library submissions, and I truly want to thank my co-writers for their amazing musical interpretations of my words. A 'very romantic' newly established upper end library accepted 3 more tracks on which I am the co-writer (lyrics obviously), alongside the 3 tracks of mine they already have since they started.  Thanks to my talented co-writers things are continually getting better and better. The songs in this library are: Heart of Stone - with Robbie Hancock From This Burn - with Robbie Hancock Washing In Washing Out - with Ethan Okamura & Louise Goldberg Better Off Blue - with Steven Guiles Blanket of Love - with Steve Collom and Dave Walton This Is The End - with Michelle Lockey I met all of these co-writers through Taxi Independent A&R, and many of these tracks were originally written for the amazing songwriting group GYAWS (Get Your A

Why You Might Want To Collaborate With A Lyricist

I recently wrote an article about collaborating with professional lyricists, and how it can improve your songs and your time management, for the TAXI A&R monthly online magazine. I thought that I might share the article here also. Thank you TAXI ! Link to the actual article on TAXI's website -  Eight Reasons to Collaborate With a Lyricist Article as in TAXI Newsletter:  Eight Reasons to Collaborate With a Lyricist  I recently asked some of my co-writers why they liked working with a lyricist so much. The following eight reasons are a summary of their responses. These aren’t my ideas, they are the reasons that successful TAXI composers and songwriters gave me for preferring to collaborate, rather than write the lyrics themselves. Remember, a good lyricist also understands music, how and why it creates an emotion, how a singer sings different sounds and stresses, as  well  as being able to write words. To collaborate well we need to understand each other, and how we w

GYAWS Songwriting Group SoundCloud Playlist

I belong to a wonderful Facebook group called GYAWS - Get Your A$$ Writing Songs. It's just about the most supportive and fun group I belong to, although I have to admit that FAWM comes a close second. Each week the group writes to a theme which has been selected by a group poll.  We don't critique each others work, unless someone asks something specifically.  We encourage each other to actually write and record every week, which is the purpose of the group. GYAWS has it's own SoundCloud account, called GYAWS Music .  Every week, I compile a GYAWS SoundCloud Parade playlist of the songs submitted that week, and that the writers have agreed can go 'public'.  It's an eclectic and interesting playlist each week, with amazingly high standards, considering that these are not finished projects, and often just recorded as a one take into a phone ! So this week I decided to include the playlist in a blog post, as the theme was a favourite subject of mine 'Oc

Songwriting Idea - How To Give A Lyric Line New Life

When you are working on your lyrics, have you ever wondered why it's so hard to think of a good way to say what you want to say, without it sounding boring or clunky or awkward ? Are you sometimes not happy with the lines you have written, and would like to say the same thing only in a more powerful or unusual way ? I think all songwriters and lyricists come against this from time to time, and as a friend recently asked me for help with some lines he wasn't happy with, I thought that I would share the way that I personally try and overcome this when it happens. It's pretty simple, I brainstorm, with myself, alone, on paper.  Yes I know, I'm old fashioned. How I brainstorm: *   I write the offending line, or pair of lines, at the top of the page. *   I then write every conceivable variation of how I could write the same thing using different words and phrases, that I can think of.  No matter how silly, daft, weird or over the top sounding they may be.   *

"Guide to the Best Synch Deal Possible" - Article in Digital Music News

I found this interesting and easy to follow article on Facebook today, and thought to share it here as there are some really useful titbits of information in there. It discusses the various differences in synch licensing contracts, from different sources, plus clear examples of what is a good thing for a songwriter to sign, an OK contract, and a simply terrible contract so far as the songwriter is concerned. There is also some in depth description of just what a synch license is, what it is for and who it affects. This is useful information for any songwriters, and/or artists, starting out in the tv and film music business, as well as some extra detail for those who have a little more experience too. It is just one in a series of articles, the third I think.  I'll share any others that are equally as informative here also. Click here for the article in Digital Music News: 'A Simple Guide to the Best Synch Deal Possible'

'Blanket Of Love' - new co-write with Dave Walton & Steve Collom

A 'Taxi friend', Dave Walton, asked me last year if I'd like to write some lyrics for his daughter's wedding, to be precise the father/daughter dance song for the wedding reception.  Naturally I said yes, as I am ever the romantic and this was a wonderful gesture. The song grew and developed, and we asked Steve Collom to collaborate with us on melody and to sing the song.  Eventually the finished track was used at the wedding - so romantic ! Post wedding, we have tweaked and edited a bit, and are now ready to let the track loose on the world !  It has been purposely written to suit romantic contemporary  film & tv uses, rather than a radio friendly hit song. It's currently still non exclusive, and all licensing inquiries are welcome. Listen to Blanket Of Love on SoundCloud HERE or here...