John Lennon, Selena and ABBA
John Lennon was featured on a larger-than-life screen behind Paul at a recent concert. I love Paul beyond and I’m ecstatic to hear, see, anything re-imagined on John’s behalf. But I wonder how John would have felt.
Catching Up With Haywood
I am in AWE of Leah…I mean Haywood. She’s always had/still has it all. Lungs, writing AND production chops. I never had it all. I could never make a record without help. Aside from one track on “Pressure On My Heart” she wrote and produced the entire album on her own — A local sister truly doing it all by herself.
Let’s Talk About Songwriting
You can never capture a feeling as clearly as you can in the moment you’re having it. So write it down ASAP. Or really SOON! Feelings and memories get clouded in the fog of time. And clouded by how we keep re-telling a story to ourselves. (But those are songs too.) (All of them.)
I Was Working as a Waitress in a Cocktail Bar
This is Kelly and I. We were waitresses together in the 80s. I loved being a waitress. I was the leading actress on a stage all the time. If you were seated in my section you were at my mercy. I had the power.
Everyone who worked in that lounge had stars in their eyes. Big dreams about getting discovered, signed to a record label, writing a hit song, dancing on Broadway. We supported each others’ endeavors by going to each other’s gigs. One day, Kelly and I ventured out to see one of the busboys in a play and a funny thing happened….
Warriors and Angels
Please allow me to take time out from my regularly scheduled column to make sure you know about the 2022 SONA Warrior Awards. In a time when we all understandably have a severe case of virtual fatigue (myself included), this is one event you don’t want to miss.
💪🏻💪💪🏿💪🏾💪🏼💪🏽 😇
Dear Mandy Moore…
Dear Mandy, Back when we met way before THIS IS US, I wrote a song for you called “17.” You came to record vocals. You were so young. Sweet. Starry eyed. Baby skinned. But it was your performance on “I Wanna Be With You,” a lyric I wrote to a melody Keith Thomas sent me for the movie CENTER STAGE, that clinched my crush on you.
I followed you though all 6 seasons of THIS IS US but now that it’s over I miss you, Mandy. I miss THIS IS US. I think I’m going through withdrawal! 🥹 🥹
Say You’re Sorry
Seems like there’s no shortage of “National Something Days.” So I’d like to nominate “National Say You’re Sorry Day” — when you wake up and apologize to someone for something you did that wasn’t right. It’s a challenging, mixed-up, polarized, uncertain world out there. Perhaps a day to celebrate forgiveness — dole it out and receive it — isn’t such a bad idea. Maybe it won’t save humanity but it’ll make someone feel … for lack of a better word … seen.
American Song Contest
I’m a song junkie — a sucker for smart memorable ear candy. And this show has ‘em. It’s nice to know those kinds of songs are still being written. But could Tracey Chapman have survived this business model?
Hotel Cafe
Hotel Cafe is packed. If I don’t get Covid tonight I’m immune! Good for songwriters. Good for Hotel Cafe. Good for the music business that so many ppl came. I’m happy to be here but definitely feel some personal-space anxiety. Deal with it, Shelly. It’s gonna take a minute. I need to get back to the land of the living.
Catching Up With Kasim
My friend Kasim Sulton (bass player with with Todd Rundgren for the past 45 years) was one of the many touring musicians whose livelihood was disrupted due of the paralyzing forces of the pandemic. That didn’t stop him from releasing an album, launching a radio show and starting a podcast. But now that Covid protocol seems to be in retreat, he’s back to his happiest place — on stage with Kasim Sulton’s Utopia. He and I took a moment to talk about where he’s at. Literally and figuratively. Oh and…here’s to musicians getting back to work!!
🥳🎊🎉🍾🥂
Still Co-Writing After All These Years
When I started out I was 20. Everyone else was 20. We liked to write about the same 20-something things. Now, I don’t blame anyone for being 20. It was great! It’s just that I have a wider palette now.
If You Can Teach, Teach!
They say if you can’t do, teach. I couldn’t disagree more. Why not do both? There is a season turn turn turn. If you’ve been successful in your field at some point it’s time to pay it forward. Plus, it’s good for us to keep doing things we’re not sure we can do. 🤓
And In The End — Part 3
I don’t know about you but my husband and I were bleary-eyed for days after this series. A similar-eyed friend texted suggesting we curate a support group so we can debrief, vent, commiserate, celebrate. We’d sit in a circle and pass around a talking piece. Because, we need to get it out of our system. But the Beatles will NEVER be out of our system. 😳💙
The Fempire
The members of SONA are by no means all women. But we did start out that way. On Friday night we received an invitation to Writers Block — an event hosted by a passionate new group of creators. By Writers Block they weren’t referring to a lapse of inspiration but rather what it is exactly that’s blocking the fair share of song royalties from getting into the pockets of the writers who write the songs.
It was a beautiful evening and so, because many of us gals haven’t seen a lot of each other lately we met up pre-event at my humble abode (which I was able to purchase because of Pre-Streaming income), watched the sunset, drank some wine and talked about how to support this new coalition.
Easy On Adele
Simplicity goes a long way. Adele need not appear on SNL as a musical guest and perform in a space suit or a garter belt. She can stand there and just sing because she’s that good. That mesmerizing. That classy. No multi-media light show flashing behind her. No twerking. She’s a modern day Barbra Streisand. God knows there was room for another.
Just Walk Away Renée
I stood on the stage of The Bitter End for the first time when I was 24. Same age as my daughter is now. 24 was a good year not just because I was young but because I was fresh, fearless and pride-free. That’s what young is supposed to be. Open to falling in love with fools, not seeing the forrest for the trees. It was absolutely wonderful. But ‘now’ is good too. For different reasons. I’m wiser. Confident. I don’t need to go back. (But I wouldn’t mind visiting for a couple of nights) ☺️
A Day Without Facebook
There was a time we survived just fine without social media. We had landlines and stationary. If we wanted to promote ourselves we found a way. I know I know I know — that’s pretty hypocritical coming from me as I promote new songs, books, Grammy Noms. I’m the Queen. But I like to think I mostly converse about a world and culture that’s interesting and strange and mad and beautiful.
Kacey’s RecLOVEry album
I can’t help but wonder whether artists create drama in order to have new material. Break-up to make-up. Make-up to break-up. Regardless, what speaks to me about Kacey Musgrave’s new release is the authentic detail and the stuff we discover as we drag ourselves through who-won-the-breakup. If the result of the break-up is an album this stellar I’d say Kacey won.
You Get Me
I co-wrote “You Get Me” for Michelle Branch's Spirit Room. ”My favorite thing about the lyrics,” says Michelle, “is…it was saying, ‘I’m different, and you embrace the differences in me, and I don't have to fit in the mold to be accepted by someone.’ I think that's a really important message for younger people.” I concur. It's true for older people as well! As we 'grow up' we definitely get more comfortable in our skin. But that 'wanting to be accepted' never fully disappears...
Top 50
I try to combine my old-school sensibilities with the realities of hit-making in the streaming-verse. We have to pay attention to what’s trending and then superimpose those trends with whatever makes us unique. If you want to be a Pop Songwriter study and respect the Top 50. You don’t have to like all the rules but you’ve got a learn them before you can break them.
