Our regular feature Songwriting 101 is devoted solely to the craft of songwriting. So whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out or simply interested in hearing songwriters talk about their creative process then we hope you'll enjoy the series.
Three weeks ago we posted a candid two-part interview with Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket. Other songwriters have included: Mason Jennings, Mark Doyon of Waterslide and Brooklyn indie songwriter Alina Simone, among many others. Each songwriter has explored his/her influences and the manner in which he/she "makes music." Some even offer friendly advice to aspiring songwriters.
Today, we'll be chatting with New York indie singer-songwriter Bri Arden, who will discuss her musical influences, love of melody, writing more honestly, and juggling a music career while studying Women's and Gender Studies at Columbia University.
Read on...and enjoy!
What was the first piece of music you heard that made you want to make music of your own?
Annie Lennox’s "Little Bird." My mother played her album Diva in the car for about a year. Although I didn’t understand all the lyrics, I memorized them phonetically. There was something about the melody and construction of that song that made it a staple in my childhood.
What was the first song you wrote that you were proud of?
"Taste of Tears." I wrote it the first night I moved back into the city. My apartment was completely empty except for my piano. The song came out in about 20 minutes.
How has your songwriting evolved on your most recent EP “Awake”?
I’ve become less afraid to write honestly. It’s one thing to seem honest, it’s another to do it and risk it all. Nevertheless, once you have done it, there is no going back.
You cite Janis Joplin, Carole King, Annie Lennox, Bonnie Raitt and Sheryl Crow as some of the songwriters you have learned from. What have they taught you about the craft?
The most important thing they’ve taught me is not to try to imitate THEM. Everyone writes differently and has a unique way of telling their story. They each do it brilliantly in every aspect of the song. I look at the song, together and in pieces, and try to see it from different perspectives; yet, the best that can be drawn from another writer's work are the life lessons you can derive as a listener.
What’s your favorite lyric on Awake?
"Scars do fade, you forget how they were made, you’re free to move along and life goes on…'cause scars do fade."
How important is melody?
Well, I’ve never walked off the stage and said to a bandmate, “Whoops! Forgot the melody on the second verse of 'Aha Moment'!” We connect with each other on one level through lyrics, and we can intellectualize them and understand, to some degree, why they touch us, but our shared experience with melody is formed through an entirely different process.
In some way, the music reaches us at our core, somewhere beyond intellect or the rational. That's its power. I don’t want to say one aspect of the song is more important than another, but a good melody makes a song resonate as lyrics alone may not.
What’s your favorite melody on Awake?
I love many of them but I get very giddy every time I hear the bass line melody in "Scars Do Fade." I remember Danny Miranda playing it for the first time and flipping out.
Aside from pursuing a music career, you’re also a student at Columbia University. When do you find the time to write songs?
The schedule definitely fills up quickly but, unless it’s a co-write, I don’t schedule time for myself to write music. I usually have a song stirring around in my head for a few days, with no clear direction, and then, at some very random moment, I’ll hear the song as a whole, and I will need to find a guitar or piano and “finish it,” or rather “start and finish it.”
What advice would you give to an aspiring songwriter?
Write as much as you possibly can. Always ask yourself what and who you are writing for, why you are writing and what YOUR definition of good music is. Listen to the advice of people you respect, learn from as many people as you can, but then make your own decisions. Believe in yourself, respect your talent and trust that no matter what happens, you will be successful.
Are you working on new material? What’s next musically?
YES! I am working on a new album! I have a PLEDGE Campaign about to launch! Please check it out!
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