Joyce Harrison is a Craft Master on “Rained On”
I’ve always been puzzled why so few advertising pros aspire to be songwriters. Chicagoan Joyce Harrison has reached the top in both professions. She began her career as a copywriter and creative director at legendary Chicago ad agencies. Then she wrote two songs for LeAnn Rimes, just as the singer was becoming a household name. […]
Demanding Answers on Tom Waits’ “What’s He Building?”
The American Dream. Long heralded as one of life’s ultimate destinations, it immediately evokes untattered images of picket fences, manicured flora, children’s laughter, and, of course, “keeping up with the Joneses” – the everlasting opportunity to peek over said flora in attempts to truly understand and out-class your neighbors. Now, what happens when we subtract […]
The Secret Ingredient to Achieving Consistency As a Creator
It’s much easier to make art when you know that other people care about it. Last week, I missed my Monday newsletter send for the first time in over a year. And after I finished the deep work of processing my guilt, I found myself wondering how in the world I’d been able to establish […]
10 Best AI Lyric Generators
TL;DR – Here’s our list of the top 10 AI lyric generators. (They’re okay.) For the details, keep reading. For many, writing songs is a way to share thoughts and feelings and tell stories. When we’re on a creative flow, songwriting is a fantastic feeling that empowers us and helps us connect with others. However, when […]
What to Do on Spotify for Artists Before Your First Release
Have you ever had that nightmare where you’re on stage in front of a large audience ready to perform and have completely forgotten your music? That might describe the feeling I had when I “woke up” and saw the almighty Spotify in the audience rolling its eyes in disbelief. Oh yes, I had been found […]
Old Friends, New Friends writes lyrics to get lost in
Life, in many ways, is a set of routines. Some are small, such as putting the cutlery away in the correct order. Some are a little bigger, such as putting the recycling out on the allotted night. Other routines impact us in ways we don’t always recognize. “Now That You’re Older”, the debut single from […]
Laura Jean’s “Amateurs” is a Masterpiece
If I had to pick one album from this decade to be my sole comfort on a desert island, it would be Laura Jean’s Amateurs. Long after you’ve tired of Beyonce’s Renaissance, this album will continue to amaze. The Australian artist is well-known and highly regarded in her native land. There’s even a new documentary […]
Radiohead’s “Exit Music (for a Film)” is at Once the Most Haunting and Yet Sparse Offering of Their 30-Year Career
Most 13-year old boys’ primary endeavors revolve around extracurricular sports and navigating budding romantic feelings for schoolmates. At 13, Thom Yorke, singer of British music icons Radiohead, was reduced to tears during a scene of Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Fast-forward 14 years. Radiohead is on tour supporting their sophomore LP The […]
Noele Flower’s Debut EP “Wait For Me” is a Stunning Retrospective
image: Luca Pearl Khosrova Noele Flowers’s debut EP, “Wait For Me” is a journey, a diary, a biopic – a testament to letting go of regrets and holding onto hope, and ultimately? A damn good listen. Ranging from optimistic, bright surf pop, to heavy-hit ballads and soft forest-folk, Flowers has taken inspiration from the path […]
Shana Cleveland’s “Walking Through Morning Dew” Buzzes with Love
Anyone who has spent time with beetles knows that weird things can have a deep and fascinating beauty. Shana Cleveland’s “Walking Through Morning Dew” is weird in that way. One may wonder, “What is that, and why is it buzzing?” Or one may just sit tight in incredulous delight. Cleveland populates the song with sounds […]
