Blog Archives

HEART VS. HEAD: HOW TO WRITE YOUR BEST SONGS?

6/29/2021

Songwriting is beautifully complex and yet simple. I am often reminded when I’m working with aspiring songwriters how simple, and yet complex, writing a great song can be. It’s a beautiful mix of emotions, wit, determination, and being in the moment. A very common obstacle I see to great writing is what I call ”Heart vs. Head.”

Too much emotional attachment. When a song, let’s say a ballad, means a lot to the writer, they throw in a ton of feelings and emotions, and often they tend to get so close to the subject matter that not enough thought goes into the lyrics. Therefore, the song is weakened by a lack of perspective, which leads to the listener to actually feel less emotion!

Too heady. On the flip side, if the song is fun and up-tempo, often it’s too “heady.”

0 Comments

PUT THE BUTT IN THE CHAIR: THE REAL CURE FOR WRITER’S BLOCK

6/22/2021

0 Comments

Publishers don’t give writer’s block vacations. People often ask me how I fight “writer’s block”. Unfortunately, my publisher does not offer Writer’s Block Vacation Days. I’m expected to write, not make excuses. So, on days when I don’t FEEL like writing, what do I do? I put my butt in the chair and I write anyway. This past Friday, I was tired, stressed and brain dead. I didn’t feel like writing. The problem was that I had two writing appointments booked. One with two great writers. The other with a great writer and an artist. I knew I had to come up with something. So, I got to the office early. Picked up my guitar and tried an alternate tuning. Soon, I came up with a little lick that I thought was cool. When my first co-writer walked in, he said “I love that!”. He grabbed a guitar and started playing what I was playing. The other co-writer arrived, and that groove became our song. Within an hour we had written a great song! The energy from that song carried me through the second co-write which also went quickly. So, on a day that I FELT like mailing it in or calling in sick and tired, I wrote two really good songs.

0 Comments

Press Release: xs - Good Girls Don't Speak Their Minds (Album)

6/20/2021

0 Comments

xs’ debut album “Good Girls Don’t Speak Their Minds”, released on 18th June, is brutally honest and emotionally raw. The album, produced by Hangi Tavakoli, consists of 11 tracks, with each track letting you in on a part of xs' life, adding them together provides a full picture of who she is. “All of them are very personal and close to my heart because they are inspired by my real experiences,” xs described.

xs is originally from Malaysia and is signed to Flipside Productions, based in Singapore. She is praised for her catchy hooks and narrative lyricism that takes inspiration from her personal stories. xs also uses her platform to advocate for female empowerment and celebrating who you are.

Music Store

Other Platforms

0 Comments

DON’T GET IN THE WAY OF THE SONG

6/15/2021

0 Comments

One morning was one of those “don’t get in the way” moments. One of my co-writers had posted on our website that very morning about “Writing The Song In The Room” and I thought of that when another co-writer came in and said “My girlfriend and I just broke up and I’m writing my way through it.” This co-writer and his ex-girlfriend are both long-time friends of mine, so I listened as he told me the story of their demise as a couple. I forgot to mention, my co-writer also just got a record deal. So, I thought, “Let’s see where this breakup train goes.” I asked him if he had any ideas he wanted to write. He replied “OH YES I DO!”. He began to play me a beautiful ballad melody and an AMAZING idea. The hook bowled me away. Within 30 minutes, we had written one of the better songs I have written in a while. Typically, after one song, we call it day. But not that day. As soon as we had finished our work tape, he said “I’ve got another one”. This time, he plays me a rocking up-tempo song with ANOTHER great hook. Thirty minutes later, we are putting down a work tape for that one. I think he just might cut the first one. I would bet the farm that he cuts the second one.

0 Comments

Press Release: lottie - Dance With You (ep)

6/11/2021

0 Comments

British singer, songwriter and producer lottie has recently released her EP, ‘Dance With You'. Her first EP, it includes previously released singles How Does It Feel?, Nervous and Chloe. It also includes one new track - Dance With You. Signed to Flipside Productions, lottie’s lyrics are related to her experiences as an LGBTQ+ artist and are voiced from a lesbian perspective. Her smooth and feminine vocals are seamlessly combined with the producing expertise of renowned Iranian producer Hangi Tavakoli.

lottie studied English and Creative Writing at Royal Holloway, University of London, and her love for literature and poetry clearly comes through in her carefully crafted lyrics. She is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and this is clear within her lyrics. "When I came out, I was desperately searching for music that I could relate to - it’s my goal to make music that normalizes women singing about women,” she explained.

Usually based in the UK, lottie has spent the past few years travelling and is currently based in Singapore where she met Hangi Tavakoli and began her journey as an artist.

Title track ‘Dance With You’ brings a new emotional rawness to lottie’s catalogue. A simple, piano focussed track, it’s a romantic song that explores themes of love and devotion. “I wrote Dance With You after a bunch of friends cancelled on a party my partner and I were throwing. I realised in that moment that I really didn’t care - all that mattered to me was spending time with the person I love,’ lottie explained. Sapphic love and simple, raw emotion are at the heart of this track.

H ow Does It Feel? was inspired by Sappho’s Fragment 31, drawing on the theme of forbidden love and jealousy. The song has a melancholic feel, with lingering verses that build to a powerful chorus.The lyrics centre on the overwhelming emotions that come with unrequited love - doubt, denial, hope and hopelessness.

Nervous is the upbeat, playful track of the EP. It focuses on themes of love and lust, exploring the late night interaction of two people as they meet for the first time. The song emits a nighttime feel, mysterious and elusive, drawing on the complicated emotions of love at first sight.

Finally, Chloe brings a bubblegum pop conclusion to ‘Dance With You’. One of the first songs lottie ever wrote, and her debut single, it provides a simple, catchy beat, lyrically exploring the idea of looking back on a problematic relationship after it has ended. Chloe saw success in the Q32 LGBT chart, debuting at number 5 and remaining there for multiple weeks.

lottie, together with Hangi Tavakoli, is currently working on her debut album which will be released later this year.

Music Store

Other Platforms

0 Comments

I DO MY SONGWRITING BEST – PUTTING AN END TO THE COMPARISON GAME

6/8/2021

0 Comments

There is a lot of comparison that goes on in the songwriting world. Artists pick this song over the other song. Someone decides that song is better than this song. Someone decides who is a better songwriter and even among 2 co-writers, there will be someone who wants to work with one of the two as a solo writer. We all tend to compare our songs to songs on the radio. Or we go to a writer’s night and compare our work to the work of others. When we hear something better than our music, we start thinking and analysing that song to see what element made it better than ours.

At the end of the day, I am going to be disappointed if I compare my work to Max Martin’s. He has had hundreds of songs cut and makes millions of dollars. Maybe I think my songs are just as good as his. Maybe some of them are better than some of his. None of that matters. All that really matters is that I do my best. If I’ve done that, then the rest is out of my hands.

0 Comments

REASONS A PUBLISHER WILL WANT A COPY OF YOUR SONG

6/1/2021

0 Comments

There are a number of things that could cause a publisher to request a copy of your song. Yes, it’s right. Sometimes the publishers might want your song instead of you trying so hard to convince them to listen to what you created. Knowing what those reasons are can up your chances of success. In my humble experience, these are the top five reasons publishers request to keep a copy of a song:

They already have a good connection that they think would like your song. The easier you make the publisher’s job, the better your chances. For instance, if you have a song that would be a great pitch for Demi Lovato, it would be a good idea to get her last couple of CDs and see which publishers show up more than once on her album. Then, do a little research and see who works at that publisher. Maybe you discover that “Little Lady Bug Music” shows up a lot and that Susan Smith works there. You met Susan at a songwriter event last year and got her card. So, you call Susan and ask to send her one song for Demi.

She’s already had success with Demi and by connecting the dots, you have given yourself a good chance at getting your song to Demi. Knowing who a publisher has had success with in the past can help you decide which publisher to approach and what to play them. Pitch smart and you have a better chance. Don’t work like a machine gun to shoot one thousand bullets and one might hit the target. Instead, be like the sniper. Take your time, check all affecting elements, and shoot one bullet at the right moment and hit the target

0 Comments

HEART VS. HEAD: HOW TO WRITE YOUR BEST SONGS?

PUT THE BUTT IN THE CHAIR: THE REAL CURE FOR WRITER’S BLOCK

Press Release: xs - Good Girls Don't Speak Their Minds (Album)

DON’T GET IN THE WAY OF THE SONG

Press Release: lottie - Dance With You (ep)

I DO MY SONGWRITING BEST – PUTTING AN END TO THE COMPARISON GAME

REASONS A PUBLISHER WILL WANT A COPY OF YOUR SONG

Podcast

Archives

Categories

ABOUT FLIPSIDE

FOR ARTISTS

CONTACT

SUBSCRIBE

Receive news and updates in your inbox.