It is a Tuesday morning! You know what that means…it is time to “Rise and Grider.”
PICKING SONGS
Picking songs is wholly different than pickin’ songs. Pickin’ songs is a blast. It involves other things that end in apostrophes. Sippin’, sittin’, chillin’. Picking songs, as in what to record, has kinda been stressing me out. I’m going into the studio next week to record an EP. EP (Extended Play) is old school lingo for a recording that is longer than a single, but not long enough to qualify as an LP (Long Play). We plan to do six songs (but I hope to squeeze in a seventh).
The weird/overwhelming thing about this record time around is the volume from which I have to choose. I’ve talked in previous blogs about how the life of a songwriter in Nashville works and living this life for a little over a year without recording anything has left me with a whole lot of songs to pick from! I’ve got some strong front runners, but there are far more than six that I’d really like to share. Alas, those cutting the checks didn’t think a double album of everything I love from the last year and half seemed prudent. I must start prioritizing my musical children, and on a level that I really never considered too much in the past. I just sort of recorded whatever I had written as long as I liked it, it was good enough. Judging by all my sell-out crowds and million selling records I think I was doing just fine…oh wait. Maybe some of the things my Nashville associates have brought to my attention are worth considering as I head into the studio. Radio singles? Overall mood of the album? Ratio of dark and brooding to light and less brooding? Where are we going to be performing these songs? To who? I swear sometimes I feel like I’m only just getting started in the music business…10 years later.
These days I’m definitely swimming with some bigger fish than I’m used to being in the water with and that can be intimidating. Some of my biggest career mistakes have happened when I let someone’s title, or tenure fool me into thinking they knew best for me. Granted, most of my other mistakes have come when I let my own ego/insecurities get in the way of well intentioned folks who really did know more about what was going on than I did. Damn you ego and insecurity! As far as all the medium to underwhelming successes…all me baby, all me. Ha! (FYI, the best way I’ve found to show that I’m being sarcastic without using a winky face is to put Ha! at the end of a sarcastic sentance.)
In the end, I love the spot I’m in and my “problems” are good ones to have. I have great respect for the folks I’m working with, and great confidence in how righteous this little EP is going to be. The songs we’ve already settled on are some of the best I’ve ever been a part of and I can’t wait to share them with you…even if it only is six (or seven).
Holler at me: josh@joshgrider.com
~Rb
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Love it!!! Very well spoken Josh! Though I will say I’ve been able to hear some of your new stuff and have been blown away!
“Radio singles? Overall mood of the album? Ratio of dark and brooding to light and less brooding? Where are we going to be performing these songs? To who?”
Personally, I think you’ve done a damn good job on all of your previous albums without worrying about what Nashville associates say you should consider.