February 20th, 2012
How to write radio friendly songs.
I wrote an article several years back (that I just added to this blog site) called “7 Steps to writing a song you’re proud of” and I was surprised at the amount of readers who found it. In that article I talked mostly of “my” process on how to get a song from inside you out into one that you are happy of.
In this blog, I want to explain some common ideals that are present when trying to write songs to be commercially viable. Please note that these views, while fairly standard, are just my opinion and they are not written in stone... Read More
February 9th, 2012
New album in pre-production.
Song-writing, wrong-writing, and prolong-writing are what stages I am in at the moment. If I don’t have a good song, then I suppose I shouldn’t bother making the next album. Right now I feel I have around 3 songs that are possibilities for the new CD. That leaves me with half a year to write another 7 or 8 worthy of being on the new album. It’s been tough to find quality creative downtime this year. It’s been busy to say the least. I’m hoping if I can get some co-writing adventures going it could spark a fresh and burning fire of strong tunes. I always want to make the new CD sound a little different from the last one but no matter how hard one tries; there are always elements of a song that are uniquely you.
I plan on working with Producer Greg Arnold again. The last album was raw but real and it was critically acclaimed by many. He made the process painless and memorable. The established and credible songwriter/producer wants to make the next album with me in Nashville Tennessee this time. Although, he is an Aussie, he has some solid connections with accomplished people in the industry there. Another reason I want to bring my game face with me. I released my first album in 1997 and since then the industry has completely changed. The one thing I believe that remains true is this: It all starts with a great song. It’s the peak of a mountain.From there, it has the potential via marketing to flow into the hands of fans or into a sea of mediocrity.
Pre-production is like training for a bicycle race for me. In requires dedication and some mind over matter. I love the challenge and fear the failure equally.
Hmmmm…Sounds like a song in there somewhere…. ;) Hopefully an albums worth!
December 14th, 2011
I just got back from my trip to Otsuchi city in Iwate prefecture..
I'd like to thank the Canadian Embassy for inviting me to do a show in Otsuchi city where the place was devastated from the earthquake of March 13th this year. It was incredibly moving being there with the locals and seeing first hand what they endured. Only a week ago did they finally get a grocery store up and running. Power is still scarce and it will take a long time for the people to feel like they have a community again.
Meeting the locals first hand I realized just how much they lost. My goal was not to say "sorry" and to not reflect on the tragedy but instead to bring sunshine and smiles and a positive outlook on tomorrow. Easier said than done but I do sense that the people enjoyed themselves and for a brief moment forgot about a lot of their worries. Hats off to the Canadian Embassy for doing such a fine job of putting a great event together. They offered a great lunch, some fun entertainment and a lot of hospitality. It made me proud to be Canadian.
Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season.
Kelly
November 17th, 2011
Hey friends. Hope you’re all well. It’s been a great year for me personally and there have been a lot of things happening to make it go by way too quickly.
On the music front, not a whole lot has changed. I’m still gigging every weekend and selling lots of CDs from the stage. I've enjoyed meeting some really cool people that way as I usually sit around after a show to sign CDs and share stories. .
I had a fun gig in Hiroshima not too long ago. It was open to anyone interested in coming down and it was a full house. Hiroshima is a very cool city and thanks largely to a fellow Canadian Scott McKeeman who played host as well as help organize the event, I had a fantastic time.
I also have 3 songs from my “
THESE DAYS” album in “consideration” for a few Hollywood films. Production for those movies has not finished and I have no idea if or when any of the songs will get used. Wish me luck there.
Producer/songwriter
Greg Arnold from Australia and I are talking about recording the next CD in Nashville. Greg has some close ties there and recons it’s a good step to making a strong record. If all falls through, we will be recording sometime around next August. I will keep you all posted.
Finally, if you haven’t checked out all the
free MP3 songs I have in my store, feel free to download them. Oh and remember, you can always contact me as well if you want to keep in touch. I’m also on
Facebook and
Twitter. Wordpress blog site.
Ciao for now,
Kelly
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