Originally Posted By: Ember - PG Music
Originally Posted By: Janice & Bud
I (Bud) write the lyrics with some semblance of meter smile often running lines by Janice to ask if they “work” and are as she says “singable.” I then give them to her with suggestions of genre/groove and only occasionally with specific chord suggestions.

Many lines, hooks, etc, come when mountain biking or hiking.

She then sits with her guitar and does her magic. smile She will tweak the lyric to fit her phrasing ideas, etc.

The only exception is a 12 or 8 bar blues for which I’ll create the chord structure (which is typically formulaic for that genre) and then she will just riff my lyric (a bit like an instrumental solo).

Bud


I am curious to know what "singable" means to Janice. Though that may be why you put it in quotations. wink It sounds like you guys have a true partnership when it comes to writing songs. That's a rare quality. Often times, from my personal experience, writing tends to be fairly personal -- especially when it's more emotion based and less technical -- so writing projects as a collaboration can lead to some tensions. Sounds like that's not an issue here!

You guys seem to really compliment each other, and it sounds like you guys really know what works for you both

Thanks for sharing. smile


Thanks Ember, we've been retired for for a while, married for 36 years and spend virtually all our time together everyday...so it's essential that we compliment one another! We used to race mountain bikes but now days we mostly "just ride" a lot and that combined with our love of nature is a great stimulant for us -- for me to think of lyrics and Janice always has melodies, etc., in her head...no matter what's happening smile but particularly when hiking and biking.

I just asked her and she says that "singable" means that she can feel it - that the lyric seems natural to her. From my perspective it means that she can envision a melody for the lyric that will allow her to best employ her "bent note" style of phrasing. She likes to slide her phrasing around a lot. Many but not everybody, like this. One reviewer once critically referred to it as too much "vocal dancing." She tends to use this approach on all genres but more so on blues. The best and perhaps most extreme version of it is our song Soul Stealer. So singable means a lyric for which a melody comes quickly that allows her to feel that she can put her notion of soul into it. If it passes that test the genre becomes somewhat incidental.

Pardon the ramble...not a great answer to your question...

Cheers

Bud

Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more.
If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks!
Our Videos are here on our website.