Rookie bands Archive

image by markhillary

Writing is difficult, and writing quality lyrics can seem impossible. Yet the biggest obstacle is not that you can’t write, but how you approach writing. Forget all that nonsense you learned in freshman English class that Shakespeare is the greatest writer in the world.

If you want to write the songs people will love, you need follow the rules of great writing today. But first you have to shake some misconceptions about good writing.

1.) Good writers are born good writers.

Contrary to popular belief, great writers are not born good at their craft. Great writers are created with hard work. No one expects a guitar player to be great as soon as they start, so don’t expect your writing to be strong until you have practiced, practiced and practiced some more.

2.) Great writing is complex.

Bullshit. The best writing is the most direct writing, and direct writing is when the way you speak and the way you write are nearly indistinguishable. Shakespeare is the greatest author in history because his writing could connect with people like no one else. But that is history. We don’t talk like that anymore.

Now that  your head is clear, you need to start filling it with what you really need to know. The first step to being a better song writer is to read good writing.

No one is better at teaching American English writing than William Zinsser. His book “On Writing Well” should be owned by every song writer. Fittingly, the best description of the book comes from Zinsser.

“The life-changing message of On Writing Well: simplify your language and thereby find your humanity.” -William Zinsser

So what are you doing reading this article? Get to work. Write the next great song.

BONUS:A few writing tips I learned as a journalist.

• Keep to one topic – If a song is about your friend Pete, don’t write about your dog, your job or your car. If you don’t have enough to say about Pete you should pick a new topic.

• Seek honest feedback – There will always be people who will cut you down, and there will always be someone who can’t say anything bad. These people are useless. Ask people who will be honest with you to review your songs.

• Put it out there – Sometimes your writing will seem pure genius, and no one will notice. Sometimes you will knock a piece out in 10 minutes and it will be the next big hit. You’ll never know if you don’t put it out there.

image by Mike Bairds

A great photo will define a band’s presence decades after it was taken. A bad photo will turn a band into a bad punchline overnight.

So, what makes a great band photo? Authenticity.

A great photo should not cost more money than a terrible photo, but it will cost your time and commitment.

The big don’t- Above all else, avoid the staged photo.

A photo shoot of the band pretending to play their instruments will look like a band pretending to play their instruments. Guess What? Most musicians are not trained models, and they are not working with high-end fashion photographers. If Playboy asks your band to fake play your guitar, do it. If your aunt asks you to do this, politely decline.

If your band is not full of models, the best solution is to take candid photos. Have someone take pictures of your band doing real things, with real emotions. To create candid photos with real emotions, your band and the photographer need to get out of the lets take some pictures mode to lets show our fans who we are as people. Take focus away from the act of being photographed, and turn it into a way to connect with fans.

Let’s go bowling- If a band wants to show a fun side or competitive side, mini golf, bowling and the basketball court can cover both motivations. These are also cheep locations that generally don’t mind if people are taking photos. If the band wants to mess around or play for the win it all works, as long as nothing is forced. If it does not feel right, don’t do it.

Let’s get serious- For some bands rounds of mini golf and bowling are not going to cut it. It’s time to get serious. Take the band to a sculpture park or a universities art department. It will not only be a good way to see the band’s reactions to pieces they love or hate, but the art will make for a strong background.
It’s also more than likely that some members of the band are creative in other ways. Take your photographer to watch members paint, sculpt, draw or do whatever they love outside of music.

Let’s go- If all else fails, take your photographer on the road. The most candid shots, and often the best, occur when a band and a photographer have spent too much time together, and no one really cares what they look like or what they are doing.

DIY Tip – You’re poor. We Know. It’s highly recommended to get a trained photographer, but if all else fails you can take your own photos. The big secret to great photography is to take lots and lots and lots of photos. Then take some more. Remember, a band can take a long time getting the right photo. In the long run it is easier to work hard to get the perfect photo, than to be consistently reminded of those terrible photos on your CD covers.

Once you have some photos the band really likes it is time to test the images. Don’t trust your own judgment, and don’t ask your mom’s opinion. Put the images on photo critique sites like flickr or professional music photographers like Zack Arias. It’s better to have someone pick your photos apart now, then after you put them on 10,000 fliers.

For more tips on taking band photos, and other rookie band tips read these articles to help your band.