9/4/2015 2:16:13 PM
Rings & Kings & Bigger Things

9/4/2015 2:16:13 PM ---- Updated 9/4/2015 2:16:42 PM

Rings & Kings & Bigger Things
Hey IndieMusicPeople

This is Paul Leo, aka Ice Giants - the artist most recently interviewed by Scott (check the interview on the front page!)

I've been thinking a lot about songwriting from the first-person perspective recently, and I wanted to get some outside opinions on this question:

Is it possible to write an autobiographical song that intimately explores personal problems / issues AND is relatable to outside listeners who don't know the songwriter? Or are the two mutually exclusive?

(And if the two are compatible, do you have any examples of artists / songs who do it well?)

I was having a conversation with a friend about this recently, and I wanted to see what other people thought.

Hoping to hear some responses!

With respect,
Paul Leo

9/4/2015 2:46:08 PM

that is a great question Paul Leo, I think you have brought an important aspect of tackling something so bold, I like it and my brother has written a lot of songs based upon his experiences, and so yes, you can write a whole album doing that, exploring the whole process and people will connect to what you bring forth , no doubt there, it is just getting the lyrical content and having some good hooks and catchy lines to draw people into to your personal journey and experiences, great idea, gotta go, work calls

9/4/2015 2:46:58 PM

oh interesting. I was just listening to this interview of Liz Wright discussing that very thing. Her comments are at the beginning so you don't have to listen to the whole thing - but she's cool if you do.

9/4/2015 3:18:41 PM

Paul, welcome to the pipeline!

To answer your question, I'd say remember that listeners are often voyeurs. People may not identify with your exact issue but that doesn't mean that they aren't interested in the artist/singer's problems/tribulations.

Look at Bob Dylan for instance. His fans go to all ends of the earth to follow his adventures and few could relate to being him in any way.

9/4/2015 3:19:51 PM

some of the best songs ever written are written this way ... I can list hundreds of examples .. but I just offer up this one to show what I'm talking about ..


Peace
SaM CaT ... now to go check out some Ice Giants ....

9/4/2015 3:23:11 PM

ha ! .. I even found this to explain how it is very much an autobiographical song ... :)

9/4/2015 4:48:02 PM

I often wondered if Angry Young Man was about Billy Joel.

9/4/2015 8:16:13 PM

In music, there are so many exceptions to the rule, adventuring spirit wins the day...

9/4/2015 8:45:46 PM

Sting - Soul Cages. About his life growing up in a shipbuilding port. The whole album touches down in the journey. Classic bio-concept album with songs that stand on their own.

9/5/2015 9:28:12 AM

Glad to see some solid responses here. I really liked this quote:

"it is just getting the lyrical content and having some good hooks and catchy lines to draw people into to your personal journey and experiences"

I totally agree with this. I think that as artists, we can either speak to ourselves, or speak to the outside world, and the best writers know how to do both simultaneously in an engaging and relatable way.

One of my favorite artists who do this is Andy Hull (of Manchester Orchestra, Bad Books, and Right Away Great Captain). He writes about painfully personal topics but uses really engaging language along the way, allowing the listener to get sucked in. Take a listen to some of his material if you get the chance. Particularly the album "I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child"

Excited to see some more thoughts!
Paul

9/5/2015 9:34:58 AM

Glad to see someone like Paul Leo bring forth something so important, talking about doing songs that have meaning and sharing it. Doing songs via ones personal experiences,many songs these days are just sliced bologna and have nothing to do with reality or what one has actually gone through it is a good subject and great to have someone new here with such vision and who adds a new dimension to the pipeline, and i might add I like that he used a quote from my thoughts , glad to have my personal take acknowledged

bryon

9/5/2015 1:48:43 PM

Agree with Bryon there.

Your music's so happenin', kudos...

In the late 80s i co-managed a music club in upstate New York, got to meet and hear John Phillips, Richie Havens, Rick Danko, Maria Muldaur, Steve Forbert (who remembers him, and "Romeo's Song"?), would be opening act on occassion, Jerry Jeff Walker, Dave Mason, Shawn Colvin (before she was well-known, starving NYC folksinger, who'd come up in a Greyhound bus, on a cold winter evening, to play to 5 people), John Gorka, jazzman Don Cherry, tito fuentes, and so on.

Each unique and individual, and with their own way...

Late bloomer m'self, in that having to make a living, teacher, attorney (didn't last too long), hitting my musical stride starting late 30s, and getting around to producin' later lol...everyone's got their own way...it's all so confusing...

9/5/2015 1:53:47 PM

I saw Steve Forbert at the bottom line, and also at the Roxy in LA.

Shawn Colvin has a page here btw.

Shawn Colvin

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