EXPERIMENT: Truthsayer
How to write songs that hit listeners deep in the feels
Midnight Voice Memos ‘EXPERIMENT’ posts are quick, playful, and slightly addictive ways to jump-start your music-making brain.
Truthsayer is an experiment in quickly finding meaty emotional territory for songwriting.
It will help you
Write songs that hit people deep in the feels
Find something to write about that is meaningful to you
YOU WILL NEED
Pen, notebook, and an instrument or DAW
TRY IT
Make a list of 3 people you know (5 mins)
Have a think and choose a person you speak to often, a person you think of often but rarely speak to, and a person with whom you have a fraught or challenging relationship. Â
Write a list of unspeakable truths (10 mins)
For each person on your list spend ~3 mins writing down the things you can’t say to them for fear of changing or damaging your relationship.
Find the most prickly, difficult truth (1 min)
Scan your list and notice your reactions as you do. Which truth feels most dangerous, most treacherous to speak? Use whatever you wrote down and the details around it (backstory, memories et al) as the starting point for a new song. Â
OTHER MIDNIGHT VOICE MEMOS GOODIES
7 Ways To Write A Song A Week (free, or PWYW)
Music-making Limitations Bingo (free, or PWYW)
n.b. EXPERIMENT POSTS ARE FREE to access for the first 2 weeks, after which you’ll need a SONG CLUB membership to access the archive.