

Breckenridge Road / Blog

How I write songs.

Many times people have asked me; “how or where did you get the idea for a song?” The truth is I basically have two processes of songwriting. One I call “channeling” the other I call “musing”. Channeling is the most common. I find a riff or a couple chords that just feel right and put the words down phonetically. Eventually those “words” take form and start to make some kind of sense. The reason I call this form of songwriting “channeling” is because it is the process that I feel I have the least control over. It just seams to come through me from somewhere else. This is my most common form of songwriting. “Musing”, on the other hand is different. This is when I see someone or something that inspires me to write. It can be anything, from a person I see walking down the street to something that has happened to me personally. This process is the most work honestly because I have to make a conscience effort to keep the lyrics within a storyline, holding the theme. When I do this I usually write with another person’s input and talent, almost always my wife. Her input and heart for the human condition has proven to be indispensable. I have to say some of my favorite songs have come from “musing”. Prayers from Hell, Sticks and Stones and Nothing Broke are a few examples. So anyway, I don’t know why I have this ability. To me it seems like anyone could do it. I write songs to make people feel good and maybe some day help someone, like so many songs have helped me through the years. In a way I’m simply paying it forward. So there you go. That’s how it works for me.

Rockwell's Trouts

We had the pleasure of playing the legendary Trout's in Oildale Ca. this last weekend. The owner Rockwell has done some amazing things with that club. We filmed for his TV show "Rockwell's Opry" on the same day. We learned more in one day than we have in three months!