How I write songs

by Mike Green
(New Zealand)

I write my songs with my mate as I find it helps having a second perspective particularly from someone you really trust and who might also be a fellow musician (extra bonus there for him having a musical ear). My best work however, comes when I'm nearly asleep, when I'm in some kind of 'altered state of consciousness'. It must have something to do with my mind be relaxed or something. Music comes to my head and it's usually accompanied by images like in a dream. I find it really hard to create this music in the real world as it's free flowing and I find I have to "create" start and stop points just to capture what's in between otherwise it'll keep continuing to go on and I'll be lost in the present moment and not remember what happened before. Maybe this is the wrong way of going about it though, and I should just enjoy the ride and when it ends it ends. Be happy, pick up my musical instrument and just play. I think that's the best way to go about it. Just be happy with yourself and what you've achieved in an hour or in a year of song writing and working on one song. Don't "manicure" your songs, but don't settle for a sh*t song if you know you can do it justice. And you normally know because you can feel it.

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