Karl’s answer to Q3 “fifty great questions to ask songwriters”

3. Can a trend or fashionable style of song affect your own songwriting? Perhaps your methods change or a trusted usual approach changes?

The answer to this depends on whether or not you are a songwriter that follows trends and/or maybe even decides to try and stay “current”. If you are either of the afore mentioned? Then your best bet would be to stay on top of what’s selling, what’s trending, what’s charting and what’s being talked about the most in your chosen (or preferred) genre. This could be as simple as the obvious hits from Train, James Blunt and Jason Mraz from a couple of years ago, all of which had a similar feel and chord structure…not to mention a prominent use of Ukelele in their production, which by the way, is most definitely, aside from songwriting!

If however, you care not for the fashionable? Firstly, you get my vote. Secondly, your creativity is bound to be drawing more from the pure, and from your essence as a person who needs to sincerely express themselves in song.

In summary, in the instance that you really do aspire to writing the next “hit” in a climate which suits your writing ambitions? Listen to everything there is to hear about the song you wish you had written and stamp your own uniqueness whilst keeping with the ready made model. If it’s the case that you’re a more organic writer? then nothing changes; Always aim for a great song with a meaningful lyric and a dynamic structure with light & shade and a powerful sentiment as the driving force behind the reason to write in the first place.

I hope this helps!
Thanks for being here.
Karl