Songwriting Saturday

How do I get ideas for writing songs? Sometimes I have a very specific idea, I want to write about a certain experience or try to emulate a certain genre/artist, and I dive right into it. Sometimes, I have a tiny idea, and I take it all the way. One morning I was walking around the house, humming to myself when a little lyric popped up into my head: and to be fair, I've had my share of crying wolf, when one's not there... It came with it's own little tune, and I knew it was too good to pass up. I sat down with my guitar and worked out the chords that would fit behind this little ditty, and began to elaborate.
What came of it was this song about a guy I knew last year; he and I were good friends, and he wanted to be more than that - at the time I had no idea what I wanted, but as soon as I told him I just wasn't interested in him like that, sorry, he became rather cold.
I enjoy writing songs as letters to people. For one, it's rather therapeutic if you are feeling particularly hard-done-by, or, on the other hand, if you're about to explode with happiness and other squealworthy feelings, it's so amazing to turn that into something that you're going to have with you for the rest of your life (or as long as you can remember it!).
Either way, song writing is something that I love. Don't get me wrong, I have written a few songs that I don't share with others because they just aren't that good, but you have to write through the mediocre songs to get to the real gems. I hope you enjoy this one.

Side of You by Olivia Rafferty

Songwriting Saturday

I'm introducing a weekly slot in this blog (goodness knows we need some consistency around here) to get my butt in gear about song writing and also give everyone else some ideas. Hey presto: Songwriting Saturdays has been born!

This, ahem, Saturday (writing this post on a Friday L to the OL) I was googling away at song writing techniques that my favourites use (David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen etc.) and came across the idea of the Cut-Up Technique, that Bowie has used to create some lyrics. So I decided to give it a bash, I cut out a rectangle from a piece of lined card and got out three books, one a critical analysis of poetry, one an old book of plays and another a poetry miscellany. With five lines from each, this is what I got:

Effort at a greater

in their keeping

of broken images

later Grail romances

their merit as poets

game at backgammon

Hell and damnation!

and lives upon

with all the seeming

thou wicked slanderer

a few lilies blow

Trouble is always awake

Watching in the snow

velvet that is black

Slavery-savage men

So... how on Earth was I going to piece that all together?! I couldn't pick every line, so I just started brainstorming and came up with the idea of a man playing a game of backgammon in Hell against the Devil for his soul. And then I wrote...

As I was writing I developed a tune quite quickly, just a simple thing on the guitar. I then began to record a simple demo of it on Garageband on my laptop... 

And soon enough I was done with what was definitely an over-cheery sound perhaps not completely worthy of the dark subject. I probably took it one step further by adding in the twee xylophone accompaniment, but, hey, I liked the strange oxymoronic tone it gives the song.

This was just a small exercise in song writing, but it was great fun to do. When I started out writing I believed that I had to be constrained to my own limited experiences, and, really, how many songs can you write about the same guy!? I much prefer getting imaginative and telling stories with my songs. Let me know what you guys think!

Backgammon by Olivia Rafferty

A Summer Soundtrack

Hello! Can't believe I've now finished my second year of University... time is flying. Despite the fact that I've got no real work to do, I don't yet feel like I can relax! I have a lot of things to do before I head off to America on Thursday, and let me tell you, this news of another Icelandic volcano potentially blocking airspace is not helping! I am keeping my fingers crossed very tightly.
So here is my new favourite outfit, the sheer blouse is so smart and light and pairs perfectly with the shorts. I was thinking about saving these pieces until I was on holiday, but I ended up going out for lunch with friends and to the cinema in this. Unfortunately, while sitting in the dark of the cinema theatre waiting for Pirates 4 to begin, I managed to get chocolate ice-cream on both my shirt and my shorts (and on my bra. How did I even do that!?). That is classic me. Cue emergency hand wash.

As I've said before, I'm not very good on planes. The best way I manage to cope with travelling is to listen to music. A lot. So I've compiled a little list of songs to share with you here, to give you an idea of the soundtrack to my summer. Many of them are covers (buh, just realised all of them but one are covers!). I'd love to know what you are all listening to! Give me a song in the comments :)

p.s. Follow me on Tumblr!


Maroon 5 - Pure Imagination

Steve Martin & Bernadette Peters - You Belong To Me

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. -God Only Knows

Summer Camp -  I Only Have Eyes For You

Frightened Rabbit & Craig Finn - Don't Go Breaking My Heart

Angus & Julia Stone - You're The One That I Want

Veronica Maggio - Jag Kommer

I'm Still In Love With Judas, Baby

I'm sorry, but I love Lady Gaga. When Born This Way was released I was slightly disheartened to listen to it and be mostly reminded of Madonna. Buuuut Judas was released/leaked a few days ago and my faith has been restored! There's speculation that The Gags (sorry, can't help giving her this nickname) leaked it herself four days before the actual release date, because Judas betrayed Jesus four days before Easter. Oh, Gags, you so clever.

Love her, hate her, whatever. This song is good (apart from the lyric about an 'ear condom'?! I didn't include it because I knew if I would never be able to say the two words 'ear condom' together. I mean, seriously).

Me and My Guitar.

When I am not busy with university coursework or brushing up on my sartorial knowledge, I am playing guitar and singing and singing and singing. Hey, I love fashion as much as the next person, but when it comes to real, raw passion, music has to sit top of the list.
I'm a modest person. I don't like to wave my guitar in people's faces because, you know, I like to play but I don't like to think I'm all that. In most cases, this is a good thing, but when it comes to really following dreams and yadda yadda, that definitely holds me back.
I debated for a while whether to post a video of me warbling up here or not. What will people think? Will they like it? Will they sit back in silence and skip commenting, because they'd rather hear me make up little paragraphs about dresses and nice photography? There comes a time where you just have to realise "hey, it's my blog, it's my corner of the internet. i will do with it what i will."
So, click the play button and hear me sing in my kitchen, with an Argentinean flag behind me (not my nationality, long story anyway) on a video camera that dithers in and out of focus, no fancy microphones or anything of the sort. Maybe I'll make it a regular thing.
Enjoy.