JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Songwriter Message Forum Gaining Traction (a game plan)

What I write, I guess, is what Hank Williams used to play. I don’t know what it’s called now. I referred to it in one of my songs as “dead guy music.” True, the Modern Stuff is not about (as Steve Goodman said) “Mother, trucks, trains, farms, prison, dead dogs and Christmas,” but I don’t have to miss it, because I can write it. What I have a problem with is Industry Insiders claiming there’s no market for it, when I can see the market for it every weekend. But if they won’t play for that market, I will, and if they won’t sell records to that market, I will. It’s okay.

That said, I am impressed pretty much only by good writing—whatever form it takes—and I have seen precious little come out of the Industry Insiders. The only two commercial songs I’ve been impressed with in recent years were one by the Black Eyed Peas (see? Tojiso) and one by Porter Wagoner. The dearth of good writing in Industry circles is, I think, a function of the closed-circle mindset that has pervaded the Industry in recent years; if you never let anyone new inside the circle, what’s inside the circle starts to get stale. And that’s why I don’t listen much to the radio any more. I’d rather listen to you guys and gals instead.

Joe