Category Archives: Songwriting

Articles about songwriting

The SongCatcher Interview In Full

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Last night I was interviewed on Radio Adelaide 101.5FM by the team at SongCatcher, a radio show which focusses on songwriters, their inspirations and general songwriting news.

I had the pleasure of playing two of my songs live, the first being “Back Of My Mind” with the second song being “Seeing Stars.”

To hear the entire SongCatcher interview click on the play link below

SongCatcher Interview January 17th, 2011 (1hr)

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I have also isolated both songs from the interview and have featured them below.

Back Of My Mind (Live)

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Seeing Stars (Live)

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I’m really, really proud with how both songs turned out. Let me know what you think.

Peace,

Corey :)

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Radio: SongCatcher On Radio Adelaide (101.5FM) Tonight

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I’ll be appearing tonight on the SongCatcher songwriting program on Radio Adelaide (101.5 on the FM dial) with Clayton Werner and Claire Thackeray.

Wooo Hooo!

I’ll be playing a couple of tunes live, talking about my song “Billboard Angel” which appears on the latest SCALA CD “A Guided Tour” plus, the SongCatcher crew will be playing a couple of songs from other artists that have influenced me over the years.

So tune into Radio Adelaide between 9 and 10pm to hear the program or, you can listen to the SongCatcher program online.

You’ll be glad you did…

Peace,

Corey :)

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Video: Night Voices – December 7th, 2010

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Late last year I had the pleasure of being the featured act for the Night Voices Open Mic which is held at The Garage Bar on Waymouth Street in Adelaide. The video below (taken by my good mate BT Cassidy) are the edited highlights from my performance.

In this video you’ll hear three songs, two of my own songs “Girl Like You” and “Back Of My Mind” which will be available on my upcoming CD release plus, a version of Spandau Ballet’s 1983 hit “Gold”

Enjoy…

I’m really quite proud of this video considering I was sick as a dog at the time. In fact, I detuned the guitar half a semitone to give my voice a bit of a rest.

Hmmm, the things we do for our art sometimes.

Peace,

Corey :)

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Gig Alert: “SCALA – A Guided Tour” CD Launch

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I have the pleasure of playing at the “SCALA – A Guided Tour” CD Launch this Thursday night, December 16th at the Higher Ground Arts Cafe starting at 8pm.

I’m going to be in fine company too, playing with the likes of Andy and Marta, Kenny Green, Adrian Miller, David Robinson and Mick Kidd.

I’ll be playing my SCALA exclusive song “Billboard Angel” on the night plus other tunes that will be on my upcoming CD “Out With The Old, In With The New” set for release in the first quarter of 2011.

Hope to see some familiar faces there, it’s going to be a fantastic night.

Peace,

Corey :)

CD Project Update #13 – More Vocals Please!

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Last week Darren and I completed the electric guitar overdubs for “Girl Like You” and today I’m hopeful that I finish the vocal tracks for the rest of the songs:

  • Don’t Turn To Me Now
  • Don’t Want To Let You Go
  • Jigsaw
  • Just One Kiss
  • Nothing Stands In Your Way
  • Seeing Stars
  • We Can’t Be Together Anymore
  • What Have We Got To Lose?

Another thing that I’ve started to do now is to keep track of what parts and/or what songs have been completed in the recording process.

At the moment I’m using a crudely drawn graph (as shown below) but I know that the neatness monster inside will force me to create a graph in Open Office or something like that.

After today I’m going to need to start thinking about getting Victor, the keyboard player in to do his tracks but first I’ll need to work out what songs need keys recorded before electric guitar.

An example of a song needing this process would be “Missing You Already” as my vision for the song dictates that it’s to be primarily a piano piece, similar to something that The Whitlams would do.

I’ve had a little bit of a head cold for the last few days so I’m hoping that my voice is ready for today. It feels good but getting the voice recorded can be a different beast altogether.

A few hours after I finish in the studio I’ll be doing a 20-30 minute guest spot at the Night Voices Open Mic at The Garage which starts at 7pm. If anything my voice will be nicely warmed up for that.

Now I’m off to get ready for the day ahead, wish me luck.

Peace,

Corey :)

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A New Addition To Corey Stewart Online – Articles

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In an attempt to streamline my blogging activities and consolidate my online footprint, I’ve decided to add an articles page to Corey Stewart Online.

I’ll be doing this by phasing out my earlier blogs Songwriting Zen, Orangutang Music and Corey Stewart Songwriting Tips and amalgamating all of my content into the Corey Stewart Online articles page.

This is something I have outlined in a previous post.

As well as my own content I’ll also be putting up what I would consider, really informative songwriting, music business and home recording articles that I find through my continuous online research into such topics but don’t worry, I’ll make sure I get the appropriate permissions from the original authors before putting them online.

Creating an articles page on this site and filling it with my past content is just another way that I can simplify my online activity, therefore allowing me to focus on my goals more effectively.

I’ve always been curious about article marketing and how it could help me as an online musician. Now I have my chance to put some theories to the test but I’ll tell you more about that in a later post.

BTW, If you have written or, you know of any content dealing with songwriting, music business or home recording that you want to recommend me put up on Corey Stewart Online, then please contact me.

I’d love to hear from you.

Peace,

Corey :)

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SCALA Songwriting Workshop Tonight

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I’m going to be one of the special guests along with good friend and songwriting partner Adrian Miller, for the last SCALA Songwriters Workshop for 2010 starting at 7:30pm sharp tonight at the Higher Ground Arts Cafe.

It runs for about 2 hours or so and in the first hour of the workshop, Adrian and I will talk about “The Joys Of Collaboration” in which we’ll feature two of our songs we’ve recently written together.

In the second hour all attendees will get a chance to play one of their original songs to the group for constructive feedback and encouragement and it’s all for a gold coin donation.

It happens tonight at Higher Ground Arts Cafe at 7:30pm sharp. If you’re in Adelaide I’d love to see you there.

Peace,

Corey :)

Mountain Top – Live

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Mountain Top is the second song I played at the SCALA Open Mic Network Showcase last Thursday night (October 28th) that was put to video by Rob Childs of SCALA. This song is a few years old and I wrote soon after my band “FunkStar” broke up in 2001.

Mountain Top
©2001 C.Stewart

All the lessons that I’m learning
Are all lessons of the self?
A wise man once said “If you don’t love who you are
How the hell can you love anybody else”

I’m on a mountain top baby
Looking down on all I see
I’m on a mountain top baby
360 degrees

Some days I feel quite angry
And some day I feel quite sad
I can’t believe what has happened
To the best times a guy ever had

Chorus

It’s not a waste of time
Coz these times will come back again
But it’s up to me this time
And that means it’s gonna be right

If you believe that other people
Are for your happiness and how you’re perceived
Then when they let you down at the end of the day
There’s nothing left for you to believe

I’m on a mountain top baby
Looking down on all I see
I’m on a mountain top baby
360 degrees
I’m on a mountain top baby
With the sunlight over me
I’m on a mountain top baby
360 degrees

It’s always good to look at any situation from the perspective of being on top of a mountain, looking down on it all which is something I’ve been experiencing vividly of late.

This song tries to encapsulate that feeling.

Peace,

Corey :)

(When You Gonna) Stop Tearing Me Apart – Live

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Last Thursday night I performed at the SCALA Open Mic Network Showcase and I was fortunate enough to have two of my songs put to video.

This first song “(When You Gonna) Stop Tearing Me Apart” is a C. Stewart/A. Miller collaboration which deals with a different way of approaching a relationship based song by the protagonist wishes a relationship to end rather than the cliched concept of wishing an unrequited relationship to begin.

Enjoy…

(When You Gonna) Stop Tearing Me Apart
©2010 C. Stewart / A. Miller

Why is it taking you so long to leave me?
Why have you let this thing drag on for years?
Why do you keep giving me this feeling
That I can’t wash away with my tears?
Instead of saying goodbye

When are you gonna stop tearing me apart?
When are you gonna stop breaking my heart?
All I want to know, are you going to let go?
When are you gonna stop tearing me apart?

When did you stop even wanting to love me?
Was there not something that I could have done?
And what makes you keep wanting to stay here
When you know that all meaning has gone?
Instead of saying goodbye

Chorus

When I look into your eyes I see nothing
I can’t even recognise who we were
As we walk down this road leading nowhere
Will you ever realise where we are?

Must I wait for another lifetime
To escape from all this misery?
Is there a chance that you might reconsider
And make up your mind to leave?
Is it time to say goodbye?

Chorus

Stop tearing me apart
Stop tearing me apart

This song was inspired by the title which suggested the overall story which then suggested the lyrical content.

I’ll put up the second video “Mountain Top” tomorrow.

Peace,

Corey :)

Songwriting – It Doesn’t Matter Where You Start, As Long As You Start Somewhere

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As I’m preparing for the SCALA Open Mic Network Showcase gig at Higher Ground today, I remind myself that writing songs is sometimes:

A linear experience
You come across a possible song title that jumps out at you and after writing the first line of the first verse, a first draft is suddenly completed from start to finish.

A puzzle solving exercise
You take a piece here, a song title there, a bit of a verse here and a half written phrase there and, after discovering the common thread that connects everything, a song is eventually completed.

Like incubating an egg
You finish writing a chorus but find you can’t go any further however, after leaving the half finished song for a period of time something triggers in your mind and the song magically completes itself.

Sometimes you start writing a song from the beginning and work forwards, sometimes you start a song from the middle and work outwards and sometimes you start writing at the end and work backwards.

It doesn’t matter where you start, as long as you start somewhere.

Peace,

Corey :)