Song Writing and Music News

So I haven't blogged in a while...
That's because I have been busy writing. I've been working on my novel, which is taking a while, but that's okay. I've also been writing songs.
I love music, I always have. And I've been writing songs since I was thirteen. I play guitar- I don't play well, but I play- and people say I have a knack for expressing things in words.
Lately, I've been having a little bit of writers block. I can't figure out what to write about, so my guitar teacher said I should just write, wether good or bad, silly or serious, just write a little something everyday. So that's what I've been doing.
A few of the songs that come to mind are Rambling, Whatever This is, and Flowers in my Hair. Yeah they're kind of silly, but hey, not every song can be a hit. In fact Ryan Tedder, the lead singer of OneRepublic, said that after you've written 500 songs, you'll find a hit.
Now that may seem kind of discouraging, but to me, it's actually pretty helpful.
I'm a big perfectionist. I may have already mentioned that, but if not, I am. I want everything to be perfect the first time. So let's say I write a really bad song, that sounds horrible. Normally I'd throw it out. But, in line with what Ryan Tedder said, it'll take a few tries. And the messed up version of a song can be what leads to a hit. On the Deluxe edition of Taylor Swift's 1989, she includes the rough drafts of a few of her songs. I especially like the "Blank Space" voice memo, because it's a VERY rough version of the song- you almost can't recognize it.
I also like the way her and the others are having fun writing the song. That's how it should be. Yeah, it's going to be frustrating at times, but if it doesn't make you feel the least bit happy, it's not worth your time.
So I've written some pretty silly songs. But during one session in my room, I came across this perfect riff. I couldn't find a way to attach it, but it's pretty sick. Hopefully it'll lead to something great.

In other news, I found a few new bands you should check out:
Ra Ra Riot
Hey Marseilles
JR JR
Atlas Genius

Well that's it for now. I'll be posting a few DIYS next so stay tuned!