We got to know Kelsey Kindall near the end of 2020. It was evident immediately that she knew how to craft a great pop song.
As she knows all too well, sometimes, the inspiration doesn’t come or you just aren’t sure where to start.
To celebrate the release of her new single, “Off the Grid”, she took the time to outline some of her most valuable songwriting tips:
#1: What happens if you are in a writing rut?
“I believe that many brilliant songs are written in 10 minutes, they just flow out of people like they were made to tell that story. However, most of the time songwriting for me is a developed skill or practice that I need to give myself structure for. What happens if there is nothing really driving you emotionally, does that mean you just aren’t able to write music unless your life is messy? I have been struggling with this concept so I will do some practical things to jumpstart my songwriting.”
#2: Inspire yourself with different instrumentals
“Lately, I love to write to samples. I pay a subscription for a website like slice and will pick a sample to inspire some lyrics. From there I will hum out melodies and free style (always record the freestyling even if it’s excruciating to go back and listen to haha) and I will try to solidify a really solid and catchy hook.”
#3: Find the hook!
“Finding the hook is the magic piece for me. Once I know the thesis of the song it is easy for me to go back and dance around the thesis, finding ways to cleverly expand it and let it shape shift throughout the song. A really catchy and clever hook can really turn a good song into a memorable one.”
#4: Use a random word generator
“Challenge yourself to write to whatever pops up, it might be bad but also might be incredible. A new song I’m producing was written off of this exercise and its probably one of my most favorite songs yet!”
#5: Don’t get stuck on a measure
“If you don’t know how to close out a verse or a section of the chorus or bridge don’t sit on it. Keep writing the song and hum where youre stuck, the more puzzle pieces that go into place the easier those problem spots will be to sort out at the end.”
#6: Bring in new ears that you trust
“My roommate is my second set of ears. I won’t show her until about draft 4 or 5 of a song, and she always hears new things with a fresh perspective that I start to miss. She is able to call out weak spots and highlight favorite parts, I always recommend bringing someone into the process midway through that wont get tainted by all the drafts and edits.”
#7: Aim to make every song better than your last one
“Instead of putting pressure on yourself to create the next Olivia Rodriguo hit ( which i often do) I try to just build my skills/songwriting one song at a time. I can look back and see things I would have tweaked and changed and looking forward at opportunities to create stronger melodies and lyrics. I think this is the best way to know you are stepping into success in your career without setting yourself up for failure.”
Check out Kelsey Kindall’s latest single feat. STILL , “Off the Grid”:
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