Singer-Songwriter Finds Positivity Through Contemplation
Musician Lee Coulter is a lesson in contrasts. On one hand, he plays upbeat, toe-tapping acoustic-guitar rock. On the other hand, the lyrics on his new album “Mr. Positivity” reveal an introspective singer-songwriter who’s occasionally plagued by self-doubt.“The new album is a struggle between my rational and creative brain,” said Coulter, 31, who lives with his wife and toddler son in Encinitas. “Being a musician, it’s sometimes hard being a realist and optimist at the same time.”
Originally from Logan City, Australia, Coulter started writing songs in his mid-teens. He found some success, but his dream of being a musician was at odds with a rough economy. Coulter and his family were forced to move from their apartment last year, causing him to question his path. But not for long. Several songs from his self-titled debut album began receiving heavy airplay from local and national radio stations — most notably, Sirius XM’s The Coffee House. The popular channel named Coulter its sing-songwriter discovery of 2011.
With momentum on his side, Coulter hit the studio to self-record and self-produce “Mr. Positivity.” Compared to his first album, Coulter says the songs are “rawer.” He did less vocal takes and stripped back the instrumentation.
“I wanted there to be more emotion in the songs by capturing how I felt at that moment,” Coulter said. “Often songs will lose that emotional quality if you overthink them too much.”
He also wrote more personal lyrics. The song “Go” tells the tale of how Coulter’s grandmother and grandfather met during World War II. As the song alludes to, Coulter’s grandfather was a prisoner of war in Thailand; his grandmother, a local villager, snuck his grandfather food.
“He promised her that he would marry her when he got out alive, and he did,” Coulter said.
Some lyrics document Coulter’s struggle to stay positive in the face of negative thoughts — hence the somewhat ironic title “Mr. Positivity.” Inspired by a “nostalgic sadness.” Coulter’s new songs were largely influenced by artists like Paul Simon and Natalie Merchant.
More intimate lyrics don’t necessarily mean less hook-filled songs. Many of Coulter’s arrangements are less bouncy and energetic than his debut. But his penchant for fun, catchy tracks remains. Handclaps punctuate whistling, piano, chiming guitar and a sing-along chorus on “The Rendezvous,” for example. For Coulter, melody still comes first and foremost.
“With the music I want to create a platform that sets a mood for the lyrics and the message to really reach people in a way that matters,” Coulter said.
Some might peg Coulter solely as a serious, contemplative songwriter. But he also has a funny, self-deprecating side.
His alter-ego records auto-tuned rap songs that parody the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle under the group Square Pegs Baby.
“We act absurd to point out the absurdity of the music business,” Coulter said with a laugh.
Silly, somber, upbeat, laidback — Coulter could be described as a lot of things. But more than anything, he wants optimism to shine through.
“I’m not really a kumbaya guy,” Coulter said. “Still, at the heart of what I’m doing, I’m trying to connect people with the idea of love and positivity.”
“Mr. Positivity” will be available on iTunes March 27. A physical copy of the album will be available at The Belly Up show.
Visit leecoulter.com for more information.
JOHN CARTER CASH INSPIRES LOCAL SONGWRITERS AND MUSICIANS
By Piero Pretto
John Carter Cash, Grammy award winning producer and only child of Johnny Cash and June Carter, was the latest guest to take part in a very personal and inspiring workshop hosted by singer and songwriter Kasey Lansdale last Saturday afternoon.
His message to those in attendance: “Find out where your joy lies.”
“What I beg of ya’ll is to be open-minded. To find out where that path is.” he said.
He started off the workshop by sharing some of his early struggles in life. “Although I was 30, I was still an apprentice in the family business,” he said. “I was trying to figure out exactly who I was, where I was headed.” He noted that it was hard to find himself when he lived in the shadow of his very successful parents for so long.
His struggle to find himself ended when he landed in the studio with his father for the first time.
“When I began to work in the realm of the recording studio, a light came on. This is what I love. This is where I love to work. This is what I love to do.”
Read the full article at THE PINE LOG
Photo source: New Jersey Stage
Mormons to Host Local Interfaith Music and Arts Festival in April
A group of Mormon musicians and artists is hosting a family-friendly music and arts festival on April 20-21 at the Wilson County Fairgrounds, about 30 minutes from Nashville, Tennessee.
Named Liahonaroo, the event will bring together artists and musicians from across the U.S. of all faiths to showcase their work in an outdoor festival setting. The name “Liahonaroo” was inspired by a compass called the Liahona that a Book of Mormon prophet named Lehi used to lead his family through the wilderness.
The event will be drug and alcohol free, and music performed will be appropriate for listeners of all ages. Ogden believes this will resonate with most Christians in the area, regardless of denomination.
“We wanted to create an event to celebrate positive and engaging music and art,” said Shantell Ogden, festival co-founder and performing songwriter. “By hosting the event in a family-friendly venue, we hope to expand the reach of artists who deserve to showcase their talents.”
Shantell Ogden
Ogden feels this event will create an inclusive, welcoming experience for both fans and performers.
“I have a friend in a punk band who plays clubs regularly, and because of the environment and age restrictions his daughter hasn’t been able to see him perform,” said Ogden. “At Liahonaroo, artists and their fans won’t have to worry about things like that.”
Approximately 30 artists will be selected to perform at the two-day festival; all genres of family-friendly music are accepted. While artists are asked to sell 10 tickets to the event as part of an artist agreement, they will also receive 50 percent of the ticket sales as payment for their performance.
The event will also include 20 booths for visual artists, jewelry makers and other related artists.
For more info, go to liahonaroo.com
A MESSAGE TO ALL FANS OF ANGELICA
By Dean Olson
My name is Dean Olson, and I was the interviewer that you saw in the video featuring Angelica.
I am very happy that you came by to view the full interview. I had a page ready for viewing, but I experienced some major problems with it. However, YOU CAN STILL VIEW IT on YouTube. I would love to hear your feedback, either in the comments box or at the email address DeanO@eclecticsongwriter.com
I will provide three links (parts 1 – 3) below.
Angelica was delightful in person, and I look forward to sharing more of her stories with you.
PART ONE -
Eclectic TV – Angelica Interview at Barnes & Noble, Marina Del Rey, CA (Part 1)
PART TWO – Click here
PART THREE – Click here
Take care!
DEAN
10 IMPORTANT SONG ELEMENTS
By Dean Olson
The creative process of songwriting can be a very magical and mysterious flight of fancy. But, during that flight, as you enjoy that euphoria of soaring through the stars, it is generally a good idea to check your bearings. Your right and left brain should be working together to complete each journey, or song, if you will. Some days, you just want to fly and be free, and I think that’s the right way to go about it. Go wherever you wish. Just make you are fueled up, the flight plan is in order, and your plane is in peak condition. And watch out for that mountain!
Analogies aside, let’s assume that you’ve come up with a song that you are really excited about. You have nobody around that can collaborate, so you get to work on your favorite instrument and go the distance by yourself. You’ve written it down, or put it on your recorder, so it has now been given life. It has all of the elements and is ready to be recorded. One of the best feelings around is to create something out of pure inspiration. But, now here’s another analogy posed as a question: Do you now raise your baby or give it up for adoption? That metaphor has some holes in it, so I won’t go too far with that one, but it sounded good.
Before you even set foot in the studio, whether it’s a professional setup or your home computer, you ought to put your thinking cap on. Modern music recording technologies have made it possible, through audio software, for new wonders and great expectations to be met. Digital audio workstations from Sony Creative Software or Pro Tools can add all the bells and whistles and tweaks to your projects, and they are fantastic companions to songwriters. However, there is still a vital need for old fashioned tactics to make sure that your songs are worth the extra track. If you follow this checklist of ten song elements, you can be confident that you have the proper arrangement, aligned and ready, before you even push the record button.
1. Balance – Is your instrumentation balanced? Your song should have an even amount of ranges, from low to high. If you have too much of one and not enough of another, your recording might not sound so great.
2. Harmonies – You want to make sure that there is some good support going into the melody of your song. Without the right harmonies, or alternative sounds to the melody, it will sound like your song is missing a piece of the puzzle.
3. Musical arrangement – This is based completely around the ability to organize the instrumentation in the song. Not only should it be balanced, but it should also include contrasts and similarities in how the music follows what you are trying to say. If you are stuck with creating instrumentation that fits, get into some basic theory concepts to assist you.
4. Spacing – More important than all of the melodies and harmonies, is the room that you put in between each. This means that you don’t want to rush through your song and you don’t want to take too much time. Make sure that you give some breaks with melodies and change up the harmonies enough to keep it interesting and moving correctly.
5. Tempo – Often times, it is assumed that there is a specific tempo and that is it. However, you want to make sure that your tempos are defined and everyone follows them without missing a beat. Once you get into the studio, you don’t want anything to be off by a second, as it will cause the recording to become difficult to lay down.
6. Form – The easiest way for a listener to relate to your song from the beginning is to have the right form. If you are focused on lyrics, this will be the hook that is used during the chorus. If you are experimenting with form, make sure there is always a place in the music that goes back and keeps the attention of the listener so that they can relate to the music.
7. Variety – One of the overlooked parts of arranging is the variety that is in the song. This means that, even though you are repeating choruses or verses, make sure that you have some different movement or instrumentation in your recording.
8. Movement – The movement of the song goes beyond the tempo and into the extra small things that you do with a recording. This is what will make or break a song. Things such as louds and softs, ornamentation and other small add ons will help to move the song in the right way.
9. Consistency – Along with the variety of the song should be a certain consistency that lets the song fit together. This partly is related to the form of the song and also links to things such as tying the song together with the right lyrics and musical concepts. Within each of these areas, you can have some variation, but make sure that the frame work allows the listener to follow what you are doing.
10. Creativity – Of course, this should never be left behind. All too often are musical ideas that are heard that are close to what was heard before. The first rule to a good song is always to let yourself go, follow your creativity and to let the rest fall into place.
With these simple tricks are ways that you can improve your song and get it recording ready. From this, you will be able to make sure that your songs and pieces are polished, stand out from the crowd and get your voice heard among other musicians.
Until next time, be a StrongWriter!
DEAN
ALBUM REVIEW – STORIES BEHIND SONGS
By Dean Olson
Even the most casual listener of country radio can instinctively pick up on the genuine heart and soul of the genre. There’s just something very romantic about a singer with an instrument pouring his or her life out in musical form. Lyrics through music is a universal communication that connects with people on so many levels, and so much of country music is storytelling through this exceptional language.
Stories Behind Songs, Shantell Ogden’s follow-up to her 2008 debut album, Water Through Stone, is a beautiful example of a songwriter touching one’s heart by sharing from her own. But unlike her first offering, this new album leans toward a fresher, more acoustic ambience. The listener will appreciate the warmer, more personal tone, almost inviting them to come by and sit a spell on the back porch swing, perhaps holding a cold mason jar of sweet tea. What comes next is the feeling of just hanging out with Shantell and her good friends as they grab their instruments for some joyful pickin’ and singin’.
If you haven’t heard Shantell’s singing style before, I can best describe her sweet, lilting vocals as comforting and charming. She doesn’t sound like anyone in particular, yet the character she embodies is everything that is good about country music. On one hand, she exhibits a youthful sparkle of such contemporary artists as Jennette McCurdy, Carrie Underwood, or Miranda Lambert. On the other hand, she delivers a performance of engaging and romantic delight that you could easily place on the shelf with the likes of LeAnn Rimes, Deanna Carter, Hillary Scott or Sara Evans. The more you listen to her, though, the more she just sounds like Shantell.
The album, recorded and mixed by Dave Smith at Nashville Song Lab, renders a very pristine acoustic sound, and features some of the finest musicians playing today, including Smith who plays a well-blended lead guitar throughout the project. Backing up Shantell and Dave are a winning quartet of session players that would make any songwriter proud. Percussionist Dave Bobrow and fiddle virtuoso Tigar Bell (Merle Haggard, Ricky Van Shelton) are featured on the opening track, “‘Til My John Wayne Comes Along,” with dulcet vocal harmonies provided by the tune’s co-writer, Donna DeSopo. Piano player Montey Parkey (Alan Jackson, Darryl Worley) drops in on the very next track, “I Wasn’t Done Loving You Yet,” a moderately tempoed waltz co-written with legendary songsmith Thom Schuyler (S-K-O.) Just the right blend of accompanying vocals is brilliantly presented by Marcum Stewart of the band Acklen Park (“Lost”.) If somehow the decision was up to me, this track would be chosen to be a single. Showing up fashionably late to the party is Kevin Post (Blake Shelton, Terri Clark) who lays down a welcome dose of soothing pedal steel, prominently audible on two tracks including “Stay,” an acoustic redux from Ogden’s previous disc.
The most upbeat and playful track is “I Miss Dating That Truck,” co-written by Scott Jarman and zestfully sprinkled with some of Dave Smith’s banjo playing. The remaining cuts on the album played on my heartstrings, but in a very good way. For example, frequent collaborator Bill DiLuigi and Shantell came together and wrote a song called “What Matters the Most” about her beloved neighbor and friend Onetia Lovell. The imagery of this elegant lady of eighty-something years moving out of her home to be near her daughter in a care facility drew me in. By the time I heard the chorus, I felt a lump in my throat that resonated into my chest and touched my heart. That’s the kind of visceral connection I was mentioning earlier.
A similar effect came over me when I heard “Love Always Finds a Way.” This song was inspired by a story sent to Miss Ogden from Alpharetta, Georgia by Louis Sillay, about the first time he saw his bride of more than 65 years, Laura Lee. Translating these true life tales and immortalizing them into song is what I believe is good and right with country music, and Shantell has that gift.
Stories Behind Songs is showcased as country album, but the acoustical coffee-house styling of her arrangements invites a wider appeal. The song “That Girl,” for instance, deserves to be noticed as a crossover single that can hold court with folk-rock chanteuses such as Juliana Hatfield, Suzanne Vega and Shawn Colvin.
It is my perspective that Shantell Ogden is living a performing songwriter’s daydream. 
She has put in more than a decade’s worth of writing, touring and recording songs. And she hangs up her shingle in the mecca of the proverbial country artist – Nashville, Tennessee. She has many fans and is adored in her artistic community, and one of her latest co-writing efforts found its place into the Music Row Top 100. Given all her recent achievements, she seems to come off as the same girl who left the family dairy farm in rural Utah to head for even greener pastures (and fewer cows.)
To sum it up with my favorite food metaphor, I recommend you try today’s special. Shantell Ogden is serving up a warm piece of apple pie topped with some country spices and a secret ingredient thrown in to keep you coming back. What might that ingredient be? You’ll have to taste it for yourself.
♪ ♫ ♩ ♬ ♪ ♫ ♩ ♬ ♪ ♫ ♩ ♬
Shantell’s website has lots of cool information and free music if you get on her fan list. For more information, please visit www.shantellogden.com.
DEAN Eclectic Songwriter
WELCOME TO STRONGWRITER!
THANK YOU for visiting StrongWriter.com!
This website is currently undergoing a relaunch with brand new things just for you. It is under construction until the Summer of 2012, but bookmark me now, because new content will be added in before the “grand opening.” If you haven’t already, check out some of the interviews on YouTube. Just Google or type in “ECLECTIC TV”
Please visit the sites ECLECTIC SONGWRITER and the blog ECLECTIC NOTES.
Also, I would welcome any comments on FACEBOOK. (Like me!) If you are a songwriter, I really would like your suggestions for your needs. I will definitely work to help you out! My goal is to inspire future songwriters to be better every day! One verse at a time…
Thanks, and see you soon!
Dean
Managing Editor
TOP 7 SONGWRITING ARTICLES