Country...sigh...

      

My relationship with country music is one of unrequited love. 

   

As a songwriter I'm somewhat obsessed with the genre since I first reacquainted myself with after reading Jimmy Webb's book, and then by chance attending a workshop with him on my first trip to Nashville before moving there. Prior to that I was more into the "California Country" of  Poco, Linda Ronstadt and The Eagles, and had written some country-ish songs but I quickly learned about a whole new world. In this world singers didn't write their own songs; other people did.    

     It was an interesting time,  Garth Brooks still reigned and had released the Chris Gaines album and there were artists like Pam Tillis and Patty Loveless who were experimenting with songs that were outside of traditional country.  Looking back, I think it was a renaissance of sorts with a healthy competition to expand the genre.  

    Country music has a formula that almost every song follows. It's evolved and moved away from the traditional sound to something more like '80 pop rock, and more recently even adopted some rap and hip hop, but the verse/chorus/bridge arrangement formula is still pretty much intact. If you listen to the top 10 country songs you'll hear multi-track distorted guitars, an in-your-face kick drum and a shredding solo. 

    Some complain that country music has become stale and corny. It's all about pickups, beer and girls in cutoffs. This is true to some degree, but depending on your definition of corny, that's just part of the charm. I look back on my first attempts at writing in "the formula", (which will never see the light of day I promise) and I see I was embracing a certain pathos; what I didn't see that there is a discipline to the cliches and triteness, and in that there can be elegance and artistry. One recent example I think shows this is Blake Shelton's latest; "Minimum Wage".  

    However, success leads to repetition and now most artists, writers, and producers stay with what works, and given the stakes who can blame them? It's admirable how successful many artists have become, helped by a tight playlist and relentless repetition on radio, youtube videos, and constant touring.

Country Music Concert

   Commercial music is just that...for money. Songwriters in Nashville are engaged in art and commerce. The object is to create music that instantly connects with a listener...a "hit". The psychology of music has found that listeners actually make a song part of themselves and each time one hears it, it's an affirmation of one's identity. While this sounds somewhat clinical the actual experience is pleasurable. It's akin to what we feel when we see art we want to possess, but music has it's own place in our psyches. 

    As a songwriter it's been challenging to write in the country formula. For me it's been like throwing darts with one eye closed. I can hit the board but getting a bullseye...? It's a bit maddening, because I continually hear songs that are well crafted, often with a certain engaging simplicity. But it's not a simple thing, and I'm compelled to emulate it.  At the same time the tracks have great production and some inspired playing, so I also listen as a producer and take note of the drum sounds and mixing techniques.

    I have a dozen or so songs that were written with the intent to follow the commercial country format. I don't perform them because they aren't personal, or they just don't feel authentic to me as an artist, but I do think they are competitive and it would be gratifying, not to mention lucrative, to have them covered by a well known artist, but the reality of the market makes that unlikely. There is a "Catch 22" irony to getting noticed which simply put is that one has to have success already, somewhat like the adage, "if you want to make a million dollars in the music business, start with two million." 

    The challenge for me is to come up with the undeniable "hit",  in a genre that is constantly a moving target for what is timely and relevant. I'll keep at it and maybe someday my crush on country will be returned.

Singer/Songwriter Rick Millward lived and worked on the West Coast until moving to Nashville in 2000. He was part of the Music City songwriter community, collaborating with other artists and producing over 30 projects in his boutique studio, including two EMMY nominated soundtracks. Now in Southern Oregon, Rick has discovered a vibrant local music scene centered around the many tasting rooms. 

His new record “Loveland” is available on Spotify and other streaming platforms.

LOVELAND ON SPOTIFY

10,000 Hours

"Driving in my car, smoking my cigar

The only time I'm happy is when I play my guitar"

- Cream    

With the release of "Loveland" I have this sense that I have come to a new vantage point in my musical journey. It's like I've climbed to an overlook where I can see both forward and back from where I have come. 

     Recently, I was looking at a photo of my first band back in High School. We were playing at the annual school talent show. The "Jaguars" were one of two bands; we played instrumentals like "Wipe Out" and "Tequila", nobody sung, and we had a trumpet and sax player. The other band had discovered the British Invasion, and did a killer version of "Satisfaction". It was a memorable event, the first time I ever performed in public and the first time anyone ever danced. 

    I played pretty steadily in a succession of bands, for the next 15 years, then put music aside. The reasons I gave up performing are a long story, not particularly notable, except that years later by chance I rekindled my love for music, as a composer, which led to songwriting, a move to Nashville, and most recently, a return to the stage. All through those years my main motivation was the need to earn a living, any purely creative impulses were strictly a side issue, an indulgence. Now that it's more in the forefront I'm thinking more about the "why" rather than the "how".  

    Like a lot of aspiring musicians I overlooked the "business" part of "the music business" when I was starting out. There's a mythology about "being discovered" and "overnight success" that is prevalent even though the facts are otherwise. Depending on the source, the statistics say of an estimated 25 million musicians in the US only about 1% actually make a living from their music. Those are steep odds. There are a number of reasons for this but a big one is the fact that the market is generational. It's rare, if ever, that one sees a new artist over the age of 35 achieve commercial success. In my own case a combination of bar band burnout and a realization of this fact led me to music production, which proved to be a pathway that allowed me to have a career, relative prosperity, and still be close to the creative side that I loved. 

    In Nashville, I met a lot of talented people who were still chasing the dream of commercial success despite years of rejection. Some of them were bitter, but others accepted the reality of the odds and were happy to be part of an arts community that gave them the opportunity to live a creative lifestyle even if they had to do something else to make a living. What I learned is that the music "business" is exactly that, a business like any other that requires capital, sales and marketing, and where success is very often dependent on having the right product at the right time for the market.

    More recorded music is available to consumers than ever. In 1975 about 1000 albums were released commercially, around 10,000 songs. Now 25,000 songs are uploaded every day.  The power of music labels still dominates because the cost of marketing gives an advantage to those who spend the most money. In many cases, if not most, the cost of marketing and advertising is several multiples of the cost of producing the music. I've known this for some time as I've watched the growth of home recording, a boon for those who want to record their music, but resulting in a flood of product.

So why persist when the odds of ever earning any financial reward are virtually nil?

That's right, the "why" does become more important than the "how" at a certain point for most of us. I've found two reasons, one practical, one magical:

1. Practical... After years spent learning an instrument the challenge to improve is still compelling.  Playing music is good for you for lots of reasons, especially as you get older; good for your brain, good to have goals, good to see progress. At a certain point playing, daily practice, becomes not what you do, but who you are, and what I call a " magnificent obsession".

The conventional wisdom is that it takes "10,000 hours" to master an instrument. If you break it down this way:

10,000 divided by 4 hours a day divided by 5 days a week (pretty intense schedule!) works out to about 10 years, assuming one takes a few breaks, a vacation now and then. 

So those who start early in life, say 6 years old, could conceivably be a virtuoso by age 16, and we have a few examples of that in guitarists like my hero Joe Bonamassa. Obviously, not every professional musician has spent 10,000 hours so one can be successful with less effort, but it still takes a considerable commitment of time and an investment that you'd like to see have some sort of return.

2. Magical...songwriting is a process that is part craft and part inspiration. One can master the craft and still have no clue as to how or when inspiration may happen, only that it's always worth the wait. One thing all songwriters share is an appreciation for those unexplainable moments when the universe smiles on you and a lyric and melody come together. One example is my song "If Everybody Loved". I was just noodling around with a song idea along the lines of universal love and the line "if everybody loved as much as I love you" literally popped into my head. From there the song just flowed, because once you have the main theme it's just a matter of filling it out:

"If Everybody loved, what a world this would be

No more loneliness, every soul set free

Stars would shine brighter, sky would be more blue

If everybody loved as much as I love you"

Listen to "If Everybody Loved"

At this point I'm not sure if I've racked up 10,000 hours, I've lost count, but I'm lucky to have something that is still compelling and provides a sense of accomplishment along with the challenge to keep improving.

Singer/Songwriter Rick Millward lived and worked on the West Coast until moving to Nashville in 2000. He was part of the Music City songwriter community, collaborating with other artists and producing over 30 projects in his boutique studio, including two EMMY nominated soundtracks. Now in Southern Oregon, Rick has discovered a vibrant local music scene centered around the many tasting rooms. His new record “Loveland” is available on Spotify and other streaming platforms.

Available on Spotify

Discography and Production

     My first paying project as a composer was for a corporate video. I wasn't really prepared when the opportunity came along and went out and bought a keyboard, a mixer and a MIDI program so I could record on my Mac SE. It was definitely a "earn while you learn" situation and after a couple of all-nighters I was able to record a simple track. I did a ZZ Top style blues rock song to accompany a Silicon Valley company rally that used a vintage Cadillac as a prop, and it was a success. I was on my way.

     Over the next decade I produced tracks for other videos, including Silicon Graphics, Hewlett Packard, Visa, Apple and others as well as starting to record some songs of my own. With each project I expanded my capabilities and equipment until I had a commercial recording studio. In Nashville I used the equipment to record my song demos in a home studio. At first I didn't seek out projects with others but eventually I started working with friends and over time built up a clientele, including other songwriters, did some tracks for cable tv and a couple of projects with the local PBS station that earned regional EMMY nominations.

      My time in Nashville was rewarding, even though I didn't place any songs with established acts, which was my main goal professionally. I'm glad I went if only so I could be sure I tried my best to break into what is arguably one of the hardest aspects of the music business: songwriting. It's a small group who can consistently make a living at it and there are many obstacles that must be overcome to achieve success. As I learned about the business I became better and found my voice, something I'm not sure would have happened had I stayed in California. Now on the West Coast I'm coming back to playing and performing again after a long, long break, as well as making some new music. 

        The latest  project is "Loveland" which was just released. Here's the Spotify link:

            My discography consists of three other albums of original songs:

"homemade" (2000) is an EP with 6 songs that are commercial country song demos for other artists. These tracks are the first ones I recorded that feature pedal steel guitar which opened up a whole new world for my sound. These are some of the first songs I felt expressed a personal style with an ear for what I heard on the radio.  

"Limited Edition"(2013) is a six song EP, each having a special meaning as representing milestones in my songwriting development, in particular "Baby Don't Cry". It came from direct experience, written in the moment and resonates deeply for me.

It's available on Spotify and is also the last record that I put out on CD, with a few in a "limited edition" metal case.

"Home for Good" (2016) has 10 songs that fall solidly into the Americana genre. They all explore themes that look at our culture from a personal point of view and is somewhat confessional and opinionated. It's on Spotify and other 

platforms as well.

    So those are the "official" releases. I've done three other records that weren't put out formally. Some of those songs made it onto later albums, and some are still "in progress".  In addition I have others that are reserved for pitching to country artists. They follow the radio format and don't quite reflect my personal style, though I do play them live sometimes just to showcase that side of my writing. It's a real challenge to write in the commercial radio format, and the competition is inspiring. 

A Fateful Turning Point

    There are rare moments in life when an event changes your future. One for me was when by chance I saw a newspaper ad looking for "musicians with construction experience wanted to build a recording studio". 

    In 1979, I had been playing in bar bands for several years, but even though I was living in the Bay Area, a music mecca at the time, and had been in a a couple of promising groups I hadn't reached the level of success I had hoped for, and, frankly, I was getting burned out-too many nights in smoky bars.

    When my latest band broke up, I was at a low point. I thought I wanted to "go solo", but I didn't have the resources to put together my own act and was working as a dishwasher to pay rent. Then I saw the ad in the classifieds. One of my "day gigs" had been as a carpenter's helper and I had learned some skills. I had also played with tape recorders for years, but at that point hadn't worked in a professional studio.

    This was to be an experience that would last three years and completely change the course of my career in two main areas. First, I became an expert in recording studio building techniques and sharpened my carpentry skills, something that would be valuable to me later, but more importantly I learned the basics of studio recording. which was to became my primary occupation. Although I put performing aside I was able to make my first recordings in the newly completed studio. It was a beautiful facility that is still in business and I will forever marvel at my good fortune to have been part of the team that built it. 

    I recorded 10 songs there which were to become my first record. It was called "The Dolphin and the Rose", with cover art on that theme. It was not released, mainly due to my complete lack of understanding of the "business" part of the "music business...a long story for another time. Nevertheless, I still have the tracks, transferred to digital from the long gone tape, and still enjoy listening now and then to my earlier self. 

    What's really interesting to me is that at that point I really hadn't settled on a personal style, and the individual recordings reflect several influences; Beatles, Jackson Brown, Doobies, folk rock, Steely Dan,  r&b, and even country. The one I've included here is called "Standing In One Place", which is one I still perform. I'm going to do an updated recording soon. I'm curious to see what I'd do different now.

    I can hear that developing artist in my most recent album, "Loveland". This record still wanders around in what I call "genre fluid" styles, but is certainly more focused. The big difference is that back then I was unconsciously reflecting all my influences rather than deliberately choosing a personal style. I had only written a handful of songs at that point and was just beginning to master that craft, something that continues to this day.  

    What this really brings home though, is the concept of fate. The definition is "a power beyond human control that is believed to determine events". 

    The "beyond human control" is the part that really gets me. The fact is we only have one path to follow in a universe of infinite possibility. How any one person's experience unfolds is the result of how their path winds through this infinite wilderness and though we may believe we know our way, the truth is that it is truly, "beyond human control". 

     I'm not prone to nostalgia, particularly about my career though it's been an amazing journey, but I can only guess at what would have happened had I missed that ad. It's not an exaggeration to say that the universe opened up for me at that moment and ever since has led me to this one.

Loveland "Liner Notes"

"Loveland" is a concept album in the sense that there is an intentional theme that all of the songs express in one way or another. 

   This came about when I realized that all the tracks are about some aspect of romantic love, from the sublime to the bittersweet. Further, these songs have a point of view that's a bit world weary and down to earth, not the intoxication of a crush or immature love, but more the emotions you feel after some of the experiences we all have looking for that connection. 

   That abstract concept is the theme of "Prelude", the track that sets the mood for the entire album. It's an aural flight through the void towards Loveland, One doesn't quite complete the trip. Instead it pauses at "Storm". "Storm" was first written over 20 years ago, inspired by a driving bass line, and has had several sets of lyrics as it evolved. It's one of those songs that never quite felt finished and now it's clear that it needed more time to find its full meaning.  As much as any other song in "Loveland" it expresses the longing and desire for an overpowering experience; of love, spiritual and complete. The message of "Storm" is that longing to open oneself to infinite possibilities and be lifted up to find "the power of eternal love" through the turmoil of life. "If Everybody Loved" is also an older song that has gone through several iterations. Over the years it has become a song I always play when I perform and in that sense my theme song. I first recorded it as an acoustic folk song, then redid it as country, adding drums and electric guitar. At that point I decided to take it one step farther and enlisted Chris Bauer to add some pedal steel licks. It's followed by the mildly suggestive "Rockin' U",  a track that takes me back to when I first heard a live rock band. The Fabulous Wailers were a popular regional act and they did a show at our local armory. I could hear the rumble of the bass from a block away, and I'll never forget the blast of sound that hit us when we walked in. "Rockin' U" is my homage to that experience. Next up is "Hold Me", that's about how our loved ones give us the strength to get through the struggles and disappointments of daily life. "Stowaway" was an unfinished song with a hook lyric and little else for a long time. It wasn't until I left Nashville and was in Oregon that the inspiration for the verses broke through a writer's block that also led to the next songs, "No Reason" and "Dead End Road", which are the newest in this collection.  These tracks are highlighted by the contributions of Paul Sandberg on saxophone and Nicole Dahl and Tiffany Hilliker singing backup.

 

 “No Reason” is a slightly different take on the age old dilemma of the newly single person finding the courage to take a chance on something new. This track features my friend and singing partner Nicole Dahl.

 

“Dead End Road”

True story? I ain’t sayin’. On my last record I had “Trouble Road” which paints a picture of the darker side of town, where people are up to no good, and this song is a sequel. It’s also in the vein of “Runnin’ Like Me” from the “Limited Edition” record, where life is reduced to a man, a fast car, and a long road with no certain destination. I’m joined by Nicole who plays the role of the femme fatale in the story.

   Perhaps the most meaningful song for me is "Looking Back",  which is a reminiscence of first love and how time changes our feelings about those left behind. It's also produced with a ear toward what I think of as classic production with a big sound and a soaring pedal steel solo by Chris. "Loveland" is the track that reflects the overall theme and is a bit different in style for me, with a R&B riff propelling the track as it builds to a finale with a driving sax solo from Paul. On a more abstract level, "Loveland" is a place, the destination of your journey, one that doesn't exist in physical space, but in another dimension beyond our senses. "Come along, someone is waiting for you" is the call that promises companionship for that journey. "Loveland" may be at the center of the Universe, or deep inside our souls. We may never reach it, or we may have been there all along. The last song, “Precious Days” is purposefully simple, just vocal and guitar. I wanted to end with something that reveals how a song begins, before making decisions about how to produce a recording and this song really lends itself to this approach.

   

   Each of these tracks also reflects my interpretation of the Americana genre. I see it as music rooted in the tradition of folk music, which has at the core a simple structure and straightforward message. In this way the songs can stand alone as a solo acoustic performance, and in fact that's where each of them began, but from there they branch out and embrace several different genres and eras as well. For instance, "Rockn' U" has a 50's rockabilly feel, and "No Reason" and "Dead End Road" gives a nod to roadhouse blues rock. "Loveland" is the most contemporary track structurally, it even flirts with hip hop a little, but even as it does I hear 80s pop and r&b too. It wasn't a necessarily conscious choice on my part but I do hear each track in the context of a particular time and the influence that period had on my music, including my time in Nashville immersed in country music. 

The image for "Loveland" reflects the idea of a journey and was taken on a road trip through the high desert in the Pacific Northwest near where I spent my childhood. 

Credits:

"Loveland" is a self produced and recorded project except for the following stellar contributions:

Background 

and Duet vocals:    Nicole Dahl (Storm, No Reason, Dead End Road)

                      Tiffany Hilliker (Stowaway)

                      Lindsay Millward (Hold Me, Looking Back")

                      Jamie White (Looking Back)

Pedal Steel :          Chris Bauer (If Everybody Loved, Looking Back)

Saxophone:           Paul Sandberg (Stowaway, Loveland)

 

Listening With Intention

My latest album "Loveland" is a "concept album".

Some records are simply collections of songs, but others are produced with the intention to be listened to as a whole complete experience.

One of the first ones was "Sgt. Pepper", and around the same time, "Pet Sounds" and "Dark Side of the Moon. Not only did these albums have songs that developed a particular theme, but they also were crafted with attention to how they sounded. 

Technology has changed how we listen. Radio had a lot of influence on modern pop music; for instance the emergence of the "single" and shorter songs with musical "hooks" to engage listeners. The first records were single songs and then in 1948 the LP was introduced. Forty years later the CD made it obsolete, and in 2001 iTunes, downloads, and streaming became the new radio. 

Now these days, and it's not a good or bad thing, the idea of an album is often more about packaging than concept. Playlists, an extension of the "mix tape", became a way listeners could arrange their music any way they pleased. Although vinyl has made a comeback, CDs are pretty much obsolete, most music is now strictly online.

What's this?

It also seems like that music has now become more of a soundtrack, just playing in the background while we do other things, while a movie or TV show may get our undivided attention for its entire time. We watch these shows because they tell a story and we want to follow it to the end. 

Music affects us in many ways, and I think of it as first eliciting pleasure though sound and rhythm, which is a the physical effect, and then by eliciting emotion, which for me is the primary challenge of songwriting, and where a certain magic can be found if one finds the perfect combination of lyrics, composition, and production.

So I would hope listeners will put on a good set of headphones and listen with intention. For one thing, all these tracks have nuance and detail that comes out best when listened with headphones, but also they allow you to focus without distraction. 

All these songs were inspired by personal experiences but I believe they have a universal message as well. "Loveland" is about a journey, and the concept is to travel along with each song and create your own narrative based on the feelings they evoke. I hope if you do you will enjoy the experience of listening to "Loveland" as much as I had creating it.

There are now dozens of online streaming services and "Loveland" will be distributed to all of them, including Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora and Amazon Music, in January.

2020!

A Challenging Year

     Back in February I was looking forward to a busy year. As I began my third season as a performing songwriter in the Rogue Valley I had already booked out dates through December and was hosting a monthly open mic and Songwriter "In The Round" events at Roxyann winery. On the eve of the March open mic I had the realization that we were facing a dangerous epidemic and the first inkling of concern. At that time I wasn't sure how serious the situation was going to be, so just to be prudent I decided to cancel the event for the month. Shortly the Governor closed the state, and after that I canceled everything I had booked for the rest of the year.

     As March progressed the full impact of the epidemic became a reality, and we observed a strict quarantine, and I mean we didn't go out at all, even having groceries delivered. Lockdown. We watched as Europe struggled through its wave of infections, then New York. We only had a handful of cases locally and that was somewhat comforting, but we still were very anxious about what was happening. As we head into the end of the year, the situation is worsening and all signs point to many more months of waiting for the epidemic to come to an end. It's been a test of our patience and resilience, but also offered opportunities for growth. 

     What I soon realized was that over the last three years performing and practicing had taken up all my energy to the detriment of developing new material. I had a continuing writer's block that began when we moved to Oregon. I just didn't seem to be motivated, I think mainly because I was now distant from Nashville and the competitive environment, but for other reasons as well, like the distraction of exploring a new place and meeting new people. Not only that, but rekindling being a live performer necessitated mastering a new song list and many hours of rehearsal to prepare for gigs. All of that was put aside and as the time passed I fell into a more reflective state. My creative process returned. Ideas started trickling in.

    Also, I started working on some unfinished recordings that were left over from my last album, "Home For Good" (available on Spotify). What I discovered was that after two years of gigging, my singing had gotten better, and some of the melodies that were eluding me were now within reach. My guitar playing had evolved as well, and I enjoyed applying improvements to these tracks. The result is "Loveland", 10 songs that I will be releasing soon.

     If it hadn't been for the epidemic I wouldn't have taken the time to work on this project, and that's kind of a mixed blessing; I'm really happy with the tracks, but wish the circumstances weren't so tragic. This is the paradox of life, when events beyond our control take over and we are compelled to make the changes needed to adapt.

     2020 has been a retreat, where we have been obliged to take a step back from all our busy lives and hopefully used the downtime to meditate on and evaluate our paths for ourselves and for our society in the future.