Hello gang,

 This week I wanted to talk a little bit about how I write my songs, as this week has seen me re-release a single of mine called Running in the Dark. As I’m being kinder to myself I have realised there’s so many things I have done in the past and songs I have made that I haven’t deemed “good enough”. Yet they really are more than good enough, cue re-release of RITD.

 My process of writing is so varied and is always evolving. For Running in the Dark I actually bought the instrumental to this song from the good old internet, as I was tired of having to wait for producers or not being able to afford who I wanted. Writing over beats has now become a huge part of how I write, I still sit down at the piano or with a guitarist, but being stuck on a certain way of writing or the “purist” way can sometimes slow us down. this also hugely depends on the genre of music.

 As everything there are pros and cons. The pros to writing over beats is: beats can be inexpensive, they are yours as soon as you purchase them so you don’t need to chase anyone for that final mix, and there are a lot of good instrumentals around. With my deal all royalties are mine and a lot of very successful artists from Chris Brown & Tinashe to many rappers have beats sent to them all the time, it isn’t some bootleg way of making music as it can be seen.

 Cons: If you don’t have a lot of coins then your instrumental will probably be non exclusive meaning that hundreds of other people potentially could have bought that same beat and be making a song over it just like you. You don’t have a relationship with the producer so if you love the beat but would like to make some changes it may not be possible so naturally in some way you are limited.

 All that being said I’m now a believer in starting where you are. When writing RITD I was teaching myself the piano as I wanted to take my ideas from the piano to a producer who would catch my vision and bring that to life. That was the dream, but I can’t let life pass me by, waiting for things to happen for me the way they do to artists on major labels with major budgets…and neither can you.

 So start, start now, wherever you are with whatever you have. If you can play three chords on the guitar, then write songs with them three chords in as many inversions possible while teaching yourself more. If you only have your phone, start making your YouTube videos on your phone until you can afford a camera, and if you have to take night classes to get that business acumen up while you work to eat in the daytime then do that.

 Perfectionism is a killer & many songs that sound like they were crafted around the singers melody were in fact created separately yet fit like a glove. So many people are waiting for you to walk into your purpose and so many good things are waiting for you if you start now with whatever you have.

 Also check out my “new” single Running in the Dark by clicking on the menu at the top of the page then hitting the music tab.

Much love,

 Ione