Introducing new blog series: ASK THE INDEPENDENT SINGER/SONGWRITER

Hey blog readers, I'd like to present the first in a series of questions and answers called "Ask the Independent Singer/Songwriter." Recently one of my regular blog readers emailed me with a list of music business and creativity-related questions. Rather than answering privately, I proposed the idea that I post the questions on my blog, and answer them here for the universe to read. The asker agreed to the idea, so here we go. As time goes on, I'll be occasionally posting these questions, and sharing my answers. If any other of you readers have similar questions, feel free to email me the questions privately at this address: rundman at msn dot com. I'll post your questions anonymously, and offer up my answers.

TOPIC: Sharing new music with others

• How far into the creation of a song do you share any of it with anyone? Who would you play it for? Would it be a chorus, a verse and chorus, or a complete song (albeit a rough version of it)?

Usually, nobody hears it ‘til it’s totally complete. Some of my songs have taken a decade to finish, and I’ve been very careful not to leak any ideas, melodies, or riffs until I know that it’s done. When I finalize a new song, I usually do a quick acoustic demo recording of it, just so I don’t forget how it goes. (Sometimes those first-time first-take recordings have become the album versions…for example “Every Town’s The Same” and “Canticle for Departure.”) Then I usually play the song solo-acoustic for my wife Dawn. One I’ve got it memorized, I’ll try it in front of an audience. When I first started writing songs I used to trade unfinished lyrics and music idea tapes with my friend Richard Bruxvoort-Colligan…and we’d each get “attached” to the unfinished and unedited songs by the other person. Then when the final album version came out, we’d each miss the early in-progress versions (most recently, Richard told me he liked the earliest version of “Song for Melanie Daniels” after hearing the final version that appears on my CD Myopia). So, as fun as it was to share the songs as they develop, I’ve learned to keep them much more private.

Another similar rule I have is this: once a new song is recorded in some sort of “final full-band” arrangement, I almost never let anybody hear that version until the actual album is manufactured. The reason: oftentimes that recording won’t “fit” on the forthcoming album (for space or content reasons), and there’s a chance that the lyrics/melody will be totally scrapped in favor of a newer, better lyric/melody. For example, I have a new song called “Daniel and Peter and Thomas” that I started recording back in 1999. Over the years it has had two OTHER totally different sets of lyrics (the first was the original attempt at “Are You Speaking Through the Radio” which was re-written for the Sound Theology album, and the second was called “My World is a Blur Tonight”), and as time progressed, I knew that those other lyrics weren’t the right ones. Finally, in the past year, I discovered the lyrical angle that I’d been waiting for, and the song finally snapped together beautifully. So I’m really glad that those earlier attempts didn’t leak out to the world.

• How much do you let others “mess around with” one of your new songs?

Usually, the only person I let mess around with my songs is my wife, Dawn. She’s an editor, by profession, and is also an excellent song editor. She’ll catch any grammatical or continuity errors in the lyrics, and most importantly, she’s got a “phonographic” memory for other songs, and she can catch me anytime I’m accidentally and subconsciously stealing a melody or riff from another song. My ultimate nightmare is that I write a song that I totally love, and I make a recording of it, only to find out that I subconsciously ripped off the melody and hook from some popular hit. (Here's a great brand-new interview with one of my songwriting heroes, Eric Bazilian of the Hooters, where he admits to subconsciously ripping off "Don't Fear the Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult on a song on the new Hooters album! Oops!) Dawn is really good at saving me from that horror.

I remember once in the ‘90s I wrote a song that I totally loved, and I was convinced that it was one of my best compositions. After making a 4-track recording of it, I realized that I had totally ripped off the melody and idea from a Pearl Jam song! I was shocked and embarrassed, but thankfully I had never gone public with the new tune. However, every time I tried to re-write the music, my brain kept going to Pearl Jam. The only way I could salvage the song was to turn it into a collaboration, so I sent the lyrics to Richard Bruxvoort-Colligan (who never heard my Pearl Jam rip-off music), and Richard set my lyrics to new chords and new melody. The result is “If I Ever get There,” which appears on my Sound Theology album. Thanks Richard, for saving that song!

Another more recent example regards the song "By Grace" which appears on my album Protestant Rock Ethic. I had written lyrics that I totally loved, and had some nice music written as well. In an unusual situation, I played the acoustic demo of the song for my musical friend Joel Vaughn (co-writer of my song "Waiting for the Rain"). Joel heard "By Grace" and instantly said, "Wow, that chorus sounds like Jude Cole." Sure enough, there were some exact melodic intervals that I had unintentionally stole from Jude Cole's awesome song "Worlds Apart." Panic! Thank goodness Joel caught me before I recorded the song for real. My brain was so locked into the Jude rip-off that I knew I had to involve another writer to save my song. So I emailed the lyrics to my uber-prolific friend Nate Houge and asked him to write some music for them. Within an hour or two, Nate emailed me an MP3 with my lyrics set to an entirely new melody and chord structure, and it was beautiful! The song was saved! So that's the version of "By Grace" you hear on the album...the way it was truly meant to be.

The one situation where I’d ever let somebody mess with my song ideas is if I had decided to involve a co-writer. Usually I’ve done this if my own ideas have failed so many times that I just can’t get out of the hole. Most recently I did this with my cousin Bruce. I’d had a good lyric idea for many years, but it was full of flaws, and all the melodic/chordal ideas I tried were failing. Last Fall I spent an afternoon co-writing with Bruce, and he agreed that my initial idea was worth salvaging. Together we grabbed onto one small detail of my initial lyrics, and we focused in on it, and discarded all the other ideas. We built a new song around this small detail, and used a nearly-forgotten series of chords that we’d experimented with a decade ago. The new lyrics and the old chords merged perfectly, and we got a new complete song out of it. Bruce’s presence and good ideas were essential for me to get out of the corner I had painted myself into.

Finally, the other situation where I’ve allowed someone to mess with a song was when I had hired a real producer. Usually I produce all my own records, but with the Public Library CD I had happily turned over all the creative reins to my producer and musical hero Walter Salas-Humara. Walter chose the 11 songs from the album from about 30 tunes that I sent to him to consider, and during the recording process he requested a change to one of them. We were tracking the song “Cuban Missile Crisis” and just as we were about to record our first take with the full band, Walter said “This song needs a bridge. You need to write one.” The song was already really wordy, and I knew there was no way I could write more decent lyrics instantly, so I said “what if I turned the 3rd verse into a bridge instead?” Walter said “I don’t care, it just needs a bridge.” So everybody left me alone with the Wurlitzer electric piano for about 10 minutes and I morphed the 3rd verse of the song into a bridge instead, with entirely new chords and a new melody. The band tracked it, I sang it, and that moment became my favorite part of the song. Walter’s ability to see far ahead in the process amazed me throughout the recording of the album. If I’ve got a brilliant producer that I trust, then I have no problem allowing the songs to get altered for the better.

support my brother in the family business

Here's my brother Tim Rundman who has very recently uploaded some of his own music on MySpace. The songs are totally written and performed by Tim, and are released under the Seinfeld-inspired name Elaine's Hair. You can check out Tim's amazing music by clicking here. He's such a talented young man!

yes, I'm still here, jetting around, playing shows, eating coffeebread, surviving the subzero temps

Who's that bearded middle-aged man playing guitar on stage with awesome vocalist Rachel Kurtz? Uhh, holy cow I guess that's me! Once again my non-stop schedule of parenting prevented me from taking the extra 20 minutes I need to shave, and the beard got a little out of hand again. So I went to California a couple weeks ago looking kinda scruffy, and man, seeing it in pictures, I just can't continue to "let myself go" like that. Part of this showbiz life requires me to appear somewhat youthful (to the best of my ability) and I'm a bit shocked to see just how "baby-boomer" I appear in these photos. Needless to say, I got rid of the beard and will try to avoid it from now on. No sense looking 50 before turning 40 if I have any choice in the matter.

I DID have a great time in Los Angeles, where I performed at the ELCA Extravaganza. My friend Rachel jumped up to sing harmony with me on a song, and we always have fun singing together. During my set on the main stage I played a few songs, including:
The Serious Kind
Ashes
Hey Hey Samuel
If You Have a Question...

I also facilitated a workshop entitled "Freshening Up the Liturgy" and that was a real hoot as well.

Left the 80-degree sunshine of CA, and came back to Minnesota, in the grips of a multi-week sub-zero deep freeze. Played a cool gig for the Finnish American Cultural Activities monthly gathering...their annual Laskiainen Potluck. The crowd was mostly senior citizens, but they were really into the music, especially instrumental versions of the traditional melodies "Kuortane" and "Nyt Ylos Sieluni," and my first-ever solo piano interpretation of "Cold, But I Don't Mind." We ate Finnish coffeebread called pulla, and it blew my mind with deliciousness.

Got some stuff done in the studio, too. Had my multi-instrumentalist band director friend Sam come over with a trombone and trumpet, and we arranged and recorded a 5-piece horn section on one of my new songs, with Sam playing all the parts. I was inspired by the cool horn arrangements in songs like "Keep the Customer Satisfied" by Simon & Garfunkel, and "Got to Get You into My Life" by The Beatles. It worked like a charm, and now the song will be done once I shake a tambourine on it.

March shall be rolling around soon, and I've got zero gigs for the whole month. I intend to use my free time to complete my taxes, finish up some recordings, and....hmmm....what else? We'll just have to see.

Music I've been enjoying of late:
Asia
Eels
Jason Falkner
Sheryl Crow
Sting
random Finnish music sent by my cousin Micke from Helsinki

Oh, and do yourself a favor and go to Petra Haden's webpage and download (for free!) her breathtaking vocal interpretation of the Beach Boys' brilliant "God Only Knows." You can thank me later. Petra rocks (the woman, not the band).

review in Christian Century, and interview at SmartGirlsRock.com

I'm always pleased to get covered by the excellent publication Christian Century, and it's extra cool to share a column with reviews of Peter Himmelman and Lou Reed! Here's a link to a review that appeared in a recent issue...and the text is below:

The Best of Jonathan Rundman: 20 Songs from the 20th Century
by Jonathan Rundman
Salt Lady, indie rock
This quirky, clever Lutheran rocker from Minneapolis has experimented a lot—he once enlisted the Silos as a backup band, and he issued a 52-song double-disc tied to the liturgical calendar. Here Rundman collects his favorite tunes. "Tape" and "Meeting Nixon," from the Recital album, have always been two of this reviewer's favorite Rundman tunes, while "Front Row at the Fashion Show" could be Neil Young's acoustic-rock commentary on a fashionista gathering.

In other press-related news, I was interviewed via email this past week by a writer from a girl-power pro-education website who discovered my song "Smart Girls." Follow this link to read my interview with SmartGirlsRock.com or read the text below:

MUSIC FOR SMART GIRLS: JONATHAN RUNDMAN Q & A

In my previous article I discussed the sexist side of music and how badly women and girls were portrayed sometimes, but we found a man and his music that respected women. He definetly inspired us and so did his music!

1. What made you write the song "Smart Girls"?
The song was inspired by my brilliant wife, Dawn, who has a Ph.D. in developmental psychology and became a college professor at age 26. I also wanted to celebrate the attractiveness of the intellect. There are a lot of songs about physical attraction to women (from classics like Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman," to recent hits like "Your Body is a Wonderland" by John Mayer), but I didn't know of any songs about the appeal of the brain!

2. How do you personally feel about smart girls in general?
As a kid I was in advanced math and science classes and got to be friends with some really smart female classmates. I noticed that excellence in academics often translated to high levels of musical ability as well, plus it usually suggested a very quick and wild sense of humor. Both of those qualities were very appealing to me!

3. How is it being a smart man and how was it being a smart boy?
I grew up in a small town where athletics and outdoor sports were given highest priority. This was challenging for me because I was more interested in reading, drawing, playing music, and doing more personal relationship-based activities. I got teased in middle school for being a "fag" and a "band geek," etc. Thankfully, near the end of high school my musical and academic interests were more encouraged and appreciated, and now as an adult I'm so glad I spent so much time working on those more intellectual pursuits!

4. Do you have any smart girls or women in your life?
My wife has been my creative muse throughout my music career. We met as high school students, and our earliest "dates" were spent playing piano duets, attending school functions, and going to church events together. She had an extraordinary academic life, and she continues to do lectures and research in her field, writes and edits for nationally released books and magazines, and is a very gifted classical pianist. We've got two little kids now, and it's wonderful to see them picking up so much from her!

5. I know that many men feel that men are better than women. How do you feel about the phrase, "Boys Rule, Girls Drool"?
Well, I've never heard that exact phrase before, but I know that research on schooling and salaries shows some sort of subconscious cultural bias towards males. As the Father of a little girl, I'm certainly doing my part to insure that she doesn't get short-changed out any opportunities for education or healthy development. Speaking as a man, I'm also aware that there's a real pressure for guys to behave and talk in a "macho" manner, and I think it results in a lot of dysfunction in relationships and society. I'm interested in living out the best elements of what it means to be a man, and providing an alternative to the negative stereotypes of male behavior. Hopefully my song "Smart Girls" offers a helpful voice!

My refrigerator magnet supports O.J. Simpson

So, we've got this digital kitchen timer that doubles as a fridge magnet. Recently its battery has started to die, and as a result the magnet has decided to publicly state its support for criminal/athlete/celebrity O.J. Simpson.

I'm not sure if the magnet is offering up its hearty "O.J. go!" message in regards to his football heyday, his slow-speed chase through the streets of Los Angeles, or his recent attempt to escape a robbery and kidnapping conviction, but it is certainly a undeniable voice of solidarity with Simpson.

All I know is when I go to the fridge to get me some juice, that simple task takes on a strange double meaning.

home recording, songwriting, gigging, scheming

So you're saying, "Hey man, where you been lately?"

I do believe my brain has switched over to full-time creative mode, after a few years focusing on the "biz" half of showbiz. Henceforth, my energy and time for blogging has been transferred to my efforts in writing and recording songs. It's been a fulfilling couple weeks!

Here's me yesterday singing on a song called "Here at 2141," a peppy little number written way back in the early '90s when Dawn and I lived in student housing at the University of Oregon. These are the clothes I wear when I'm "at the office"...Dad-style flannel shirt and elephant jammies.

I've been doing a lot of digital trickery, singing, some acoustic and electric guitar parts, and engineering performances by special guest musicians. Beki Hemingway, Justin Rimbo, Graham Peterson, and John Kerns sang some vocals, John Kerns played some bass guitar, and my lovely little brother Tim Rundman played some electric guitar parts. In addition to "2141" I've got other songs almost done, including tunes called "Imperfection," "World of Wheels," "Where are all the cars now?" and a re-hash of "Out the Back," the opening track from the Chandlers album .

On the songwriting front, I've been finishing lyrics for songs that have been on the back burner for a decade or more. "World of Wheels" finally got a good second verse yesterday (with a Bruce Cockburn reference hidden within), and some other tunes are really coming along, too. It's fun, and I feel like staying in this zone for a nice long time. More songs, please.

Had some good "private event" gigs these past couple weeks at a church and a local university, plus I played the prestigious Hoot Night in South Minneapolis hosted by local music/journalism mover/shaker Jim Walsh. Man, that was fun...thanks Jim! Also, played mandolin in the band behind Lutheran music legend Ray Makeever last week, and it was a thrill to accompany Ray's amazing liturgical pieces, and awesome songs like "We Come to the Hungry Feast." Completely inspiring!

I'm looking foward to next weekend when I'll be one of the "accent musicians" on the main stage at the ELCA Extravaganza in Anaheim, CA. I'm playing a set, and also leading some workshops on freshening up the liturgy. It's always one of the best events ever at which to play, and it'll be great fun to reconnect with lots of fun folks. I've also got some shows coming up this month for the Finnish-American community, plus I'm gearing up for sets at big festivals in the Spring and Summer.

So that's the story. Musicians I've been enjoying lately:
Nick Lowe/Billy Bremner/Rockpile
Damone
Dan Wilson
Jeff Krebs
Duran Duran
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Varttina
Maria McKee