WRITING
Dale Boyle is an award-winning roots-rock , Americana , and folk singer-songwriter . He has been called “ One of the best to emerge from north of the border ” ( Americana Homeplace ) and “ an accomplished musician , a fine singer , and an exceptionally thoughtful , meticulous songwriter ” ( Canadian Blues ). Dale has won awards including the Narrative Songwriting Competition , International Songwriting Competition , and Unsigned Only Music Competition . In 2017 , Dale released a roots-rock EP called Gasoline with The L . A . Rhythm Section , comprised of drummer Kenny Aronoff and bassist James LoMenzo , which “ fuses L . A . energy with roots-rock soul ” ( Montreal Gazette ) and “ finds the corner where roots and real rock meet ” ( Midwest Record ). For more , visit www . daleboyle . com .
By Dale Boyle
One Person ’ s Trash …
As a songwriter , I spend a lot of time “ in my head .” I typically work alone to compose music , write lyrics , and establish an arrangement for my songs . Those steps are lonely , and without a sounding board , it ’ s easy for emotions and impressions to swing like a pendulum :“ This is great !”…“ Ah , it ’ s okay ”…“ Nah , this stinks .” As many solo songwriters know well , this cycle from excitement to uncertainty and back again can go on and on in a tiring process that , at times , leads to much self-doubt .
One way to break this cycle is simple enough : in some shape or form , solicit input from others to gauge what you are creating .
Recording with The L . A . Rhythm Section As soon as I booked the session with Kenny Aronoff and James LoMenzo , I was off on a mission to pick the “ right ” songs to record . In the running was a ZZ Top-ish rockin ’ blues song I wrote called “ Sorry John Henry .” I felt that the song had potential , but it always left me on the fence . Should I record this ? Is it good enough ? I wasn ’ t sure about the arrangement , but I liked the groove , but I didn ’ t care for the lyrics , etc .
I eventually caved and somewhat reluctantly recorded a rough guide track of “ Sorry John Henry ” and passed it along to Kenny and James before our studio session . As it happens , the song resonated with them , and after the first take , Kenny said , “ This is how a blues recording should sound !” Ok , that ’ s encouraging !
They both began offering input on the arrangement . James suggested we extend the outro , Kenny offered a tweaked drum breakdown in the solo section , etc . Within minutes , the song was elevated , and I felt excited about it again . I recall saying out loud , “ I almost didn ’ t show you this song .”
In the end , I came out of that recording session feeling very energized about the track . And as mentioned , I never did care for my original lyrics , so with a renewed spark for the song , I did a complete re-write and re-titled it “ Ragged Hand ,” with a plan to release it by fall 2018 . This is a simple story , but a good example of how others helped transform my work – work I may have otherwise trashed – and helped me hear it from a fresh perspective .
The Co-Writing Session The second story I ’ ll share is about a co-writing session with Montreal-based songwriter Rob Lutes . On this particular writing session , Rob and I had just begun to arrange and tweak a new song called “ When You Wake .” In working to finalize the lyrics , I specifically remember being challenged to come up with a fourth line in the second verse that we both liked . The first three lines of the verse are :
When your day spins like a wheel Same road , same scene , same signs When you turn back for home
I said , “ Ok , we need a rhyme for ‘ home .’ Rome , foam , sown … like seeds being sown . Nah , that ’ s no good .” I quickly dismissed the idea and Rob said , “ No , that works . How about ‘ Let this seed be sown .’ You know , as in , ‘ let this be known .’” Perfect ! So “ Let this seed be sown ” became the fourth line of the verse ( and my favorite line of the song ).
When you turn back for home
Let this seed be sown I ’ ll be here when you wake in the morning
Chances are that neither one of us would have written that line alone . Although in searching for a rhyme I stumbled on the words “ seed ” and “ sown ,” I was thinking too literally at the moment and I was quick to trash the idea . Rob was quick to pick up what I had rejected , and when he framed the idea in a more metaphorical way , it worked . A fresh perspective saved what would have otherwise been tossed aside .
The Takeaway There are a lot of positive aspects to working with others . In some capacity , I feel it is necessary for songwriters ( everyone really !) to move beyond the solitude that often accompanies the art form . As highlighted in the co-writing story , at any given moment , we can have the seed of a potentially cool idea ; yet , when working alone , it can be easily missed or dismissed . A co-writer can serve as a sounding board and sometimes that one “ throw away ” idea might become your favourite part !
That said , many writers , myself included , do tend to write a lot of material alone . The lesson I learned from the recording session with Kenny Aronoff and James LoMenzo is that , if writing alone , at some stage , it is important to share your work and solicit feedback from those you trust and whose views you value . Here , too , a fresh take can revitalize your interest in the work . The key is to not just share the “ gems ” that you feel are perfect , but to share the compositions that leave you on the fence – the ones you might have otherwise thrown in the trash !
58 • CANADIAN MUSICIAN