Are my band expectations simply too high?

[NancyJohnson]

6 hours ago, Wolverinebass said:

As someone who has seen @NancyJohnson play, I can say that he's being modest about his ability on bass. Or as a songwriter for that matter.

 

You're very kind!

[Bluewine]

On 23/12/2024 at 16:33, NancyJohnson said:

 

It's never been about recouping costs for me and to be honest I doubt I could handle touring/lots of gigs...suppose I'm just at the point in my life where I enjoy my homelife more than playing a circuit of shitholes here in 'blighty or having a schedule that unduly affects family life/schedule outside of band.

 

In the (somewhat) unlikely event that Pearl Jam came knocking, then obviously that might change my mind.  😏

 

I think any band originals or covers established or new with a proper business plan can avoid playing $h!t holes. You have to be willing to say no.

 

Daryl

[martin8708]

On 22/12/2024 at 14:59, NancyJohnson said:

I listened - and sometimes I think I should have been working in A&R - it was woeful, formulaic, rubbish.  First track I gave a listen right through, nothing special.  The second I just listened to the first 10-15 seconds (awful) and then jumped through it a few times.  Terrible.  Then track three was more of the same and I stopped listening.  Woeful.

 

Begs the question, are my expectations too high?

 

 

From my rather limited experience of Songwriting and playing in originals bands , I think many musicians seriously underestimate the talent /skill required to write a good song . I used to write lyrics for our original band and the craft of creating a story or a message that hangs well with the music is not as easy as it seems . I have seen fellow musicians throw some words over a well worn chord progression, no wonder it sounds formulaic / stereotypical/ predictable, you can almost guess what’s coming in the next verse. 
Songwriting is a skill on its own , just because we can play guitars and sing does not make us songsmiths .

[Dan Dare]

51 minutes ago, martin8708 said:

From my rather limited experience of Songwriting and playing in originals bands , I think many musicians seriously underestimate the talent /skill required to write a good song . I used to write lyrics for our original band and the craft of creating a story or a message that hangs well with the music is not as easy as it seems . I have seen fellow musicians throw some words over a well worn chord progression, no wonder it sounds formulaic / stereotypical/ predictable, you can almost guess what’s coming in the next verse. 
Songwriting is a skill on its own , just because we can play guitars and sing does not make us songsmiths .

 

I don't think many of us underestimate what is needed to write a good song. The key word is "good", however. The fact that someone can play an instrument well may not automatically make them any good at song writing, but the more experienced and knowledgeable a musician is, the more he/she is likely to spot that something is formulaic, derivative, etc, because they are likely to have heard it or something similar before.

 

.When we are young and discovering music for the first time, everything seems fresh, new and exciting. The more we learn, the more we realise that all that glisters is not gold.

[Iheartreverb]

A bit late to this thread but I thought it was interesting.

loads of useful advise here on your questions of standard or expectations being too high.

I’ll share my experience for what it’s worth. 
I played in a band that meandered with no direction or progression (or gigs) for a few years before falling apart. One person in that band has become a frequent  collaborator since and we’ve done much more worthwhile music other. So even if a scenario is less than ideal, and I fully understand the hesitation of getting involved at that point, who knows where it could lead.

 

More recently, I used Join My Band for the first time, came across someone who couldn’t be more ideal in terms of someone to work with on another band. Not only do we have loads of common but the music he’s been working on is exceptional and he just needed someone with more confidence to help move things forwards. So far, I’d say it’s worth not discounting it as a platform.
 

Also you mention Baby Chaos, Chris produced the last EP I did with my last band. Just a funny coincidence more than anything.  

[Skybone]

On 25/12/2024 at 11:34, martin8708 said:

From my rather limited experience of Songwriting and playing in originals bands , I think many musicians seriously underestimate the talent /skill required to write a good song . I used to write lyrics for our original band and the craft of creating a story or a message that hangs well with the music is not as easy as it seems . I have seen fellow musicians throw some words over a well worn chord progression, no wonder it sounds formulaic / stereotypical/ predictable, you can almost guess what’s coming in the next verse. 
Songwriting is a skill on its own , just because we can play guitars and sing does not make us songsmiths .

 

On 25/12/2024 at 12:34, Dan Dare said:

 

I don't think many of us underestimate what is needed to write a good song. The key word is "good", however. The fact that someone can play an instrument well may not automatically make them any good at song writing, but the more experienced and knowledgeable a musician is, the more he/she is likely to spot that something is formulaic, derivative, etc, because they are likely to have heard it or something similar before.

 

.When we are young and discovering music for the first time, everything seems fresh, new and exciting. The more we learn, the more we realise that all that glisters is not gold.

Been seeing loads of singer/songwriters (as well as some bands) coming through locally, and they appear to have quite a following, but to me, the songs come across as really formulaic, where they've put some chords under some poetic, meaningful words. Just don't get it.

[BigRedX]

4 hours ago, Skybone said:

Been seeing loads of singer/songwriters (as well as some bands) coming through locally, and they appear to have quite a following, but to me, the songs come across as really formulaic, where they've put some chords under some poetic, meaningful words. Just don't get it.

 

But audiences tend to like things they are familiar with. IME lots of musicians tend to be "too clever" when it comes to song writing because they are deliberately trying not to be "formulaic" and end up with nothing for the typical audience member to relate to.