hello! (a lil' post about an all-gal writing camp) (Patreon)

how the heck are ya! 

I’ve had a busy+awesome September, recording new songs with my 2 lovely producer lads, writing some rather ridiculous songs to pitch (including a song for a chinese boyband & a still-in-progress Christmas song) and a writing camp you might have seen me banging on about on twitter & instagram last week. 

Anyone that finds the concept of a writing session bizarre (writing session = songwriters collaborating on a song together!) will find the idea of a writing CAMP even more bizarre - a huge bunch of writers, artists, producers & engineers working in either one big studio with separate rooms, or a complex of studios. Each day you’re with a new group, usually in groups of 3 - one producer (working on the track throughout the day, recording everything in), and 2 others - perhaps an artist who’s looking for a song themselves and another writer/topliner, maybe one that isn’t an artist themselves and instead someone who just writes for others. You have no idea who you’ll be grouped with each day so there’s a sense of giddy nervousness that usually hits you when you meet the group in the morning.. you’ll only have one day with your group, and you’re expected to have a song (or half a song, just somETHING!) finished by that same evening. AHH! I’d only ever attended one writing camp a couple years ago, and I didn’t enjoy it that much. Rushing to try finish everything in one day with a bunch of people I had just met, whilst everyone else in the rooms either side did the same.. it just felt like a bit of a rat race, and not always the most natural environment to be creative in.

HOWEVER, when a friend of mine (an amazing artist & songwriter called Violet Skies) asked if I wanted to be part of an ALL-FEMALE writing camp, the first in the UK, I was totally intrigued. Never in my threeeee years of writing with others in London and elsewhere had I evER worked with a female producer. Other female writers and topliners occasionally, but there was always at least one dude in the room. I said yes on the spot, I was sO curious about what a whole week of writing with gals would be like. In short: it was amazing.

I was at the camp for 4 days and so worked on 4 songs (though still waiting to get most back!). It was such an education - day 1 I was put in with a producer/artist/writer/everything called Secaina Hudson and a topliner from the states called Tara Priya - they loved r&b and urban music and really wanted to write something like that - naturally at this point I told them both that as the whitest person on the planet I might be a little out of my depth, but that I’d try my absolute best! It was actually such a great experience to be so far out of my comfort zone.. after we’d written it Tara hopped on the mic to put down a vocal, and I just sat there like HEY! what a cool new experience. I had learnt so much in just one day, watching them both work, contributing where I could, diving into lyrics that were so much more straight-up than I was used to! I’m going to attach the chorus of this song to the blog post.. have a listen! (it is sooo far away from my music it may not be your thing, and that’s OK lol. it’s got curses in it btw, just a warning!).

Other days were also great - the next day I worked with a producer/artist called Ronika who despite having a BABY was there working every damn day that week until 8, then going home and finishing off the production of each track at night. INCRED. (all producers had to finish everything from the week by 5pm Friday, where we had a big playback sesh). On Thursday (fave day) I decided I’d love to work on a song for me, as all week I’d been writing for someone else in the room. I was with a Swedish production duo called MAD FUN (their names were Maddie & Fanny.. awesome) and arhghghg, the vibe was just so great. By noon we all knew each others’ life story and we were opening up instantly, which made working on lyrics together so effortless. We wrote a dark synth-y song about imagining what someone is like and becoming totally comfortable with your idea of them, only to realise one day that they’re not quite like that.. in fact they’re a lot more flawed. Coooooooool. On the last day I was with a wonderful producer called Jess who’s actually best known for her work with country artists.. country = nOt my fave genre so I was a little worried, but in the end we ended up writing a lovely kooky little pop song for Lilly, the artist in the room. FUN FUN FUN.

Overall it was an incredibly inspiring experience. Having been to all-girl schools all through my childhood I’ve always known that an instantaneous connection between girls can be a magical thing, but matching that with my experience of co-writing and being in studios was so interesting. I’ve never experienced much sexism in sessions but the camp definitely made me think of the subtle things I do that suddenly felt strange to me - like writing a guitar part and the male producer asking me to teach it to him, so he can play it in (how come I can’t play it in?! I already know it !!). I met a producer friend in the cafe of the studio complex and when I told him I was there for the all-gal camp he said “it sounds cute”. Super subtle things, but they all built up to make me realise last week was so important.. to have managers, label A&Rs and publishers come down to listen on the Friday and to collectively play them 50 genuinely awesome songs that touched on a ton of different styles, a group of songs that absolutely stood up and with a few standout tracks sounding like they’d be right at home on the radio.. the atmosphere was so great. Everyone was so proud of themselves and of one another, there were hugs flying left right & centre, email addresses exchanged as everyone excitedly scrambled to keep in touch, to work together more. Cooooooool.

On a personal level the highlight of the camp was simply getting to meet female producers, particularly ones who were 30, 35, 40, with houses, husbands and kids.. having never been to uni and since deciding that I’d love to some day be a producer for myself and others, I’ve never really had mentors or anyone to look up to, as most of my musician friends are my age or at my level! so meeting those gals and hearing their stories, just seeing they exist.. it was so encouraging. :)

anyways, back to normal life now! back working with my 2 producer lads today, Wed & Fri and so Thursday I hope to start your September demo! excitttttteddddddd.

all my love

OG

xxxxxx