I am the sole songwriter, vocalist, musician, creator and producer of my music and I go under the name 'Sorrow Stories' I make music of different alternative genres that mostly exists around guitar and electronic music. Sorrow Stories latest release is 'Beyond Remedy' EP OUT NOW: https://sorrowstories.bandcamp.com/album/beyond-remedy All of Sorrow Stories music is part of The British Library Sound Archives and is available to hear/download/buy from Bandcamp.
I love music. Both as a songwriter and a fan. It's always been the one consistent thing that's been with me through all of my experiences in life and inspires me emotionally to think and feel about many different subjects.
I would be content with just having a regular fan base and being able to make a steady income would be a bonus but I have no real desire to be a 'star' or 'rich and famous' Ultimately, I just love to make music and could never do it for superficial reasons. I have to write, sing, play, create in the same way that I have to breathe. I did that before anyone else ever heard my songs and I'll be doing that for as long as I can, for the rest of my life.
Of course, I would love to live in a world where all species were more at peace. There was no murder, no rape, no poverty, no prejudice...realistically though, maybe there has to be good to have bad...So if I could change the world, I would like to do it with my music but only for the right reasons. Maybe someone whose experiencing loneliness, pain or alienation as I have throughout life could find some comfort in hearing my songs the same kind of way I seaked comfort through music. That would be and always is an achievement for me, more so than any money or commercial success could ever be but at the same time, the more people who can hear my work enables more people who feel this way to experience my music. It might seem like a huge thing to achieve but it's really on a very small scale compared to other things, although very meaningful to the individual.
I don't have just one. There are a lot of 80's/90's songs that I grew up hearing and still enjoy. I think any of the earlier tracks by either Duran Duran or The Cure because I still like them today.
I love a lot of music. Specifically bands/artists from different alternative genres. Including: Elliott Smith, Red House Painters, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Hole, Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, Screaming Trees/Mark Lanagan, Smashing Pumpkins Nine Inch Nails, Assemblage 23, Depeche Mode, VNV Nation, Stabbing Westward/The Dreaming, Life Of Agony, etc
My own thoughts & feelings. Experiences. Ideas. From other artists: Lyrics, Melody, real voices are inspiring...but certain styles, production and things like autotune tend to have the opposite effect for me when it comes to being inspired lol
I don't have one specific message I am trying to send with my music but if the listeners can relate to my songs or it makes them think or feel something relevant to them than that is a good thing. I always loved lyrics growing up and quoting my favorite songs and artists. Whether I was looking at or relating to them as autobiographical or metaphorical. Both ways of which I feel I write. Often at the same time.
I haven't. Yet! - but most likely the answer would be: terrified!
I think that it is harder for good songwriters to get noticed because we're living at a time when the mainstream radio is least likely to care about what you are singing about, whether you play an instrument or not or have any real craft to your song. It all feels kind of fake. However, being able to share on the internet does allow more people to be able to hear your work but getting your music to the right people is a challenge.
I've just recently joined here and it looks like a good site for songwriters, as well as for music fans.
Learning to use and finding the best equipment has sometimes been frustrating as can finding the time, space and health to perform songs as accurately as I would like but when it comes to the creating side of things, I get more frustrated with not being able to have songs done as quickly as I can create them, which often can be overwhelming.
I do but not actively.
I'm not sure that 'quality' is the right word to use for today in order to reach larger audiences or at least not in terms of popularity but I think well written songs that feature meaningful lyrics, good melody and vocals that perform deeper than the surface (or at least one of these things) will appeal to the right people, as they always have.
The following artists certainly have their own fan bases but I feel they deserve more acknowledgement and appreciation than they get: Elliott Smith and Mark Kozelek (i.e Red House Painters, Sun Kil Moon) who are both brilliant songwriters and acoustic artists. Also, Assemblage 23 and VNV Nation who are both great electronic songwriters and are one-man bands.