Sametime are an alt-pop duo you should definitely get to know. Their growing discography is full of straight-fire bangers, big hooks, and strong lyricism that have captivated listeners and in-turn created a very explosive and fun live show. Following the recent release of their EP ‘Maybe We Should Get High’, and the standalone singles ‘I’m Not Here For You’ and ‘Bitter Taste’, the Sunshine Coast brothers are back with the playful ‘GOLDEN’. Sonically reminiscent to DNCE, this track weaves through electronic production that contrasts brooding verses with big punchy choruses.
To celebrate the release of ‘GOLDEN’, Sametime have exclusively given ThomasBleach.com a masterclass in songwriting by providing us their top songwriting tips. So if you want to better your songwriting craft, or find some inspiration to put those notes in your phone to use, then read BELOW;
1: Psychobabbling
Psychobabbling was something our dad taught us when we first wanted to write songs. It’s essentially coming up with a melody and then just singing it but with nonsensical words until something kinda just spills out. You’d be surprised how often this works and you come up the lyrics or melodies you never thought you could.
2: Don’t settle, it’s okay to make changes.
It’s very easy to come with lyrics, melodies and arrangements that make sense but aren’t necessarily the best option for the song. This is something we struggled with early on, we got too comfortable with how a song was that we didn’t want to change it. The perfect example for this is our song ‘Golden’.
We wrote this song around a year ago and it wasn’t till we decided that we wanted to release it that we realised that it could be better. None of us knew how to make it better so we brought in another songwriter to give their 2 cents and instantly the song was 10 times better than the original version.
Don’t settle and make art that you can sit back and be 100% proud of.
3: Take Risks
When writing music it’s very easy to play it safe, write a love song where boy meets girl blah blah blah, who knows it works for some people. We advise you take risks with your songwriting, push yourself into areas that may be uncomfortable so if you are writing a love song, its more interesting to consume. We call it “adding bacteria” and an example of this is our song ‘Get To Know Ya’. The song on the surface level is just about meeting someone you fancy but its infused with references to drugs, sex, partying and then doubt and self reflection which makes a standard love song stand out.
Our manager Dicko gave us the best piece of advice for our songwriting, “if there’s a safe option or a fucked up option, always take the fucked option”. It’s something we take into all of our sessions.
4: Be confident when collaborating.
If you’ve never collaborated with other songwriters before it can be a very daunting experience, its easy to get in your own head and think that your ideas aren’t good enough. The best thing you can do is be confident and share your ideas in the creative space. If it isn’t good, it might spark an idea in your collaborators head that takes the song to the next level or your idea might bring everything together.
If you’re the artist that the song is for, always jump in if you feel like its moving into a place you’re not happy with. It is okay to say that you don’t like something or you think something could be better.
5: Take constructive feedback on board.
Constructive feedback is a crucial part of the songwriting process. It’s easy to get disheveled when someone offers constructive feedback that you don’t particularly like but if its someone you trust, its worth listening to them. You want the people around you to be brutally honest with you, to push you further. Don’t be too precious and not listen because you won’t get any better as a songwriter. Realise that you will always be a student of the songwriting game, there’s always more to learn.
6: Broaden your sound palette
It’s perfectly fine to listen to your favourite artists every time you open your streaming app but we would implore you to listen to different artists/playlists that you usually wouldn’t. There is so much beautiful, intelligent pop music out there that isn’t in the charts that can inspire you. Bounce around genres that are similar to the music you’re making as well, there’s a whole world of inspiration at your finger tips, you just gotta look for it.
7: How to beat writers block
This is something we still struggle with so if anyone can help us out that’d be sick.
Sametime ‘Golden’ Tour
Thursday 21 July – The Royal Bondi, Bondi
Saturday 23 July – Botany Hotel, Sydney