In episode one of this eleven part Start To Finish series, Greg Wells sits down with singer/songwriter Bryce Drew in Studio A of the world-famous Sunset Sound, to hear her song for the first time and get it "record ready."
This video is an in-depth look at what it's like to sit in the room with a world-class songwriter and producer as they bounce songwriting ideas back and forth, work on chord progressions, lyrics, production ideas and the general vibe of the song before recording a note.
In this video, watch as Greg and Bryce:
Play the song for the first time
Work on the chord progression to add memorable moments for the listener
Discuss chord substitutions
Explore a key change
Write lyrics
Create a bridge from scratch
This is your chance to see how Greg Wells works out a song with an artist before production begins.
00:00:25 I am with you here
at Sunset Sound Recorders
in Hollywood, California.
00:00:31 This is one of my favorite studios
on planet earth,
I've had a lot of great luck in this room,
and the history here is bananas.
00:00:37 It was built to record the original
soundtrack for The Jungle Book,
for Mary Poppins.
00:00:43 All the famous Doors records
were made in this room,
the early Van Halen records
were made in this room,
"Stairway To Heaven"
was partially recorded in this room.
00:00:51 Can't really argue with the surroundings.
00:00:53 And what we're going to do
is write a song from scratch
with the artist Bryce Drew,
and I'm going to produce it.
00:01:02 And then probably I'll wind up playing
all the instruments on it,
and then I'm going to mix it
on this gorgeous Di Medio console
which is a very rare piece of kit,
as the Brits say.
00:01:12 We're going to film the whole thing,
so here we go!
- So, I have this idea.
00:01:21 - Do you want to hear it?
- I do, I do.
00:01:39 Wow!
Wow.
00:02:20 - Can I hear it again?
- Yeah.
00:03:21 - I honestly love that so much.
00:03:23 I'm just
spastically going to throw
a couple of suggestions.
00:03:27 - Okay.
- Tell me what you think.
00:03:29 I'll work backwards.
00:03:31 I can't sing, but...
00:03:39 Possibly. I hate it now that
I hear it, actually.
00:03:41 I don't like it as much,
but I thought it might be fun
to give it a little... ending.
00:03:45 - Yeah.
00:03:46 - And then back to the...
00:03:48 Maybe. Also, I love...
00:03:51 you know, sort of doing chord
substitutions that you don't feel,
like, no one is going to
spill their drink,
but it just sort of keeps it...
00:03:58 the theme and variations,
just change it up a little bit,
possibly like...
00:04:06 Maybe every once in a while
the C Major could be an A Minor to the...
00:04:13 - That's cool.
00:04:14 - It's the same, the melody
will work the same.
00:04:17 Just every once in a while
make it that...
00:04:20 - That's pretty, yeah.
00:04:21 - Or maybe it should be that in the chorus
so that it's not the same as the verse.
00:04:32 I like it there.
00:04:35 Can we try the chorus? Do you have
a little, real quick pre-chorus?
- Is that it?
- Yeah.
00:04:41 - Can you play it?
- I love that it's just, like, 2 bars.
- Yeah.
00:04:49 - Let me play it, just try to sing it.
00:05:06 Not yet maybe. Maybe next time.
00:05:11 No. It's depressing.
00:05:14 Let's try it again from the pre-chorus.
00:05:16 3, 4...
00:05:38 Wow. I don't know if I like it.
00:05:40 Maybe I'll just do it on time.
00:05:46 Or...
00:05:48 Is that too happy?
- Yeah, I like it not going to the happy.
00:05:53 - Right. It's a bit... happy birthday!
- And I kind of hear it maybe in the...
00:05:59 like towards the bridge or something
if it goes like...
00:06:09 Like that, and then...
00:06:15 - Show me.
00:06:47 Yeah!
- It just feels like... anthemic.
00:06:58 - Should that happen every time?
- I don't know. I can't tell.
00:07:02 - It's really cool, I love how it just...
00:07:04 - Because I also kind of like
the ending, like...
00:07:14 - Right.
00:07:15 - Into the second verse
it kind of feels nice.
00:07:18 - Okay.
- But I don't know. What do you think?
- That's something as a songwriter
that I don't do enough of,
- is I don't sort of...
- Leave things?
- Yeah, I don't keep holding cards.
I sort of like to go...
00:07:28 ...right from the first chorus, but
I think you're probably right about that.
00:07:32 Save it as, like, a little surprise.
00:07:34 - Yeah, and then in the middle
it's, like, everybody...
00:07:37 - I really love this.
Can you play it again from the top?
- Yeah, yeah.
00:07:57 - That!
Can I stop you for a second?
Can you come out of the verse
and go into the pre-chorus?
Somehow.
00:08:20 You can take it from the top
if you want to.
00:08:31 Stay there, stay there.
00:08:33 And now go...
00:08:39 You know what I mean?
So you don't give away the...
00:08:41 - Yeah, okay.
00:08:43 - You do that somewhere else
in the song too,
you hang on the C rather than
going to the D Minor,
but the D Minor is the first chord
of the pre-chorus.
00:08:50 - Yeah.
00:08:51 - It's just a tiny little thing.
00:08:53 - No, I feel it.
00:08:55 - Can you take it from
the pre-chorus, please?
Yeah!
Keep going. Is there a second verse?
- I don't have one yet.
00:09:28 - Okay. Come out of...
00:09:30 Right.
00:09:34 Do you remember
how you just sang that...
00:09:40 That is deadly.
00:09:42 - That is really good.
- It feels right. Okay.
00:09:46 - It felt beautiful.
00:09:47 - I have an idea for the verse.
00:09:49 When I started thinking about this
I was moving here
and looking for a place to live,
and I just kept seeing
number 19 everywhere,
everywhere that I normally see it.
I've seen it through life.
00:10:01 I'd like to talk about that feeling
of being in a new city
and
I kind of have...
00:10:12 You know? Something about...
00:10:14 because I was here without a car,
and lost, and seeing
license plates drive by
with the number 19 and I'd be, "Ah!
I'm supposed to be here!"
- That makes sense.
00:10:24 - And then it kind of builds
the story a little bit.
00:10:27 - I mean, you know I have
that thing with the number 11.
00:10:29 11. It's always like a...
00:10:31 like a ribbon around a tree in a forest
where you don't quite know the path,
but something is like, "Oh! Go on!"
- Yeah!
- Yeah, I think lyrically
the more you can tether to the fact
that the further you get out in life
the more uncharted it is,
yet these things keep
showing up like...
00:10:47 - It's familiar.
- Yeah.
00:10:50 - It's like a...
- A crossing guard.
00:10:52 - A wink, like you're going the right way.
- Right.
00:10:54 - Yeah.
00:10:55 - Are you set on this key? It feels nice.
00:10:57 - It feels good.
00:11:00 - Not a lot of guitar players write in F,
you know?
- Hello.
- It sounds great.
00:11:07 - It feels right with my voice.
- Okay.
00:11:10 At first I thought maybe we should
swing the feel a little bit,
but now I'm not feeling that.
00:11:15 - It feels right, yeah.
00:11:16 Because in my head I'm walking
around a new city and...
00:11:19 it doesn't feel slow.
00:11:21 - I just hear sort of like a Chris Dave
kind of busy drum thing, like...
00:11:28 - Yeah!
- Like...
00:11:30 Yeah.
00:11:31 Speed walking.
00:11:32 - Yeah!
- Okay.
00:11:40 So regarding, like, a bridge,
you have that little connector thing.
00:11:46 - What little connector thing?
- When you...
00:11:52 - Can I hear that again?
- Yeah, it's like...
00:12:08 - And then you go...
00:12:10 - Yeah.
- Can I hear that?
That thing.
00:12:14 - Where does that come from?
- The chorus.
00:12:17 - Forgive me. Just come out of the chorus.
00:12:19 - Out of the chorus, or...
- Just leading into that new bit.
00:12:22 - That's like...
00:12:32 - Okay.
00:12:44 - Can we overturn the apple cart
a little bit for the bridge?
- Yeah.
00:12:48 - Like... just get away
from this whole key center.
00:12:52 Like, do an Aretha Franklin
"Respect" bridge
where they go to
the farthest key possible.
00:12:57 Or that could be a horrible idea,
but try it from the
second chorus, please.
00:13:02 And then just, like,
throw something at me
if the chords that come out
are terrible.
00:13:45 It's kind of the same...
00:13:48 I wonder if... Because we're already
heard that melody, right?
- Kind of. Yeah.
- We have.
00:13:55 How does that...
00:13:58 - To go there...
00:13:59 - You could...
00:14:01 Yeah.
00:14:03 - Is this the end of the chorus?
Whatever it is.
00:14:11 Sing it.
00:14:16 - Okay.
00:14:17 - Or it could be like... no.
00:14:19 - That felt cool.
00:14:24 - It's a little heavy and serious.
00:14:35 - A different melody for that
that's not the same as the chorus?
- What I'm hearing in my head is maybe...
00:14:42 It's a full-on written bridge,
like a proper old-school bridge,
which no one seems to do much
of anymore, but I think we can...
00:14:48 - I love those bridges.
00:14:50 - When they're great
I love them too, you know?
- Yeah.
00:15:17 - It could just be that, like...
00:15:20 - Yeah.
00:15:22 - That's a little... Disney.
00:15:40 That's insane,
or is it?
- A thing that...
- Yeah.
00:15:56 - I'm always trying to sneak in some sort
of wink to the musicians and the crowd,
but without wrecking the song.
00:16:06 I love the idea of you
landing on that note,
and the note feels really familiar
but then, like,
"Whoa! We're in... Jupiter."
- Back with the aliens.
00:16:16 - That's where we need to be.
00:16:21 Oh! Come on!
That's pretty Stevie Wonder...
00:16:41 Sorry!
I'm hearing something like...
00:16:44 sort of just a thing that hopefully
we could do that's, like, "Whoa!"
and then we come back to it.
00:16:49 - It's kind of like the feeling of being
lost and then seeing your lucky number.
00:16:52 - Thank you. That's what I've not
articulated but I'm trying to say. Yes.
00:16:56 - Yeah, it would be cool
to go into that, and to
bring that feeling, bring it back.
00:17:02 - Yeah.
00:17:17 That's... so distracting.
00:17:26 Are we allowed to write those chords
anywhere? I don't know.
00:17:34 I really want to make this cool...
00:18:13 It's a bit movey.
00:18:24 - Sorry.
- No, it's okay.
00:18:44 - And that actually gets us back to...
00:18:49 I don't know how that happened, but...
00:18:56 - I kind of hear a down,
spaced out chorus that's like...
00:19:01 - True.
00:19:02 - ...after the bridge. It's like...
00:19:13 And then, like...
00:19:16 Boom! And the full chorus after that.
00:19:18 - And then Fab comes in
with a blaring sax solo.
00:19:21 - Yes!
- That's what I hear.
00:19:25 - Maybe.
00:19:26 - We also need to bring back these chords
and we need to bring back
the sax solo. I'm just saying.
00:19:38 Please tell me if you hate this.
00:19:57 Some other alternate lyric...We could really kind of
add something in there,
and then we can get back
into the chorus.
00:20:31 Can we take it from the second chorus?
The first chord is...
Actually, I don't know yet,
but let's just take it from this...
00:22:15 I think this should keep going...
00:22:25 Did we resolve? I know!
Is that okay?
- Yeah. I think it's cool.
00:22:33 - Okay.
00:22:34 - I'll get the right melody for it.
00:22:36 - Yeah. Well, it could even
be space too, like...
00:22:42 You don't have to fill in.
00:22:44 I'm hearing...
00:22:57 Yeah, I mean...
00:23:06 - I like that. Yeah.
00:23:15 - I'm just trying to hear
the final record in my head,
which of course doesn't exist.
00:23:58 And really pull back to just
two guitars playing...
00:24:04 - I'm trying to figure out...
I kind of hear a lyric in the bridge.
00:24:08 - Oh, yeah.
00:24:10 - Where I'm supposed to be coming
underneath it.
00:24:13 - Oh, cool!
- With how you're feeling it.
00:24:17 - Oh, like an answer?
- Yeah.
00:24:19 - Oh, great. I love that,
I love anytime I can encourage
working on a call and response thing.
00:24:55 - [Inaudible]
- What's that?
- Yeah, I say "my lucky number,"
and then maybe we leave
just the music for a second, and then...
00:25:05 - Yeah, I think there could be some space,
and also space for the sax solo.
00:25:09 - Sax solo? Yeah.
00:25:11 - I want to write this down.
00:25:15 So...
00:25:18 Okay, so...
00:25:23 Bridge chords.
00:25:28 E Flat Major Nine,
1, 2, 3, 4,
B Flat Major Nine,
2, 3, 4,
and then D Minor something...
00:25:46 D Minor 7,
2, 3, 4,
and then C over an E bass,
2, 3, 4,
and then it was back to the
E Flat Major 7,
2, 3, 4, and then I went
to the G, I think.
00:26:00 Yeah,
G Minor 11,
2, 3, 4,
to a D Minor something, 2, 3, 4,
and then the C Major (add 4).
00:26:17 I love the sound of that...
00:26:20 That is like...
00:26:22 That.
00:26:26 Okay.
00:26:29 Boop!
How do we end this thing?
A little space.
00:27:15 Am I too fast?
I love the melody.
00:27:34 Is it lame to repeat it?
- I don't know.
00:27:41 I feel like maybe that... goes there.
00:27:44 - The "ohs"?
- Yeah.
00:27:45 It's the only time
that happens in the song.
00:27:49 - Yeah. Musically I just feel like
the train wants to keep growing.
00:27:53 - The chorus ones to go again?
- Yes, or just the tag.
I don't think it needs a double chorus.
00:27:57 - A lot simpler?
- Yeah.
00:27:59 - We can try it.
Do you want to see how it feels?
- From the breakdown.
00:28:56 - Maybe just do that "be."
- That felt cool.
00:29:00 - So we need to look at verse 2
and bridge lyricland.
00:29:08 As you probably know,
I... suck at lyrics.
00:29:11 - I don't want to get in your way.
- Just talk to me.
00:29:13 - Well, I mean...
00:29:14 what I always do lyrically
is I sort of can coach it along,
I can sort of tell you when...
00:29:21 ...it feels on point or not, but I'm not
pen-to-paper. I don't have that gene.
00:29:26 - You're doing great.
00:29:28 - I have one other gene.
00:29:30 - Just one.
- Just one pair.
00:29:34 - That I'm apparently wearing.
00:29:51 - I'm trying to figure out if it's...
00:29:55 something about walking around
and not knowing which way to go,
like...
00:30:06 - It can also be sort of random too,
just new, or "that thing,"
"that over there," "whoa, that was weird."
- Yeah. Also,
I was hearing...
00:30:18 like, "The second I look over at time..."
- Right.
- "...I see my lucky number."
Something about time, definitely.
00:30:40 - That... on the pre-chorus.
00:30:43 - Yeah.
00:30:48 That's great.
00:30:52 And you have an opening
for verse 2, right?
What is it? "New city"?
- Something here.
I don't know what to say yet.
00:31:07 - There's something in that, though.
00:31:08 "New city" = exciting.
"No car" = drag.
00:31:10 - Yes.
00:31:11 - Something exciting,
something that sucks.
00:31:13 Good, sucks, good, sucks.
00:31:19 - Something about taking the wrong ride,
or something like...
00:31:23 - Can you pepper
the whole thing with, like,
good, bad, good, bad?
- Yeah.
00:31:33 Also, I guess
my head went to wrong / right
because I'm thinking about turning.
00:31:37 Is this the right turn?
- Oh, it's like discombobulating,
it's like, "What is happening?"
Can we work in the word
"discombobulating"?
- I like it. I didn't realize
I was doing that, so, thank you!
- It's the song title.
00:31:52 - "Discombobulated"?
- Yeah.
00:31:54 - That explains a lot!
- That melody is so good!
Can that come back somehow,
somewhere else?
- In a different part?
- I don't know. Maybe.
00:32:18 It's just so...
00:32:20 it's just great on your voice too.
00:32:23 It's a real hook, I think.
00:32:25 - Well, I was wondering if there should be
multiple words in the second verse
because in the first verse it's one word.
00:32:32 - It might be cool to try it too.
- Sure.
00:32:34 - Like an unexpected melody.
- I like that.
00:32:37 - Like...
00:32:41 but with... I like it on the "i."
Something at the end
that has the "i."
- I love the surprise of, like, that.
00:32:57 "New city, no car,"
and I feel like every line
has got to be that, full of surprise.
00:33:02 - It matches the melody too.
00:33:04 - Yeah.
- On the up and down.
00:33:07 - I was thinking about
something funny, you know?
"Walking around,
not getting far" is like...
00:33:19 It's not as good as the first two lines.
You know what I mean?
I feel like... Give me
another image like that.
00:33:24 Don't worry about finishing
that first thought,
just let it go.
Give me a new thought.
00:33:29 - Forget about the "Walking around..."?
- Yeah, because...
00:33:31 what were some of the stupid, mundane
things you had to do when you moved here?
Did you have to go to the DMV and get
a California license? Did you have to...
00:33:39 ...open your electrical bill
in California?
- I didn't get a California license.
00:33:43 - I didn't either during the first
5 years of living here, maybe 10 years.
00:33:46 - I hadn't even found a place to live yet,
so I was
running around, trying to find
a place to live.
00:33:53 - Tell me that!
"Find an apartment," like, you know...
00:34:04 - I don't know.
- "Apartment" is cool.
00:34:06 - Well, just talk about what
you had to deal with.
00:34:10 - Well, I'm just going to talk about it
because I haven't figured out what to say.
00:34:14 It was, like, anytime we saw an apartment
we would call and they would be like...
00:34:21 Well, it was really hard applying
for a place to live as a musician.
00:34:26 - Yeah, they love that.
Landlords love that.
00:34:28 - "Oh, you are an artist!
Sorry, we don't accept artists."
And you think it's...
00:34:34 - "I'm a hedge fund manager."
- Yeah, and...
00:34:39 it's like every time you think
it's the one, it's not.
00:34:41 - Right.
00:34:43 - You know? You walk around and you're
like, "This is the neighborhood!"
And then they say, "Oh, sorry.
Somebody rented it 10 minutes ago.
00:34:51 You were too late."
- Yeah, it's hard.
00:34:55 It's weird because it's such
a transient city.
00:34:57 There are so many vacant places to rent,
but it's very hard to get them.
00:35:04 - It's like everybody wants
the nice apartment,
everybody wants a good deal,
everybody wants that.
00:35:09 - Right.
- So it's like
when you want what everybody wants.
00:35:12 - Well, sing about that too. Talk about,
like, you thought you found a thing,
and then it's like "Whoops!"
You know?
- When someone...
00:35:35 - Is it a car rhyme?
- That's what I'm trying to figure out.
00:35:41 - "Apartment" was a cool...
"Apartment" could rhyme with "car."
The "ment" falls off.
It might be weird, but...
00:35:55 - Like... Do you see...
00:35:56 - Yeah, yeah. You can feel the rhyme.
00:36:00 "Apartment."
- But I want to keep that up / down.
00:36:05 Like a perfect...
00:36:07 You know what I mean?
The first half is, it's the perfect place,
but somebody else...
that's the second half.
00:36:14 Somebody else got there before me.
00:36:16 Or something like that, like...
00:36:19 Like "Dream place..."
- This is the most brutal part
of songwriting.
00:36:36 Trying to fit an entire experience
into two words.
00:36:39 - Yeah.
00:36:46 - That was kind of interesting too
because L.A. is like a dream place,
but finding a place to live
was a total nightmare.
00:36:54 "New city, no car.
00:36:56 Don't mind to walk,
but not this far."
I kind of hear
a melody change
halfway through the verse.
00:37:13 I'm trying to rhyme "apartment"
and "wanted,"
like...
00:37:22 Not new, but...
00:37:28 - Something like that.
- That's cool.
00:37:33 - But you open the door and it's
nothing like it looked online.
00:37:38 I just remember that
my roommate and I had found
this apartment online
that was the perfect price,
it had wood floors, perfect location,
and we walked in and it was
completely falling apart.
00:37:50 And we totally thought it was
the one before we walked in.
00:37:53 - Was it the actual apartment?
- No. Oh, wait...
00:37:56 - Those were the photos of that
apartment at some point?
- Yeah, but I mean,
you can make photos look amazing.
00:38:02 - Yeah.
00:38:04 - And you can paint the walls white,
you can open the windows
to have some lighting...
00:38:10 - Yeah.
- You know?
- It feels cool.
00:38:23 "Everything I wanted," keep it...
00:38:38 "until I went inside."
Maybe you thought the apartment
was everything you wanted,
until you went inside and it looked
nothing like it was online.
00:38:51 - Try it, just try and jam it in.
00:38:55 - Maybe that...
00:38:58 is the beginning of the "apartment,"
so it's not just a one-word...
00:39:02 - Do you want to try it?
- I do. I hear that...
00:39:06 Like "online."
I don't know if that makes sense.
00:39:13 I don't know what I'm saying, but
I hear "online" ending that thing.
00:39:19 - Like repeating that melody
at the end of the...
00:39:22 - I'm not sure.
00:39:23 - Because it's like...
- Yeah.
00:39:38 Yeah, you can't talk
about it being online
until you mention
what we're talking about.
00:39:44 - "Find."
- Well, how does it...
00:39:51 What's before it?
That sounded great,
whatever you just did.
00:40:52 - You could repeat it, maybe.
- Oh, that's cool.
00:40:55 - It's a cool melody.
00:41:22 - "Until I saw it."
- Right. "Until I saw it."
- Yeah, "Until I saw it."
- Yeah.
00:42:04 - We got to...
something goes before it.
00:42:07 - Yeah.
- "Until I saw it."
- That's not quite as funny
as I want it to be.
00:42:36 - Me neither.
- Dark funny.
00:42:47 Is there any way...
00:42:54 - I mean, I like describing it too.
"That apartment was everything I wanted,
but white walls can..."
Like, it can...
00:43:03 That whole thing I was talking about.
00:43:05 - Pictures lie?
- Pictures lie.
00:43:07 - "And then I finally saw it."
- It can have wood floors
and white walls but be sh*t.
00:43:11 - Right.
00:43:14 - You know?
- Yeah.
00:43:16 - Like... that sounds great.
00:43:22 We could also talk about the location.
00:43:25 Things that make you
want to move somewhere.
00:43:27 It's in the perfect neighborhood,
it's the perfect price,
you know what I mean?
The amount of light is...
00:43:39 - I think you have to say it like,
"It's great, it's great, it's great,
- until I finally saw it."
- Exactly.
00:43:44 - "New apartment
is everything I wanted."
What's some funny, random...
00:43:50 like bougie kind of... you know?
- Italian marble? I mean, I don't...
- Yeah.
00:43:57 - Something like... you know,
curve appeal. I don't know.
00:44:01 - Marble countertops,
and that's Hollywood.
00:44:06 - Like the perfect home.
- Yeah.
00:44:09 - The perfect...
00:44:12 - I feel like it could be
a description line, though.
00:44:15 - Yeah.
00:44:17 - The word "varnish"
just went into my head.
00:44:20 - Yeah, but I like that.
That really specific... specificity.
00:44:24 Like...
00:44:25 - That's such a weird word.
- I love that word.
00:44:28 - Varnish?
- No, specificity.
00:44:31 Can we call it
"Discombobulated Specificity"?
- Okay!
- You know, like...
00:44:43 What's...
00:44:46 walk in closet.
00:44:48 You know, it's some sort of...
00:44:49 - The second bedroom was a closet!
It was the size of a closet.
00:44:55 - Try to reference some thing
that you were, like, "Oh! It has that?"
- Yeah, yeah. I know.
00:45:01 "It could have been a closet."
I think there's something...
00:45:10 - "It could have been a closet"
is funnier than...
00:45:13 - Like...
00:45:14 Instead of two bedrooms, it was...
00:45:17 Or the whole thing
could have been a closet.
00:45:20 - Just try that.
00:45:26 It's... that's not terrible.
00:45:29 - "Some pigeons in the closet."
I like "It could have been a closet."
It feels really cool.
00:45:39 "The second bedroom
could have been a closet."
- Try it.
00:45:45 - I don't know.
- Me neither.
00:45:56 - Can you go...
00:46:01 I don't think you need
a big space there. Fill it.
00:46:07 - Do you think we need to say
"saw it" for the "closet"?
If it's like...
00:46:13 - No.
- Okay.
00:46:16 - I think "It could have been a closet"
means you saw it and... "Oh!"
You know,
you're sort of condensing... time.
00:46:32 - "Until..."
And then "Until I finally saw it."
I don't know.
00:46:37 - Okay. Yeah, yeah.
00:46:51 - Hold on. Let's go from the top
of verse 2.
00:46:54 - Okay.
- Which is...
00:46:57 Right.
00:47:37 - And now I like it...
00:47:39 Yeah.
00:47:49 - Yeah, I think it's too many pauses if we
don't come right back in the song there.
00:47:53 - Yeah.
- Really make it...
00:48:05 - I love "It could have been a closet."
- Something like... I still like
the "online" thing.
00:48:11 - Yeah.
00:48:13 - Or "That apartment
was everything I ever wanted,
but it could have been a closet,"
and it's nothing like it.
00:48:22 - But I think we still have to thread
the string of continuity through,
because we know what we're talking about
but the listener is, like, "What?"
- Yeah. Well, there's a line that's
missing in between the chorus too.
00:48:35 You know? Like "New city, no car.
00:48:38 Don't mind to walk, but not this far."
- ..."online"?
- Yeah, it's like every second...
00:48:47 - I don't know. It could end
in one of those lines, maybe.
00:48:52 - Yeah.
00:48:53 - "The thing I found online." You know?
"The place I found online."
It's terrible, but...
00:48:59 - What could follow?
I feel like that last line...
00:49:22 It was "That apartment
was everything I wanted,
but it could have been a closet."
That last line could be something about
feeling like you will not find a place,
and then you look at the time
and you see your lucky number.
00:49:36 - Yeah.
- You know what I mean?
It has to be something
that brings it to...
00:49:41 feeling optimistic about you being
in the right place, even though it's not.
00:49:46 - You know?
- Yeah, I think it's like...
00:49:48 - And trust you know
you're going to find it.
00:49:52 - "It was everything I wanted,"
and then misery, misery, misery,
and then "Until," and then "I saw the..."
- And then I see the time
and I see the number.
00:49:59 [Inaudible].
00:50:03 - I think so.
- Yeah.
00:50:22 - Right?
- It's really good.
00:50:29 - And those are triplets.
- Yeah.
00:50:40 - It's way in front of us!
- I know, it's just...
00:50:54 - You have to...
00:50:56 You have to, like,
say "but then I saw it."
- I know.
00:50:59 - "But then..." or "I saw it and..."
I don't know.
00:51:04 - "Then I saw it and it
could have been a closet."
- I don't know. Try it.
00:51:11 I don't know.
00:51:17 - Like, you know...
00:51:21 I don't know, it might be too much.
00:51:28 I want this space.
00:51:38 - I mean, should it go back to
"Until I finally saw it"?
Hold on.
00:51:50 I can't hear, but...
Hold on, go back to where it was.
00:52:00 - "Closet" is so much funnier.
- It's so... Yeah, it's like...
00:52:08 - It's too much odd, you know?
- Yeah, it's too much.
00:52:21 - Yeah, I like that
alternate melody you had.
00:52:24 - Yeah.
- I did? Yeah.
00:52:26 - I was just doing that.
- They're both good.
00:52:31 - Because I think it's the "it's"
that are...
00:52:34 It just feels like...
00:52:36 When you do it so fast it feels clunky.
00:52:46 - It's too much odd.
- I know.
00:52:52 - Just throw me something
out of the left field.
00:52:54 - Huh?
- "But who knew?
It could've been a closet."
Like, you know, "Who knew?"
- The joke is on you.
You know, "The joke is on me."
Like...
00:53:11 - Like "I should have known
it would be a closet."?
- Yeah, something exactly like that,
if not exactly that.
00:53:17 - I just love the
"that could have been a closet."
- That doesn't change.
00:53:22 - Yeah.
00:53:30 - There has to be some little setup
to the "closet."
"I should have known..."
- Something...
00:53:51 - "Turned out it could've been a closet."
- Yeah.
00:53:58 - "Turned out."
- Yeah.
00:53:59 - Let me hear you say it.
00:54:11 - Like Johnny Cash, "Turns out..."
- "Turns out..."
- Sing it. Just sing it.
00:54:21 Yeah.
00:54:24 - "It turned out..."
- "Turned out..."
- That's not... a million miles away.
00:54:49 I don't... I really like that.
00:54:58 - That feels good.
- Yeah.
00:55:06 - Where is it?
- You just have to learn it.
00:55:13 Try simpler.
00:55:15 Just listen to this.
00:55:34 - I don't know.
- That was nice.
00:55:53 - It could be funkier.
00:55:59 I don't know. However you feel it.
00:56:07 - It's funny. I like that.
00:56:09 - That feels nice.
- Yeah.
00:56:11 So let's try "New city."
- Yeah.
00:56:48 - Try it again, "New city."
So beautiful!
What did I do?
- Okay.
- Yeah.
00:58:24 - Can we do this?
Can this set up...
00:58:28 - Can that lyrically set up...
- That line?
- Yeah, that.
- "That apartment." Yeah.
00:58:33 - Yeah. "Don't believe what you see
online," but obviously not that!
- Not that,
but, yes.
00:59:04 "When I looked online..."
Because it's also, like, distance.
Everything seems closer,
everything seems nice or...
00:59:24 you can look directions up
on your phone
and it will tell you how to get there
in a certain amount of time,
and it's totally wrong.
00:59:34 You know what I mean?
Maybe when you start walking.
00:59:37 - What are we missing?
"New city, no car."
- "Don't mind to walk, but not this far."
- "Not this far."
- Dada dada dada, da, dada,
online, that apartment.
00:59:50 - Yeah, but maybe it's...
00:59:58 - Yeah, I hear it too.
- I hear "online" there more than...
01:00:01 - I can't sing, but...
- Yeah, I can feel that too.
01:00:11 - Yeah.
01:00:30 - "Everything is more beautiful online."
- "Everything..."
Yeah, I think...
01:00:45 - "Everything was..."
- But you're talking about
the way it looks, though.
01:00:56 - Yeah.
01:00:58 - You will be talking
about the way it looks.
01:01:01 - The apartment.
- Yeah.
01:01:04 - "New city, no car..."
- "Don't mind to walk, but not this far."
- Right.
- Everything seemed...
01:01:13 like, more...
01:01:16 - "Trying to find something... online,"
"Trying to find a place to live online,"
"Trying to find a...
01:01:22 ...place to land online,"
"Trying to find a..."
- We haven't figured out
the last line of this verse yet either.
01:01:36 And it might have something
to do with "find."
"Turned out it could
have been a closet..."
- We didn't write this line yet.
- Yeah.
01:01:45 - "It turned out it could
have been a closet,
and I wonder if I'm ever
going to find..."
- You know what I mean?
- "And then you look at the time."
- "And then you look at the time."
"And I wonder...
01:01:57 - Losing your mind?
- ...if anywhere is going to be right."
Will it ever be... you know?
Yeah.
01:02:05 Or if it's the right...
Like, why is it so hard to find a place?
Is it the right thing to...
01:02:10 - Yeah, take it all the way. Why did I
even do this? Why am I even in L.A.?
- Yeah, and you want to go back and...
01:02:18 - "Mommy!"
- Basically!
- Right.
01:02:22 Writing the second verse is like
the bane of my songwriting existence,
it is just the worst...
01:02:29 It's like...
01:02:32 it's like a lot of things.
01:02:49 - I like "right" there.
01:02:52 - I like "maybe" too.
01:02:54 It sounds good.
01:03:12 - Are you working on the final line?
- Yeah, I feel that once I figure that...
01:03:17 ...it will be easier to get
backwards.
01:03:25 - No, there's no reason why.
- There's no reason why.
01:03:28 - Until you "look at the time."
- Yeah.
01:03:39 - Something about it not going right too,
like, nothing is going right.
01:03:52 - I was just going to say
I'm hearing "Losing my mind,"
but you've got
"But then I look at the time."
But "Losing my mind" could end it,
it could end verse 2.
01:04:02 - Yeah.
01:04:06 - Which implies, "What have I done?"
- Oh, sure. I know. I'm just thinking
because we have "I'm out of my mind"
on the first.
01:04:15 - I think my blood sugar is dropping and
I'm starting to say really stupid things.
01:04:19 I think we're both hungry.
01:04:22 - Definitely hungry.
01:04:25 - What do we have so far?
- We have...
01:04:44 - What if, like, "I'm spending too much
time online, trying to find that..."
Like...
01:04:52 Because that drove me crazy,
but I don't know,
it doesn't really make sense.
01:04:57 - For this thing?
That bit?
- No, I kind of...
01:05:05 - Because I think what we are missing
is that, and then the last line.
01:05:08 - And the "online" part.
01:05:11 Maybe we should nail that.
01:05:13 - End that.
01:05:15 - So it's like...
01:05:21 Like...
01:05:25 You know?
Yeah, that part...
01:05:51 Maybe it's just questioning
if it's all right,
because everything feels
like it's going wrong.
01:05:58 You know? And then you look
at the time and you feel...
01:06:03 - "The second I look at the time..."
- "It could have been a closet."
- "Nothing is going right."
- Just say that, and hold "right."
- No.
01:06:54 - Lunch!
- Hold on.
- It's all right.
01:07:19 - It feels like nothing
is going right and...
01:07:21 - Yeah!
Yeah.
01:07:28 It feels like...
01:07:29 - I think that's it! Ahh!
- It feels right, yeah.
01:07:33 - But we're still missing
the end of the first half.
01:07:36 - I know.
01:07:48 Something on the dada da dada.
01:07:54 Okay.
01:07:57 - "Until I finally saw it."
- Yeah.
01:08:02 - "Feeling nothing is going right."
- Or "Until the..."
- I am going to die if we don't eat lunch!
We've got to...
01:08:26 lunch!
Where do we land on verse 2?
Because it was like, "Nothing
feels right, I'm losing my mind."
Is there something else
you want to say that's funny?
- Yeah, it feels like
"nothing is going right."
- "Nothing is going right."
I do love the economy of that,
the simplicity of that.
01:08:48 - Yeah. I mean, it sums it up completely.
01:08:51 "Nothing is going right,
then you look at the time..."
You know, you're where
you're supposed to be.
01:08:56 - Okay.
01:08:57 - So we're just missing
that middle line which we can...
01:09:01 - I mean, I feel like I should start
making inroads in trackland.
01:09:05 - I think you should do that.
01:09:07 - But just for my own sanity
or whatever is left of it,
can we just try verse 2?
"New city..."
- Do we need the last line
of the first half?
- The "Nothing is going right" line?
Oh, the first half. Yeah!
- Yeah.
- Yes, we're missing that.
01:09:54 - "New city, no car."
- "Don't mind to walk, but not this far."
We were saying "Everything looked..."
Or something "online."
- Right.
01:10:05 - And then, it's getting to the
"apartment" line too.
01:10:09 That...
01:10:12 I feel like you could say something there
that leads to "that apartment."
You know?
- So we have those holes to fill,
and then also a bridge.
01:10:25 - Yes.
01:10:27 - Which...
01:10:37 And how do you...
01:10:51 It's kind of the great wide open.
01:11:22 - I just had the worst idea ever.
- What is it?
- An Ethel Merman Broadway modulation.
01:11:29 "There's no businesslike show business."
So...
01:11:43 This might be awful,
but I just want to try it.
01:11:59 So it would be...
01:12:04 This might be terrible.
01:12:07 - Whoa!
That's kind of cool.
01:12:56 - Is it too...
01:12:58 ...Broadway the Hard Way?
- That feels really cool.
01:13:02 It feels powerful
as long as the bridge...
01:13:05 the way it leads into it is right.
01:13:08 - My favorite kind of modulation is when
you have no idea you are modulating.
01:13:12 I don't want it to be like...
01:13:14 - You know?
- No, me neither.
01:13:15 - I want it to be sneaky,
so if there's a way to write
the end of the bridge
so that it leads us to the new key...
01:13:21 - That's what I'm saying,
something natural.
01:13:23 - Yeah.
01:13:27 - Just let me mess with this a little bit.
- Okay.
01:13:41 - Where am I going? I'm trying to get...
01:13:46 It's total Broadway.
01:14:05 That's... weird.
01:14:08 How does the chorus start again?
- Which key am I singing in?
- Sing it here.
01:14:15 Right.
01:14:16 Somehow I've got to get...
01:14:37 - That's kind of cool actually.
- Yeah.
01:14:39 - Oh, what did I just play?
- What's that?
- Yeah, that feels nice.
01:15:02 E Minor 7.
01:15:06 Thank you, Humber College jazz theory.
01:15:13 If you can... I'll pedal that note.
01:15:21 - Yeah.
01:15:26 - Do you think it's too high?
- No, it feels right.
01:15:29 - Let's just try the chorus in this key
and make sure I'm not wrecking it.
01:15:33 Go ahead.
01:15:34 - Just do a full-on chorus.
- Okay.
01:16:18 - It feels good.
- Okay!
Let's... Yeah?
- It feels good.
- Great!
That note gets us there.
01:16:37 - Yeah.
01:16:39 Yeah.
01:16:40 - Okay.
01:16:42 Yeah, I think it gives it a nice little...
01:16:44 I'm always scared of this stuff,
but when it... you know.
01:16:47 I think it feels okay.
01:16:49 - Yeah.
- Okay. Do you want to start building...
01:16:52 - ...so I can just think about...
- Do you mind?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
01:16:55 - It's going to be some
hurry up and wait for you.
01:16:58 - That's okay.
- We've got to mic stuff.
01:16:59 Maybe I won't mic the drums right now,
maybe I'll just...
01:17:03 - Yeah.
- You know what? Actually...
01:17:08 we should just put down
a scratch piano to a click.
01:17:12 - We should find the tempo.
- Yeah.
01:17:14 - Mic the piano up and start there,
and then I can get just
a fast scratch from you.
01:17:20 - Okay.
- Even with unfinished lyrics or whatever.
01:17:25 And then I'll build out from there.
01:17:27 - Okay, that sounds good.
01:17:28 - Okay. Yeah, let's mic the piano up.
01:17:32 Although a mono piano is pretty cool.
But no, let's really go for it.
01:17:36 All right. Here we go!
Once logged in, you will be able to read all the transcripts jump around in the video.
Grammy award-winning, Canadian musician, songwriter, and record producer, Greg Wells, has been dubbed “A Swiss Army Knife” in the recording studio by the legendary Stewart Copeland for good reason.
As a multi-instrumentalist, he has the ability to artfully mold his productions with incredible precision, craftsmanship, and most importantly, taste. Combining his musicianship with his uncanny abilities as a producer, engineer, and mixer, he has seen album sales top 120 million, with streaming numbers in the billions. With a B.
His diverse list of credits includes superstars such as Adele, Dua Lipa, Twenty One Pilots, Katy Perry, Keith Urban, Celine Dion, Deftones, Kid Cudi, Weezer, OneRepublic, Ariana Grande, Pharrell Williams, Aerosmith and so many more that we would need a really long scroll bar to list them all.
Greg has seen monumental success recently with the release of the motion picture soundtrack for “The Greatest Showman”, which he not only produced but played on as well.
This is actually unbelievable.
How efficient Greg is.
So much done in so little time.
Very inspiring!
beschornermusic
2022 Feb 10
Amazing Video!
Hi Greenelives, I have turned off the subtitles and than its fine. Its not the best way but so its sync. :-)
Greenelives
2022 Jan 13
Why does the audio and video keep going out of sync. It’s enough to make me go crazy. I’m on google fiber and it does it on 99% of the videos. If there a fix?
Dcadoch
2021 Jan 11
As a novice singer/songwriter I am totally floored at the detail and pure candid honesty at the way Greg Wells guides Bryce into perfecting her song. It is so inspiring and brings to the forefront that songwriting is truly an art of refinement with the grace and patience of time. Every word, every lyric, bridged with a note to bring out an emotion, with the courage to experiment with chord voicings...daring to be bold....
Thank-you!!!
David
palbratelund
2021 Jan 11
Kudos to Bryce for this session. Allowing us to peek into something as vulnerable as a session (with Greg!) is very cool of her.
Initial Sound, LLC
2020 Dec 09
Greg! What hell man? You’re fucking great man :)
ncrstudio
2020 Nov 24
HER VOICE! Seriously the best part. She could sing the phone book. But...it all really encapsulates the actual process. I pretty much live in the studio and have literally seen weeks of this stuff, but it never gets old...the supernatural magic of the song being born. It's always inspiring.
vivalazik
2020 Nov 06
LOVE IT ! But SOOOOO frustrating because I felt like I was with them and I had ideas every two minutes that I couldn't share !! I was almost screaming at my phone "try this word !" Or "sing it like this!"
kelvyn
2020 Oct 28
The mid 8 section on the finished production is what does it for me as it really takes the song to a higher musical place. Very, very nice change:)
simone.gr
2020 Aug 02
Sub ita? Grazie
barracoustic
2020 Jul 10
her sound could have been better dudes lol
YrkoBeats
2020 May 26
:) This was vary amazing!
dlapanja4
2020 Jan 13
Great stuff guys. I really apreciate it!
ombor10
2020 Jan 13
This video shows Greg Wells's incredible solid musical foundation, talent and expertise and he applies and shares solid songwriting techniques here and is nice to see how Artist Bryce Drew is open and willing to Team up with Greg instead of just use resources so the best of both will benefit the song.
Brbarbosri3
2020 Jan 04
Eu estou achando demais. Aqui tem um conteúdo riquíssimo. Que Feeling incrível. Vamos para a parte 2.
Eric …..
2020 Jan 02
It was very brave of the artist and producer to share this process...thanks guys. Much appreciated! definitely valuable in many ways!
bernsense
2019 Dec 30
Oh man, great to watch amazing talents at work...!
At 6:23, she almost makes a mistake, instead of the C a C#, which could’ve been awesome later in the chorus... if someone was looking to change it up...
Mokam
2019 Dec 25
Very Inspiring to watch and that million chord possibilities with that sustained note just shows how endless are the possibilities really....Where are the other parts of this project?
dotrob
2019 Dec 23
Greg and Bryce rock! Love it!
Marcus Raynal
2019 Dec 21
Man!! This is so amazing to watch yet so painful at the same time. Hearing them searching for ideas, I just want to chime in lol.
New city, no car.
Auditions, are so far.
Everywhere I go, I’m late.
Still need a place to stay.
That apartment, was everything I wanted.
Til I saw the bedroom could’ve been a closet.
Everything looks great...on...line.
Until you walk inside.
And that first bridge melody he came up was LOVE. Play that with just the piano then add in the some power chords from the acoustic towards the end with a slide down the neck into a full out chorus. Whew!
justin.gr
2019 Dec 20
So good. Being in the middle of nowhere and trying to learn all this stuff can be hard. But thanks to these videos, it's helping a ton. Thanks.
tobbegorm
2019 Dec 19
Very inspirational! Thank you!
jaretglynnwilliam
2019 Dec 17
Really enjoying this series, it's awesome to see the ENTIRE process from start to finish and to see how well and how professionally all of the various steps are handled! Really looking forward to the rest of this one, and more series like it to follow!
wellsound
2019 Dec 12
Love it! This ist how it suppose to be...two People in a Creative Situation, concentrate, trusting themselves, wonderful communication , ideas jumping around , sometimes so
funny.....and than after a While there is something to work on, further and further.
A new song is born . Thank you for sharing this !!
JuanKurtis
2019 Dec 09
Thank you Bryce for opening up so we all could learn along with you and Greg.
Thank you Sir Greg for being so technically creative and transparent in your music composing. I’m learning so much on where I need to improve as a producer and engineer.
Thanks PureMix for such an amazing platform. #worththe$spent
hummarstra
2019 Dec 08
I'm only 20 min in but had to leave a comment. I've never seen any footage like this in my life. I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!! And, Greg has me cracking up with his self deprecation. After coming up with a bridge progression he said "That's insane......or is it?" I had to stop the video and laugh for five minutes. I love that guy! Thank you, Fab for something truly rare and unique.
rwhitney
2019 Dec 07
Tedious, yo! But that's the way songwriting goes some (most) times :)
Sariel Montalván
2019 Dec 04
Please, subtitles in spanish!
Zulusound
2019 Dec 03
She should have had a lavalier mic on, if she or the producer didn't want a 414 right up close. Or even more automation on the mix so she could be heard? Ducking compression anyone? Ironic how difficult it was to hear what she had to say, considering that they were in one of the best studios in the world with a dedicated engineer and production crew. Other than that, it was a very good, enlightening video. And Greg has massive ears.
gonzostudios
2019 Dec 03
subtítulos por favor ,, así son casi inútiles los videos
maulican
2019 Nov 30
Grate! Please add spanish subtitles.
Djike
2019 Nov 30
Wow! I understand the process! I work with Japanese artists, and have to fill in the English all the time. This video shows me how to be patient, and allowing the artist develop. She’s patient too. Some artists only want what they feel, even though it could get better. I’m really impressed. I’ve been out of the game for over two years due to illness, but seeing this makes me want to hurry up and get out of this hospital, and get back to the music life. Thank you!
Antekrivero
2019 Nov 28
Lovely! Great work! I'm looking forward to the next videos of the serie!
jessrho
2019 Nov 27
What a snoozefest! But sometimes songwriting is just like that. Cheers to Greg Wells, the talented songstress, and Puremix for letting this whole process be shown. Looking forward to seeing the rest of this series.
bmonroe
2019 Nov 25
Great video! I wish the mic on the artist was turned up a bit more. I had to ride the fader on my console to bring up her comments every time she spoke to Greg Wells. His mic was plenty loud. I'm eager to watch the rest of the series.
EFJahn
2019 Nov 25
pureMix is my mentor like no other and this series looks like a winner. Keep up the incredible job you're doing.
Otlib
2019 Nov 25
Looks like a gold mine and we just found just found the first gem ... Thank you Puremix, it's exactly what it's missing on the other websites !
luisin
2019 Nov 25
Impresionante.
Si se subtitula en español , más impresionante todavía.
Gracias
Contrackz
2019 Nov 24
Loved it big fan of Greg Wells when ever he does a tutorial theres never a wasted moment. Dope video Thanks
Still Swingin' Studios
2019 Nov 24
A fantastic opportunity to witness the patience, humility and persistence that goes into a creative session. It’s a blessing to be able to compare and contrast my own bedside manner in the studio with one of the greats. Excited for the rest of the series. PureMix continues to validate my subscription with flying colors.
SonWolf
2019 Nov 23
I wish I was in that room, I want to write that 2nd verse so bad!! Ahhh!! Here we go:
-- New city, no car -- Just wandering ‘round the boulevard -- Dreaming as the days float by --In this cruel summer and cold bed -- The ceiling drips above my head -- Still I’m feeling like the stars have aligned -- And they tell me I’m outta my mind -- But I see my lucky number everywhere I go...
dvnt
2019 Nov 23
The song is a GREAT song
SpaceInfader
2019 Nov 23
So much talent in one room it almost hurts! Everything she sings is just INCREDIBLE... You can tell that it‘s coming from deep down the heart. Even an experienced guy like Greg is moved. I love how he humbly throws in his very cool ideas in an insane pace.
davidcurry
2019 Nov 23
...spending too many hours online....
pabloquijano
2019 Nov 23
en español por favor!
mijh
2019 Nov 23
Great Greg, great Bryce, great voice... what else...?
Gwenshana
2019 Nov 23
Great to see Greg writing and figuring it out with the artist. i'm sure this will help me be less scared of moments in a session where it's hard to find the right lyrics.
Carpintero
2019 Nov 23
Thanks for the chances, it's wonderful.
mataran
2019 Nov 23
So nice and inspiring! I cannot wait for the rest. Merci à vous, Greg, Bryce and Puremix.net to give us this opportunity to watch the genesis of a song.
Banjoboys
2019 Nov 23
The video is great but can't you just release the whole series . I cannot get onto the next chapter . If this is dribbled out over weeks / months then that is misleading
JorgeZM
2019 Nov 23
Nice
soupiraille
2019 Nov 22
It may look easy for us being behind our screens, but it’s not. Inspiration is not something your order on Amazon; you throw a demand with your mind to the nebulous and mysterious `World of Inspiration and Ideas’, and desperately wait for an answer arriving to your antennae of creativity.
I got some ideas about the few missing holes, let’s see if in the next episodes my inspiration was the same as Greg’s and Bryce’s!
Thanks a lot pureMix and Greg for letting us in, live and feel the whole process of making a record. I feel lucky, and grateful.
