Fifty-ninety ends in about a week but I’ve already done my 50 songs – I did it – yay! And the one I had the most fun with is a remix of a song I’d written during my first FAWM in 2018. Fifty-ninety is a fun songwriting challenge and community, but it’s high time I get back to my novels in progress.
Dancing With Travolta (Tribute to Earthquake Ethels)
My goal for 50/90 (write 50 songs in 90 days) was to experiment with different sounds, genres, but mostly my vocals and what they’re capable of, where they find their home, etc. And 45 songs in, it seems the biggest hit (and my favorite) are the 2 spoken word pop art type songs. So much so, I’m thinking this may have planted the seed for creating a concept album of just that for the next FAWM (February Album Writing Month).
So check this one out and let me know what you think… not surprising it’s a song about red – ala my first published novel Real Women Wear Red. 🙂
”Candy Apple Red” (best with headphones)
Fifty-ninety is on its second week. In case you don’t know, 50/90 is the summer songwriting challenge of FAWM, where you are challenged to write 50 songs in 90 days starting on July 4. Last year, for the first time, I completed the challenge. In fact, I wrote 60 songs. This year we’re in the midst of moving cross-country so I’ll do what I can do. Speaking of which, here is my first song: “Nasty Lies.”
This is available as a 12-track album (plus bonus track) or as individual songs.
Now that 50/90 is over for this year, I’m going through my tracks to pick out my favorites to bring back into the studio for further mixing/remixing, etc. This one I did in Logic Pro.
Don’t Touch Me
(Kathy Holmes @ Screamie Birds Studios)
Chorus
Don’t touch me, don’t touch me
I’m just here for the beat
Don’t touch me, don’t touch me
I’m just here for the beat
Verse
I brush past you in the crowd
Give you a little bump
You bump back, give me a smile
Haven’t seen you in a while
Verse
Since the day you asked me out
And then never showed
Got a better offer I heard
Or that’s what I was told
Chorus
Don’t touch me, don’t touch me
I’m just here for the beat
Don’t touch me, don’t touch me
I’m just here for the beat
Bridge
You ask me for my number
I don’t do that, don’t do that
You know you want it, want it
No I don’t, as a matter of fact
I just came here to dance
Chorus
Don’t touch me, don’t touch me
I’m just here for the beat
Don’t touch me, don’t touch me
I’m just here for the beat
It’s September 1st – yay! And I completed 50/90 a few days ago, a whole month early, writing 50 songs in only 55 days!
I’m so exhausted and completely dry creatively. But I will cull through some of these songs in the future, curating a DJ playlist or two.
But maybe I should post one of my favorites now. This one is called “Latin Heat.”
This is the story of how I wrote yesterday’s poem and turned it into a song early this morning while trying to make Disneyland dining reservations.
The night before last I was awake during the night looking at the calendar on my iPhone trying to make Disneyland dining reservations (which is such a crapshoot these days), realizing I couldn’t make September ressies for at least one more day, if I was lucky. Staring at the month of July, I was thinking about how July may be my least favorite month – certainly living in the hotter states I’ve lived in like Southern Nevada and Central Florida. Will July ever end?
I then jotted down those lyrics.
Last night I was awake during the night doing the same staring at the calendar thing, trying again to snag Disneyland dining reservations, and I thought, “I must write the music for those lyrics.” I did snag some ressies, so then I got up at around 4 am and recorded this song, trying not to sing too loudly so I wouldn’t awaken my husband and cats – lol!
It was a lot of fun and came out better than I thought it would. Hope you enjoy!
Kathy Holmes @ Screamie Birds Studios 