Asking for a friend: Is Your Songwriting Dated?

Are you writing songs for you, your family and friends to hear? Or are you hoping to have a hit?

If it’s friends and family you’re writing for, no problem, write what you like nothing here applies to you. If your aspiration is for your creation to run the “A&R gauntlet” to a major label artist, there are many things that can knock your song out of contention.

One of those things is sounding dated. That can be in the writing itself, the subject matter, or the demo recording. it’s often the kiss of death if an A&R person is thinking, “This could have been a hit back in the 80’s”. But that happens… a lot.

Many writers get mentally entrenched in what was popular in their formative years, not realizing how much radio hits have changed over time.

The instruments change. The way records are mixed changes. Listen to 3 or 4 country hits from the 60’s, 70’s 80’s etc. on up to current hits. you’ll hear dramatic differences every 10 to 20 years.

Lyrics change. The culture changes. If your lyrics are conjuring up stereotypes from a decade or more ago, it’s not likely your song will get very far.

One thing to be very careful about is when you attempt to reference something familiar and universal in your song. If you reference a famous movie star, will the younger people who buy most of the records even know who you are talking about? Stadiums and teams get re-named. Products go out of production, stores go out of business. Slang and cliches fall out of favor and new terms take their place.

Review your catalog or have it reviewed by someone who won’t pull punches. Be sure your songs are similar in terms of lyric content and overall sound to what’s getting played on radio right now. If not, updating is in order.

Need Acoustic and/or Electric Guitar for Your Project?

Hi Bill,

Thank you very much for your fast service and the GREAT sounding

guitars 🙂

Song: Laber

Player: Tom Wild

Provided: High and low register acoustic picking/rhythm, electric fill and electric bed tracks.

Need to add the best guitar tracks Nashville has to offer to your project? And at a reasonable price? Text 615-319-8616 NOW!

Need A Steel Guitar Track for Your Project? Or the Best?

“What a great performance! Thanks for the quick turnaround and for the stellar track. This is totally what I was after.” Dave F.. 9-23-20

Song: New Colors.

Pedal Steel

Mike Douchette, a Nashville legend..

Steve Sturm, 7 years with Travis Tritt,

Thomas Yankton…a great young player breaking out in the Nashville recording scene.

We have the player you need!

Need to add the best Pedal Steel Guitar track Nashville has to offer to your project? And at a reasonable price? Text 615-319-8616 NOW! J

Life Is So Unfair! Releases this week!

The Thompsons, a family band from Canada had Nashville Trax produce this track titled, Life Is So Unfair, this past winter and it’s finally being released, you can hear it on Spotify.

Lead singer Danielle.

“Life Is So Unfair” written by Danny and Danielle Thompson.

Produced by Bill Watson for Nashville Trax.

For more about this exciting band visit

The Thompsons

And be sure to attend one of their shows listed on the site!

The Greatest Gift’s New Video, Music Recorded at Nashville Trax!

They started working with Nashville Trax a few years ago, just another local Christian act playing at their local church.

Some 70 + Nashville Trax Produced songs and performance tracks later they recently signed a development deal, have been on radio throughout the U.S. and made the Grammy ballot!

Blessed Be The Man

Music Credits:

Steve King: Piano & String pads
Jenee Fleenor: Violins
Jim Riley: Drums
Bill Watson: Bass Guitar
Tom Wild: Guitars

Music Engineered and Arranged by Bill Watson

This project is a great example of how we interface with artists and studios outside of Nashville.

Working with this Christian group’s rough piano/vocal, Bill Watson charted the music. Upon completion he forwarded it to a studio near the group where they recorded vocals, mixed and did the video.

Some clients do vocals then Dropbox the files back for mixing here, such as the album we did recently for a Christian group in Norway.