Recently in "nadj"
NADJ has just released a new album, Lasse Vegas, featuring three tracks with my lyrics: the raunchy opener Pick A Card; the languorous eight-minute epic Cactus; and, my personal favourite, Jesus Freak.
As Nadj herself explains on her blog on MySpace, this album has been a long time coming, and has not been without its troubles along the way.
Still, I firmly believe that some things are worth shouting from the rooftops. If there are only a handful of people listening down below, that doesn't mean you should use it as an excuse to say silent, or that you should wait for a bigger crowd to gather. No, sometimes you just need to scream as loud as you can... and see how far your voice will carry.
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Buy Lasse Vegas here or direct from the artist.
As Nadj herself explains on her blog on MySpace, this album has been a long time coming, and has not been without its troubles along the way.
Still, I firmly believe that some things are worth shouting from the rooftops. If there are only a handful of people listening down below, that doesn't mean you should use it as an excuse to say silent, or that you should wait for a bigger crowd to gather. No, sometimes you just need to scream as loud as you can... and see how far your voice will carry.
*
Buy Lasse Vegas here or direct from the artist.
Nadj and her band are in the studio putting the finishing touches to their second album, which - as she announces (in French) on her blog - will feature "two tracks in English, Jesus Freak and Cactus, with superb lyrics written by the latest ally of our sound: Scottish lyricist Stuart Mudie".
So there you go. It's official!
So there you go. It's official!
Last week, while back in Scotland for my brother's wedding (where I and several others managed look resplendent in our kilts despite the dreich October day), I was sent a rough demo of the first of several tracks I've been working on with Nadj, a singer I met for the first time a couple of months ago whose MySpace page claims her repertoire is "marked with her rough temper and gnarly guitars" and who is by far the rockingest French musician I have ever heard.
The track in question sounds absolutely fantastic, and I can't wait for her to make it available for public comsumption. It's called Jesus Freak. I guess you could say it's a love song of sorts.
The track in question sounds absolutely fantastic, and I can't wait for her to make it available for public comsumption. It's called Jesus Freak. I guess you could say it's a love song of sorts.
I had a quick drink down by Canal St Martin last night with someone with whom, if all goes well, I may soon be writing some lyrics for her upcoming album.
What I appreciate most about her proposed working method is that, although a talented lyricist herself - her recent album featured a great line about turning down the guitar and drums because, after all, "this is France, for fuck's sake" - she didn't seem to want to tell me what to write.
Sure, she gave me some vague ideas about the style of lyrics she appreciates, and she mentioned the kind of topics she's interested in singing about, but I've worked with people in the past who've been much more specific in their demands. More than once I've been given a verse-by-verse breakdown of exactly what I should say, turning me in effect from an artist performing a genuinely creative act into a simple artisan, polishing the singer's rough ideas into verse. Now, I understand that whoever sings my words needs to feel some kind of emotional attachment to the ideas they express, but you can imagine which of the two methods is more satisfying for me as a writer - and, most importantly, which one gives the best results!
I'm certain anything I write for this person will be tossed back and forth between us both so many times that she'll end up feeling just as much ownership over it as I do, but it's still heartening to feel that she is at least willing to let me take the first steps on my own.
I can trace the outline, and we can colour it in together.
In any case, I'm really excited about seeing what we can come up with, not least because I saw her perform at the Flèche d'Or earlier this year and, as I wrote on her MySpace page just afterwards, I've never been so blown away by the sheer force of music. This could be something really special.
What I appreciate most about her proposed working method is that, although a talented lyricist herself - her recent album featured a great line about turning down the guitar and drums because, after all, "this is France, for fuck's sake" - she didn't seem to want to tell me what to write.
Sure, she gave me some vague ideas about the style of lyrics she appreciates, and she mentioned the kind of topics she's interested in singing about, but I've worked with people in the past who've been much more specific in their demands. More than once I've been given a verse-by-verse breakdown of exactly what I should say, turning me in effect from an artist performing a genuinely creative act into a simple artisan, polishing the singer's rough ideas into verse. Now, I understand that whoever sings my words needs to feel some kind of emotional attachment to the ideas they express, but you can imagine which of the two methods is more satisfying for me as a writer - and, most importantly, which one gives the best results!
I'm certain anything I write for this person will be tossed back and forth between us both so many times that she'll end up feeling just as much ownership over it as I do, but it's still heartening to feel that she is at least willing to let me take the first steps on my own.
I can trace the outline, and we can colour it in together.
In any case, I'm really excited about seeing what we can come up with, not least because I saw her perform at the Flèche d'Or earlier this year and, as I wrote on her MySpace page just afterwards, I've never been so blown away by the sheer force of music. This could be something really special.
I'm smudie, a Scot living in Paris.
As a lyricist, I write both for and in collaboration with several local artists who sing in English. Some of the people who have sung my lyrics include Nadj, eliotE & the Ritournelles, General Bye Bye, and OrangeColumbo.
I'm always on the lookout for interesting new projects. Send me an email if you think we could work together.
Here are some of my lyrics:
- Nadj
- eliotE & the Ritournelles
- eliotE
- General Bye Bye
- OrangeColumbo
- A Slap In The Face
- Carousel
- Carved In Granite
- Curse
- Dirty Fingernails
- I Lay With You
- Pull The Stars Down
- Rivkah
- The Hogmanay Children
- Kosinus
- Electric Factory
- Pourpre
- Manchester
- smudie
- Sunless Universe
- Hog Killin' Time
- "Songs in search of a singer"
All smudie's lyrics
Email: smudie@gmail.com
I write with:
Nadj
eliotE & the Ritournelles
General Bye Bye
OrangeColumbo
Rivkah
Electric Factory
Pourpre
Manchester
Sunless Universe
Hog Killin' Time
Recent Comments
Arno on Out with the old and in with the new: Thanks for
eliotE on Un Arból Sin Raices: J'aime bea
eliotE on Honey, honey: What a tea
Sumana Sinha / meghna on Jesus Freak: I do like
cath on Pull The Stars Down: Je peux pa
lucia on Jen H. Ka to sing with Electric Factory: querido (