Everyday Conversations Inspire Brett Young’s Songwriting
What’s it take to write a good song? The answer to that question often varies from songwriter to songwriter. Brett Young, who recently scored his first No. 1 with “In Case You Didn’t Know,” gets inspiration from everyday conversation.
Writing on the fly doesn’t come natural to the newcomer. “I can’t just write about nothing,” Brett says through his record label. “That’s really hard for me. So if [it’s a co-writer’s] idea, I need them to tell me the whole story [and] where it came from. I need [to] emotionally connect to it.”
Sometimes that means taking notes. “You’ll see me all the time in the middle of a conversation – and I know it seems rude but I have to do it – I’ll pick up my phone and write a note to myself, ‘Just said this, this is the idea I got,’ so that I can go back later and write that song,” he continues. “That happens to me all the time and I’m sure people think I’m grabbing my phone and texting and not listening to them anymore. So I’ll apologize … Most of my songs come from everyday conversation.”
“In Case You Didn’t Know”
The Californian co-wrote “In Case You Didn’t Know” with Trent Tomlinson, Tyler Reeve and Kylie Schlienger. See a list of Brett’s upcoming tour dates here.
Teddy McDonald is a fun-lovin’ country music fan man living in Nashville, Tennessee.
