Visual music lyricist

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: I draw inspiration from the people and moments happening around me and love to surround myself with creative people. I also watch a lot of tween shows - an endless supply of drama-fueled inspiration!

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I have incredible observation skills to the point that it drives my loved ones mad sometimes! This however makes for interesting, descriptive imagery and phrasing that you might not hear or see elsewhere... Here is a recent example of this in practice (due for release on 1 August) (c) Rachel M Starr 2018... Verse One When I opened the door and you were staring at me At first I thought you were a memory haunting me My body turned cold when you touched my face Like Winter had come and Summer had been erased Chorus (You're sending me) Ice cold shivers down my spine I'm not gonna let you in this time (You're sending me) Ice cold shivers down my spine I'm turning the temperature up this this time Verse Two For far too long I punished myself While you moved on with somebody else But along the way I came to realise You're the big, bad wolf dressed in disguise Verse Three Through insomnia and torrential tears I found my strength and faced my fears Now I've left the cold a thousand miles behind And found my place in the warm sunshine Chorus Ice cold shivers down my spine I'm turning the temperature up this time Ice cold shivers down my spine I'm not gonna let you in this time Bridge (There's nothing but Winter between us Oooh you lied to me There's nothing but Winter between us Oooh you lied to me) You lied to me - that's where you went wrong Like killing a flea with a nuclear bomb Now you're begging to resurrect our love But there's nothing but Winter between us Chorus X2 Ice cold shivers down my spine I'm turning the temperature up this time Ice cold shivers down my spine I'm not gonna let you in this time Outro There's nothing but Winter between us There's nothing but Winter between us There's nothing but Winter between us...

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: It's important for me to know what direction you're taking, whether you'll be using a female or male vocalist, what type of mood you wish to instill, whether you have a particular theme or melody in mind and who your target audience is.

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I started writing about 2 years ago as a way of coping after my Mum passed away. She had battled a long and very damaging illness for almost a decade prior to that and I was so focused on her for so long that I didn't really know what to do with myself when it was all over. Writing gave me a way to express my feelings and reconnect with who I am. Somewhere along the way I decided to put my material out into the world and to my utmost surprise it was received with so, so much love. Since then I have had the pleasure of working with artists all over the world on some really incredible projects, many of which I'll be able to share with you over the coming months.

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: Mark N Hopgood (AKA Mairk/Oncle Gilbert), my ongoing creative partner and one of the most brilliant and kind-hearted singer/producers I've come across.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both because both!

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: That lyricists aren't really artists - I've actually had that said to me. I believe that everyone has strengths and everyone has weaknesses and, in my humble experience, there are just as many songwriters, vocalists and producers who have trouble articulating their thoughts on paper or formulating strong lyric ideas as there are lyricists who cannot hold a note (like me)! Lyric wordsmiths may not necessarily be "musically inclined" (although many are) but our imagination, articulation and ability to structure words meaningfully makes up for that in spades. What we do is a beautiful form of art.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I tend to listen to the production a few times and words somehow magically start to flow from my mind, through my fingers and onto my screen! I feel like every piece of music has a story to tell and I have been blessed with the ability to channel this out into the world. I carry my phone with me everywhere and record ideas, inspiration and all the clever things I hear or see in my notes. I write nearly all of my work on my phone and transfer it to my PC when I'm ready to polish it off.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Just me, my PC, my phone and my puppy dawg!

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: I am in the process of co-writing a piece titled "Jar of Glow Worms" with a brilliant singer/songwriter and music teacher in NYC, Prin Sielski. This piece is very precious to me as it was one of the very first I penned after losing my Mum. It has taken me two years to get to this stage, as it is a very personal piece, but with a lot of support from from Prin, it is now nearing completion.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: So much stuff! I'm working on a few albums and I'm driving a couple of projects of my own with some truly amazing humans scattered across the globe.

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: That I'll provide memorable and imaginative lyrics, appropriate to your music and target audience, and in alignment with your wishes. As lyrics come from a place deep inside I can't say exactly what any piece will end up like until its written but I can tell you that whatever you get will be full of love and passion and catchy one-liners!!!

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The escapism it provides. It enables me to forget the world and just focus on whatever random thoughts are pumping through my mind for the piece I'm working on... there's nothing better!

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: TBH the most common question I get asked is "how did you think of that" or "where did that random idea come from". All I can ever really say is "my heart, my soul, my crazy imagination".

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: Choose someone with a true passion for writing, imagination and originality as well as a kind heart so you know they'll genuinely invest in and care about your project.

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: Although they're not "possessions" I couldn't live without them so I'll say my husband, my dog and my cat, writing implements and a lifetime supply of Prosecco!

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: There is nothing pretentious about me or my work. I do what I do because I love it and I do it with an open mind and kind, honest heart. I also love to be a bit random and to use phrases that are a bit abstract and very descriptive. I am also big on telling stories through lyric writing. I believe the best lyrics are those with some kind of meaning although this is not always necessary or appropriate for every song.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: I'd love to work with Sia. I love her work and we are both Adelaide girls!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: If you feel like you're stuck or you're investing hours upon hours trying to create something and it's just not coming, don't force it. Take a breath and a break. Do something else that makes you happy and come back to your project with a clear mind and content spirit. You will get far better results that way.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: Commercial pop, soft rock, EDM, folk, whatever...!

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I love people and people seem to respond well to me. I am the type of person who always put others first (to a fault in fact) and I am really good at supporting and coaching people to help them achieve their goals. I am pretty good with words too ;)

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: Writing catchy and thought-provoking lyrics for awesome pieces of music!