by Mike Errico | Mar 29, 2021 | Books, Lessons, Music Lyrics and Life, Teaching
The songwriting class you always wish you’d taken, taught by the professor you always wish you’d had. Music, Lyrics, and Life: A Field Guide for the Advancing Songwriter Release Date: October 15, 2021 Publisher: Backbeat Books PRE-ORDER NOW: AMAZON | BOOKSHOP | BARNES & NOBLE | TARGET | BOOKS ARE MAGIC Music, Lyrics, and Life is the songwriting class you always wish you’d taken, taught by the professor you always wish you’d had. It’s a deep dive into the heart of questions asked by songwriters of all levels, from how to begin journaling to when you know that a song is finished. With humor and empathy, acclaimed singer-songwriter Mike Errico unravels both the mystery of songwriting, and the logistics of life as a songwriter. For years, this set of tools, prompts, and ideas has inspired students on campuses including Yale, Wesleyan, Berklee, Oberlin, and NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. Alongside his own lessons, Errico interviews the writers, producers, and A&R executives behind today’s biggest hits, and investigates the larger questions of creativity through lively conversations with a wide range of innovative thinkers: astrophysicist Janna Levin explains the importance of repetition, both in choruses and in the exploration of the universe; renowned painter John Currin praises the constraints of form, whether it’s within a right-angled canvas or a three-minute pop song; bestselling author George Saunders unpacks the hidden benefit of writing, and revising, authentically; and much more. The result is that Music, Lyrics, and Life ends up revealing as much about the art of songwriting as it does about who we are, and where we may be going....
by Mike Errico | Mar 10, 2021 | audio, live shows
“Between the Lines” will go live on all streaming services March 16th, and pre-saving it NOW will help the algorithms notice it and recommend it to others. PRE-SAVE “BETWEEN THE LINES (LIVE)” HERE I’d really appreciate the click, because I have a soft spot for this one. I love whoever it is, in his car, daydreaming, asking the big questions. Or maybe it’s The Big Question. I think we’re all doing a bit more of that than ever, lately. This version was recorded before the pandemic, at the 2019-2020 Holiday Show. I was lucky to share the stage that night with bassist Nick Jost and guitarist Nick Cianci, who is a former student of mine, and a brilliant player. ”Between the Lines” has never been recorded in the studio, but I hope to change that this year. I’ve been working on…well…something else. Something kinda big. But that’s for another email. Until then, pre-save, share this with friends, and enjoy. I hope this finds you safe and well. -M Between the Lines May 21st Wind in the trees on my way to work I’m late again High up in the leaves Versions of me I may not ever be For being who I am Am I doing this right Am I doing this right They’re just paintings on the road But I really want to know What’s between the lines A good look around Coffee in faces lost in what they found Like truth just pulled up slow And once in a while They jerk the wheel and hit the evening news That’s one way to go Chorus Easy come...
by Mike Errico | Mar 2, 2021 | audio, Free
“Daylight,” and the instrumental “karaoke” track, are available on Bandcamp for the first time. DAYLIGHT KARAOKE OFFER: Send your video karaoke version, and you can have any one thing in the Bandcamp store…for free. Just let me post a short clip so others can join. Daylight by Mike Errico REMEMBER: KARAOKE DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN SINGING… You wanna play drums along with it? GREAT. GUITAR? GREAT. Got a sax solo you always wanted to hear over it? GREAT. Pig bladder you’ve attached to a car muffler? GREAT. HIT IT, then HIT SEND to INFO AT ERRICO DOT COM. I hope you’re all well, safe, and looking forward. Let’s do this, M PS: To review… Daylight © Mike Errico (Sky Blue Coupe De Ville Music, ASCAP)Love songs to you are just flowers in my tomb but it’s all right I think of this as you walk into the room and I check myself twice And your new piece of cheese looks suspiciously like me I guess my worst qualities Were the ones that you liked but I knew that Yes I knew that But I won’t ask you to sympathizeEverything is all right I’m finally getting some sleep at night And when I open my eyes I’m finally getting some daylightYou got my sweater and a couple of CD’s but it’s all right Your darkest secrets sit here right in front of me I know what you smell like And if my life were a movie, you’d be buried in the credits You’d be “Woman #2 with her head up her ass” And it’s too late, yes, it’s too late...
by Mike Errico | Dec 18, 2020 | audio
Hey, all: I hope you’re doing all right. Got a holiday song here for you—an extraordinary effort in extraordinary times, and I would like to thank Jamie Siegel, Matt Beck, and Matt Rubano for their help and virtual musicianship. I consider this the Mike Errico Holiday Show for 2020. Two questions you probably have: 1) Why no livestream holiday show? Good question. Answer: The idea of me sitting in a room and you sitting in another, maybe thousands of miles away, is “OK,” but it’s not the same. Trying to simulate what I love also reminds me of what’s not possible at this moment, and I figured, why give a simulation of one thing, when I can give a real version of something else? So. Tada. And if I think of a livestream show that relates to the medium itself, and isn’t just “good enough for people on distant couches,” I’m in, and I’m taking suggestions. 2) HOLIDAY OMENS?!? I LIVE MY LIFE ACCORDING TO THEIR TEACHINGS!11!!! I know, I know. I do, too. And they spoke to me this year. They said: HERE’S THE PLAN. “YOU’RE NO SANTA” IS AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY ON BANDCAMP AS “NAME YOUR OWN PRICE.” THOSE WHO HEAR THE OMENS’ CALL SHOULD CONTRIBUTE ANY AMOUNT IN EXCESS OF SHIPPING (MIN. $7), AND INCLUDE THEIR SNAIL MAIL ADDRESS IN THE “NOTES” FIELD WHEN PURCHASING. THUS, THE OMEN CAN CONTINUE ITS JOURNEY AND DELIVER ITS SOLEMN MESSAGE. Omens tend to speak in all caps. Not sure why. But anyway: I miss you guys, and hope you’re well, and hope you enjoy “You’re No Santa.” I...
by Mike Errico | Nov 20, 2020 | Uncategorized
A couple of snapped cables, and the world’s largest radio telescope is being decommissioned. If you know me, you know my love of the Carl Sagan (@saganism ) book Contact and the 1996 film starring Jodi Foster and the Arecibo Observatory (@thearecibo.observatory). My songs “Ok to Go,” “Grace,” “Arecibo,” and others were inspired by it. So much of the artwork on my albums “Skimming,” “Wander Away,” and especially “Minor Fits” draw from it. Here’s my Spotify playlist of my songs that were inspired by Contact, and Arecibo. A few years back, I dragged friends across the crazy bumpy roads of Puerto Rico to see Arecibo, and now I’m glad I did. And I’m glad I sprung for the coffee cup. Time marches on…and bends and warps and amazes. ...
