The Harddrive Graveyard

In Nashville, we had a saying known as "The Hard Drive Graveyard" – where songs go to die.

Let me rewind…

I moved to Nashville in 2015 and one of the main reasons was that it's the hub for people who aspire to build a career as a songwriter and/or artist. (As of October 2023, I'm back in LA while writing this.)

Before my move, I was trying to network and "make it"as a songwriter in LA, but it just doesn't compare. Everything in LA is so spread out, and honestly, the music scene doesn't hold a candle to Nashville. 

Nashville is a tight-knit, magical musical community where everyone is living and chasing the same dream, whether that's becoming the artist who secures a record deal or the songwriter who lands a publishing deal.

When I first visited Nashville in 2015 I was literally mind blown.

I had never seen anything quite like it – a town where everything revolved around music.

After that short trip, I was sold. I returned home, packed my bags, and within two weeks, I became another California transplant in Music City.

Upon arrival, it felt like I had entered a musical heaven, and I dove straight into the scene. 

I had been honing my skills as a musician for years - joining various songwriting organizations, reading books, and working with mentors to refine my craft - but nothing could have prepared me for the "bootcamp" that Nashville would become for me as an aspiring professional musician.

A typical day might have looked like this:

• 10:00 am: Co-writing session
  
  
• 12:00 pm: Lunch
  
  
• 1:00 pm: Publisher meeting
  
  
• 2:00 pm: Co-writing session
  
  
• 7:00 pm: Writers Round

On some days, I'd even find myself in three different co-writing sessions. 😳 

So, needless to say, Nashville played a monumental role in shaping my skills as a "pro" songwriter.

My catalog quickly filled up with songs I was immensely proud of, each one surpassing the previous, as my skills improved. 

Most of the time, my co-writers and I were writing songs with a specific artist in mind, someone we knew was searching for songs for their upcoming album. If we managed to connect with their publisher, we'd seize the opportunity to pitch our songs. Occasionally, we'd get songs placed on hold, and sometimes they'd pass on our pitch. But every now and then the stars aligned, and the artist chose our song to record.

In fact, I recently added a section to our website about songs I have had placed with artists and in film/TV, which you can find here: 

https://www.producelikeaboss.com/ 

But what about the songs that didn't make the cut? 

Well, that's where the Hard Drive Graveyard comes in.

Not all songs find homes, and it's simply a part of the songwriter's journey. 

Some songs find their place with artists or on TV shows or in movies - that's if you're actively pitching them and making an effort to place them. Unfortunately, some just end up in the graveyard.

I used to get quite sad about songs that didn't find a place, especially when I knew we had created something great.

But I learned not to treat my songs like my babies. 

I understand that with every song I write, the real beauty and reward lie in the creative process itself. 

It's about the passion, the very act of creation itself.

That’s where the true magic is 🧚✨

In fact, when I hear about another cut or a sync placement these days, while I'm happy and grateful for it, I can close my eyes and revisit the moment I was writing and producing it, and to be perfectly honest, that feeling of exhilaration during creation far surpasses the excitement of "validation" through a cut or placement.

If you're a songwriter, I'd like to invite you to do the same. 

Think about the song you're most proud of, whether it has "made it" or is sitting in your hard drive graveyard.

How did it feel to create it?

Did you have fun?

Did you laugh?

Did you cry?

Are you happy with how it turned out?

Did you make a new friend or collaborator through it?

If any of the above resonates with you, can you allow yourself to appreciate the gift of being a creator?

Today, I want to share one of my favorite songs from the Hard Drive Graveyard – it's called "Free From Gravity."  

It was supposed to end up getting released by a big library, but for whatever reason it got shelved. 

This is one of those songs that I love SO much, and just listening to it, knowing that "I made this," is ENOUGH.  😌

I wrote this one with my friends Mandy and Gabe, and we had an AMAZING singer named Stacy perform vocals on the demo.

I am the writer and producer of this song, and it currently resides on my hard drive graveyard.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my story today!

Btw, I just started a series called “Diary of a Musical Mystic” where I dive into my journey as a spiritualist, entrepreneur, and songwriter.  I’ll be sharing musings and stories from my personal life, the stories behind my songs, early voice memo recordings, and unreleased tracks from the hard drive graveyard - like today's 😊

I’ll occasionally email to this list, but not everything as it isn’t all relevant to the P.LAB world. 😉

If you’d like to follow the journey, you can subscribe here.

Much Love