Creating a hot song means understanding what people want to listen to, while combining instruments, lyrics and a voice that touch fans and creates mass following. Jordy Writes, a former A&R turned songwriter, vies on capturing fan’s ears and hearts with touching lyrics. Six months into is his writing career, Jordy scored his first songwriting placement with former Bad Boy crooner Carl Thomas. Now adding to his list, Jordy have written for One Chance, Omarion, Brandon Hines, Brandon Beal and others. In our interview with Jordy we discuss how creativity and business mix as well as T-Pain and Auto-Tunes.
Singersroom: Initially you started your career as an A&R for a management company that had an artist signed with Bad Boy, right?
Jordy Writes: Yea exactly. It was a management label called Go Gettaz Entertainment and we managed an artist who was signed to Bad Boy at the timeâ¦.So I would go in the studio of course being an A&R and be a part of all the creative process. I would give my ideas on hooks, melodies and stuff like that and it became natural. So when myself and the company split ways, I was sitting at home with tracks and I happen to be playing the tracks and I tried [to write] something over it. I let a friend of mine who happens to be a really good singer listen and he actually encouraged me to pursue songwriting.
Singersroom: Coming from the A&R side of the business, did that help you transform into a creative writer?
Jordy Writes: Definitely. I guess you can say an A&R is the alchemist, the person that brings in both sides of the spectrum in music. The music business is still a business and of course the A&R takes care of shopping for tracks, gives a hand in artist development and is there throughout the whole creative process. What sucks is that A&R’s today don’t know really what they are doing; not all of them but some of them happen to be somebody’s cousin or whatever and they get into this position and don’t know what they are doing.
Singersroom: Since you came from the A&R role does that effect how you approach writing a song, do you always think this song going to be good for the masses?
Jordy Writes: It is always important to know that your stuff can compete with what is out there. Coming from a A&R background to being an actual songwriter, I think it is important to know what is gonna work and what is not going to work. I think like that all the time
Singersroom: With songs like Solange’s “F**k The Industry,” do you think the music industry force people in pigeon holes about what people can write about. Do they allow people to be creative?
Jordy Writes: When a songwriter is tied to a certain situation they might run into an A&R that wants another “So Sick” because “So Sick” might have been popping at the time. It’s kind of hard because it’s like they are comparing you to what somebody else does and you’re like I don’t do that. You always run into somebody who is trying to make you what you are not and tell you that you are only as good as your last hit.
Singersroom: Are there certain words that you censor yourself from using?
Jordy Writes: Some people curse I don’t knock it but it’s just not me, I don’t do that. I refrain from using ni**a or writing b***h or anything like that in my lyrics. I definitely don’t like to do that at all, I definitely don’t like to go the negative route.
Singersroom: Who was the first major artist you wrote for?
Jordy Writes: Carl Thomas is actually the first song that I ever had a major artist record. I had gotten to do the song from what he heard on my voicemail; I had a Nextel i930. I went to his house in Jersey and I happen to play the song off my phone, he was like “hey man that is you right there” and I was like yea. He was like “you got the track, let’s go downstairs and cut it.” That was like the happiest day of my life because his “Emotional” record was like a classic to me. To meet up with him, that was like a dream come true and I was only six months into writing songs.
Singersroom: How do you feel about the use of Auto-Tunes with singers like T-Pain and others?
Jordy Writes: The older generation of songwriters views it as a plague but I think if you do it with measure, that makes everything sound new. Sonically every singer needs Auto-Tune but not in a way T-Pain uses it, where they turn it up all the way but it just adds to your vocals. It is not really about people that can’t sing because I know real singers that use Auto-Tune. An expert engineer will tell you that Auto-Tune makes everything sound more modern.
Singersroom: Do you think it is inefficiency in a song because it is gives it an organic feel?
Jordy Writes: You mean as far as Auto-Tune goes. I think it is important whether you use Auto-Tune or not to capture emotion. I honestly don’t care if you use Auto-Tune or if you do but if you capture the emotion of the song I don’t care what it is, I think that’s the most important aspect. If you yourself as artist or songwriter become an actor and learn how to act the part of the song and you portray it and everything sounds as it is suppose to sound I honestly don’t care if there is Auto-Tune on it.
Singersroom: Why do you love R&B?
Jordy Writes: It is like the morning sun for me. R&B is my first love, I went through a phase where all I did was listen to hip hop but there is something about the way somebody can sing a difference into your heart. —— By: Interview By Adeniyi Omisore
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