with the viewers, and then their lives are forever
changed.
[WM]
Does
encourage
songwriting
personal
collaboration
experiences
and
testimony, both happy and sad, to be shared
between songwriters? What bond does this
partnership create?
[Shae] Definitely. Songwriting is a very
vulnerable thing, at least I think it should be.
The best songs come from the heart, from a
place of vulnerability and from being real with
yourself. I think by sitting down in a writing
session you’re just wanting to get real. And with
an “Unmovable” type of song you’re sharing
things somethings that are pretty deep and
personal with people that you’ve maybe just
met that day. For sure it’s very vulnerable, but
I think sometimes the best songs come out of
those moments. As a songwriter before I go
into a writing session, I try to quiet myself and
maybe jot down some notes of those things
that I’ve been doing so that when I get in that
room and someone asks me what I’m thinking,
or maybe they’ll say, “I have this melody, do you
have a lyric?” So, I can kind of go back through
the stuff that I had previously jotted down and
God, whatever you have for me this season, I’m helping with the casting process. Since the see what connects, and we start talking about
going to go after that”. time I auditioned in that big stadium of twelve it.
thousand people in front of a judge, it’s now
Basically, we ended up moving to California crazy because I’m that judge at the table. It’s Some of the best songs that I’ve written, or
after I had worked in TV locally for four years. full circle! some of my favorites, actually came out of just
Since my time on American Idol, I’d always
sitting down and talking and taking notes as we
kept in touch with the producers. If I ever knew Its been really cool, one of the contestants I were talking. So sometimes it comes out just
of a singer I would tell them to go audition found I saw singing in the middle of nowhere, on through conversation, through those personal
because it was such a great experience for me. video, in Louisiana. I just randomly came upon conversations sometimes songs come about.
I kind of just would refer to them good singers his video online and invited him out to audition, throughout the years. and he ended up winning the season: Laine [WM] What is your preferred instrument to
Hardy! I love getting to be a producer on the write with?
I’d moved out to Southern California and was show because you’re really helping to change working as a TV host on a bunch of different people’s lives and it’s such a cool feeling to offer [Shae] Personally, if I’m just writing on my own,
shows like Extra, and E News, and then one that to someone and see where it takes them. sometimes I don’t even use an instrument. To
of the producers from Idol asked me, “Hey, we As a producer I can reach out to someone and be honest, sometimes I will just sing melodies.
need to bring on another producer, would you help them get in front of our other producers or Sometimes I just get a melody and all-of-a
be interested?” So, at first, we tried it out part make it to an audition. Once they’re on they’re sudden, I’ll just start singing that melody with
time, and as we did it part time it was really in the hands of America, I have nothing to do no instrument in sight. A lot of times songs
successful. They then decided to bring me on with it. So, its cool to see someone like Laine come about that way. I only play guitar, but
full time. It’s now been a few seasons of me Hardy or Alejandro Aranda really just connect I find writing on guitar limits me because my
August 2019
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