By Scott Coner
Nashville Recording Artist, Songwriter, Performer, and Author
Well, it has finally happened after all of this time, all of these years. I have become a cover artist. Well, sort of. When I agreed to work with the folks out of Nashville on my tour, one of the things I had to agree to do was music that wasn’t mine. I have to admit that as a songwriter, this wasn’t originally what I was looking to hear. I wanted them to tell me that people were going to be knocked out by my original sound and everything was going to be on my own terms including not having yellow M&M’s in my dressing room.
So after months of starting and stopping the process of learning other artist’s songs, I have pretty much settled on the sets. I think it is important, to be honest, and tell you why I don’t do many cover songs. The fact is, I’m not usually very good at doing them. It isn’t personal against anyone. I have spent most of my life writing songs, and I am not very effective when you take me out of my own little box. I remember as a kid when I played in different garage bands I failed miserably at trying to sound like someone or something that I’m not. It’s not that I didn’t try. It’s just that I wasn’t one of those fortunate guys that sounded like any of the big names back then.
I don’t know how many songs I have combed through trying to find what I wouldn’t single-handedly destroy. I have looked all over the map trying to find songs that people in the audience will recognize and hopefully relate to. In doing this, I have found a lot more than I ever bargained for. I have worked through songs that I couldn’t actually add, but I fell in love with just the same. I have also found artists that I may have only known a little bit about, and now I find myself thinking about their sound quite a bit. One of those artists is Eric Church. I truly like his writing, and I also like how he is recording his music. I have added his song, “Wrecking Ball” to my set list. I wasn’t sure if I should because it is obviously a personal song for him. But the deal breaker was my wife. She is the one that brought me a handful of his songs to check out. Her opinion matters quite a bit you understand. Another artist that I would never have dreamed of covering was Tim McGraw. I had been in Nashville recently working on music with Carol Chase and she kept on playing one of his songs when we weren’t writing. I went home and checked out one of his older songs called, “Live Like You Were Dying” and honestly, I sat at my kitchen table alone in tears as I worked on the song. Obviously, I had heard the song and liked it before. But as I looked at the lyrics and put myself in the song, I found it to be a truly beautiful piece I have made a special note to myself to try not to screw that song up. It doesn’t deserve anything but respect.
I remember hearing a Mike Wanchik interview years and years ago when he was talking about working on, “The Lonesome Jubilee” album that John Mellencamp released in the late eighties. During the interview, I think I remember him talking about John demanding that each player in the band learn 100 songs from the 1960’s, and I believe that he also insisted that each player becomes proficient with another instrument as to add to the recording of the upcoming “Jubilee” album. Obviously, he was on to something. I have tried to approach what I am going through the same way. I never actually asked for this, but it’s funny how you get the true privilege to experience certain things if you will just try to be open. Working on this music has opened my mind in ways I never expected. I just want people that take time out of their lives that come see me to enjoy their evening and hopefully be touched in a way that may be new to them. Like I have said, I want to build the show around the listener. I want that man or woman to come and think about their world. I want those songs to reach out and touch them the same way they have affected me. I don’t know if everyone listens to music like me, but there are a lot of songs out there that I put myself into when I listen. It isn’t unlike a short film. I may not actually find myself in the vision, but if the story and song are strong, I certainly see and feel something different. That moment changes me somehow and I never forget where I was at when it occurred. I don’t think I could ever ask for more. You know to be a part of something like that would be the best possible outcome for someone like me. I find myself looking at the names and faces of people that listen to my music on social media. Early on, I was just writing my blogs and posts, and my publicist would take it from there. My wife and daughters have brought things to my attention, and it has been a good thing for me. I think as a songwriter your one true desire isn’t really to be seen. Instead, the songwriter wants their words and music to touch someone in such a way that they become different. To me, when it comes to music that is all that there is.
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Scott Coner is a country singer-songwriter who has worked in the studio with legendary artists such as Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown and Charlie Daniels. You can learn more about him and hear his music at his music page.
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