Song writing is truly an art; the point organizers Chas Hay and Brett Caswell are driving home each month with the Songwriter Series, at Donaleigh’s
“I had always written poetry and suddenly found myself as part of a band. The men in the group would jam on riffs they had, and I would attempt to insert myself in to the jam somehow. Since I wasn’t very well-versed at playing instruments, I sang and became one of the lyricists for the band.”
Aikins then says Caswell became a co-writer and mentor. “He taught me a lot about structure and how to be more succinct and to the point with my themes.”
That’s when she learned inspiration follows no schedule.
“Sometimes melodies will just come without even trying - the muse just strikes. Often late at night, or when I’m walking around by myself, I’ll quickly sketch the ideas in a voice memo on my phone and then I sit down and hash them out at a later time when I can create space to do it.
And when collaborators weren’t always there when the muse struck, Carleigh discovered how to use GarageBand.
“I used my voice as the instrumentation at first, building lush layers of vocal pads to guide the melodies I heard in my head. I couldn’t play the instruments I heard in my head, but I could sing the parts.”
Aikins’ writing then got a boost on joining the six-piece Colorado-based band, Paper Bird.
“They were so enthusiastic to work with me and help me shape my songs. I felt respected as a songwriter by songwriters I greatly respected. Two of my songs ended up on the record we made in
Gifted musicians and arrangers were then brought in to work on Carleigh’s songs, including those who’d worked with Fleetwood Mac, The Band and John Oates (of Hall and…).
But a call from a stateside symphony orchestra sealed the deal.
“When I got news that (they) were going to perform arrangements of my songs at the Historical Chautauqua Auditorium, I permitted myself to call myself a songwriter.”
Aikins’ talents extend beyond music into the visual arts, and with limited time to indulge each of those passions, prioritization is the key.
“Songwriting comes in waves just as my inspiration for painting does. I am constantly surrounded by very prolific and gifted artists, and those are the types of people with whom I want to surround myself, because they constantly challenge me to be better at my craft.”
Aikins credits an old flame, who worked at Sam the Record Man in Georgian Mall, with inspiring her toward music in the first place.
“I’d spend hours there at the store with him as he’d set me up at the listening station and basically educate me. It was there that I learned about Kathleen Edwards and her comrade Jim Bryson - her records changed my life. Jim’s solo record found its way naturally to my ear, as did Danny Michel’s.”
“I call Jim my friend now, and I love sharing the stage with him (and with Michel on June 5). To be side-by-side and billed as a fellow song writer with these men whose records I had discovered at the Sam’s listening station is kind of mind-blowing to me.”
Carleigh Aikins is featured as part of the Songwriter Series, at Donaleigh’s,
