“True”

I wanted to continue the trend of writing a little about each track chosen for the latest album. I’ll start with “True.”

It has been said that the good writers borrow and the great ones flat out steal. I’m not going to get into the moral delimnas of common chord progressions. Let’s just say that there are a finite number that work extremely well for pop songs. 

When I first picked up the guitar for the writing session that would produce “True” I started with a very basic, common progression. But, as with most of my songs, I kind of have a distinctive melody and rhythmn patterns for my vocals. I was unaware of how unique my phrasing is until other people attempted to double on recordings and found it difficult. But, it is what feels natural for me. 

As soon as I began, the line “I don’t need to know the way’s you’ve changed…” with that upward, sort of off beat last “changed” (I think I put a few extra syllables in there and a slight British accent also. I was definitely in my Londons writing mode). And then the sort of response…”cause I still love all the stuff that’s just the same…” I knew immediately, I was going to come up with something energetic and catchy.

I quickly scribbled down a few following lines and went back to the guitar.

I was away from my computer so I made a quick audio recording on my phone of one finished verse, pre-chorus and chorus so I wouldn’t forget after sleeping. And, I sent a version to my most trusted music consultant Shawn Morrison.

Then it hit me… oh my good, this is the same chord progression as “Just Like Heaven” by the Cure. Now, that isn’t a deep album cut. It’s effin’ “Just Like Heaven.” 

So I immediately dismissed the song. 

A few days later I got a response from Shawn. He said “you have to finish this song!” Then I told him. “well, there’s a problem. Does it remind you of another song?” He went back and played and come up with nothing. After all, the prechorus is diff, the chorus is different, and the feel is diff, and the melody was diff, so maybe I was being overly sensitive to it.

With his inability to attach it to “Just Like Heaven” I proceeded to finalize an initial recording, adding drums and bass and the intro hook on guitar. It is nothing like “Just Like Heaven” but all I heard when I played it was “Just Like Heaven.”

I posted a link to the initial recording, as I always do with my Reverbnation page, and thought I was done with it.

The next week I was at an open mic show, just sort of trying to decide on what to play and another friend shouted out “play that new song.” I sort of muttered something under my breath like “I probably won’t be playing that one live.” “What?!”

I said “I think I’m done with that one.” A brief argument ensued and I relented, and just played the damn thing. The reaction was very positive. Afterward, the friend asked “why don’t you want to play that song?” I explained how the chord progression was similar to “Just Like Heaven.” He thought I was crazy and said the song sounded nothing like “Just Like Heaven.” 

The more I played it, the more it moved away from the Cure, and toward, well, Londons, or Blooms or Adam Bloom. Now, it is the one song I enjoy singing out the most. It has a nice energy and the vocal is downright fun to sing. The stocato guitars on chorus should be played with a certain ferocity. It is usually last in the set because I have broken a string on the chorus on three different occassions.

Recording

Adam Bloom: lead vocal, acoustic guitar, hook guitar, bass.

Brian St. Aubin: harmonies, rhythm and lead guitar

Production Notes

Mix and Mastering: Garageband

Recordings used a presonus preamp.

Drums were achieved by a programmed pattern to match Rich Williams live.

Hook guitar is actually played by direct input from acoustic, using a “broken up brit” guitar emulation plugin.