As impressive as music recordings can be today, it’s imperative fans and critics remember just what matters at the end of the day: the song. Clever production techniques should definitely be celebrated and few things are more exciting than hearing a remix turn concepts inside out, but songwriting itself — that’s what draws us in as fans. Melodies and lyrics intertwining to produce an enthralling sonic message that can transport you to any place. It all starts with a devoted craftsman putting pen to paper and hand to instrument.
As impressive as music recordings can be today, it’s imperative fans and critics remember just what matters at the end of the day: the song. Clever production techniques should definitely be celebrated and few things are more exciting than hearing a remix turn concepts inside out, but songwriting itself — that’s what draws us in as fans. Melodies and lyrics intertwining to produce an enthralling sonic message that can transport you to any place. It all starts with a devoted craftsman putting pen to paper and hand to instrument.
Josh Ritter knows all too well the importance of the song itself. Since the late ’90s, he has established himself as one of the truly elite songwriters in the world with record after record overflowing with interesting, engaging, and exceptional compositions. With the release of his eighth record Sermon On The Rocks, out this past October on Pytheas Recordings, Ritter has his eyes set on what could potentially make up his ninth album. With all the accolades he’s racked up over the years, it’d be easy to think Ritter’s got a grasp on the songwriting trade by now, but after only a few seconds of hearing him speak, you can tell that writing a good song is as elusive for him as anyone in the industry today.
“The hard part is waiting around for the right song to come,” he revealed. “I know when it’s right and not right. I just need to be able to hold back and not put anything on a record that doesn’t absolutely has to be there. That’s my standard. I don’t hold myself to any other standard from record to record outside of my own satisfaction or dissatisfaction in regards to what I’m doing. And there’s a lot of dissatisfaction.”
Ritter’s cutting room floor is littered with his dissatisfaction with every record adding to the musical clutter. For most artists, that clutter would be discarded and long forgotten, but Ritter’s mind works in a different way. Years could pass but if something draws him back to a discarded song, he’ll dive into it and pick out parts to apply to his new material wherever possible. “I always think about it like this,” he offered. “You’re taking a song that’s not working and you’re throwing it on the floor and all the other baby songs eat it up. They salvage it for scrap parts so the song doesn’t go to waste even if it’s not good. It still has a lot of use for other songs that may not even be written yet. That helps me feel better about writing songs that aren’t up to my standard.”
Matching his standard is an impossible task at times for Ritter, who struggles constantly with new and inventive ways to approach a song. While some bands employ the same practice for years to produce their catalogue, Ritter’s found that it truly never happens the same way twice with his work. Clearly it’s a reason behind his success as an artist, but it does make narrowing down the process a daunting task. “If I could figure out a way to know how it works,” he continued, “I would be able to write more, but I’ve never been able to put my finger on it. It’s knowing when you’re satisfied that something is right, knowing when to end the song, and just knowing when to pick up a pen and try to write. I wish it happened the same way all the time though, but it just doesn’t.”
Part of the disconnect between process and results for Ritter is that he’s a constantly evolving artist. What he’s looking to accomplish on one record will completely change when it comes time for the next and it makes it difficult to hone in on specific moments and methods that could produce quick, quality work. Just like the songs themselves, what he’s searching for in the musical ether is ultimately futile and comes across as fleeting as the melodies, harmonies, and lyrics he’s built his name on. “It’s all about finding that spark that makes me feel positive about where the record is doing,” he stated, “but it’s like a sneeze. It happens unexpectedly and spasmodically no matter what I do.”
Still, Ritter relents that his songwriting has gotten somewhat easier over the years with the advent of newer technology. Like most troubadours, a pen and paper is still always nearby for the musician, but so is a recorder of sorts to document anything and everything he could possible want. “Technology has allowed us songwriters to do incredible things,” Ritter detailed. “I can work on a song, record a memo, and send it to a producer in a matter of minutes. I can work on my own and record my own demos basically in the comfort of my own kitchen. It’s a great thing so I try and use that as much as possible.”
It’s seamless, but also a part of the process that comes much later for Ritter who admitted he always writes the song first before ever attempting to record something. This is where the importance of the song to Ritter shines through as the demos and recordings basically fade into the periphery and his tunnel vision sets it sights on making something sturdy and substantial. “I’m not an engineer or a producer,” he remarked. “My role is to write the songs and not get bogged down by production choices early on because it doesn’t matter then. The songs matters. If it stands on its own, you can record it just by itself and it should make sense and be strong. After that, you can have all the fun you want with production.”
And what of producing? He admits he’s no producer, but this is about the time in Ritter’s career where many of his idols started to dabble behind the scenes. “I’m a writer first,” he stated, “so that’s where I feel my responsibilities lay. I haven’t been asked, though it is something that sounds like fun. I know what I want so much though that I do question my ability to collaborate but who knows? For now, it’s all about writing the songs.”
As hard as it is for Ritter to describe the songwriting process, he does admit the songs have to come from somewhere inside of him, though he was quick to direct attention away from his own life. “I tend to steer away from autobiography,” he revealed. “It’s just not interesting.” The only part of Ritter’s music that applies to his life is that it simply documents his current interests and obsessions, rather his own personal feelings or adventures. This doesn’t do much to wash away the ambiguity in his work though. To Ritter, that’s an aspect that will always be prevalent in his work due to his widespread interests. “I’m a magpie,” he declared. “Always have been and always will be. I bring stuff that I find back to the nest and incorporate it into whatever I’m working on. Could be music, books, conversation, or even a turn of a phrase I heard somewhere; I grab it all and that’s where my inspiration comes from. The random elements of life that you pour into a cauldron and mix all together. Sure, it can be ambiguous, but that’s what keeps you coming back for more.”
After almost two decades of work, Ritter was hard-pressed to lay out the plans for his compositional process or even inspiration. But you can’t be a musician for that length and not learn anything to help further your craft and Ritter has definitely picked up lessons here and there to make his work that much easier. They may be simple and obvious, but to Ritter, there’s as essential as anything he’s mastered in twenty years. “Patience,” he began. “There’s enough time. You don’t have to do anything that feels like it doesn’t have the full force of your talent. Perspective too. Knowing where you stand in those moments when you doubt your career – it is a big thing. It keeps you from making bad decisions and keeps you from falling into things like jealously. They may seem basic, but they are really hard notions to master. Don’t know if I have yet, but working towards it is really what helps me move forward and not get left behind. Eight records is cool, but eight more sounds even better and those lessons are what’s going to get me there.”
Josh Ritter, along with The Royal City Band, plays The Jefferson Theater tonight with Joe Purdy as the opener. Tickets are $22 and the doors open at 7 PM. For more information on the show and where to buy tickets, click here.
