Nick Kizirnis
SPB: What is your method to collaborative songwriting or recording (aka how do you approach working with other creatives as compared to writing solo – is it different)?"
Kizirnis: I've taken different approaches but over the past few years I've collaborated with friends and fellow musicians by sharing songs or song ideas that leave a lot of room for interpretation, and I give no direction. I find doing this gives them the space to try whatever they hear without being limited by any constraints I might introduce, and that leads to the most interesting and exciting ideas. Occasionally someone I am working with will ask for direction, and in that case I will tell them what I'm thinking but I try to make it a collaborative discussion rather than say "play it this way…" I truly respect and trust the people I work with. I get very inspired and motivated when I hear what someone else creates based on what I share with them. This has worked really well for me over the past four albums -- I think it's made the music much more exciting than if I were to just figure everything out myself.
When writing solo I try to take the song ideas I am working on and hear them differently -- change the keys, the tempo, rearrange the flow, even combine it with an unrelated idea or song. Anything to help me hear things differently, because I think it's easy to find myself going with what works and maybe not pushing myself enough. This is also what led me to reach out to other musicians to get their perspective, and what I've learned from them helps me think differently when I'm on my own.
Cheers to my friends who have worked with me on The Distance, Quiet Signals, Every Moment and Live Mulch albums -- Tod Weidner, Kate Wakefield, Jim Macpherson, Mark Patterson, Matt Schulz, Matt Espy, Daisy Caplan, Patrick Himes, Brian Hogarth, Kyleen Downes, Paul Livingston and Tobin Sprout, thank you friends!
