Now That I Think About It

My first trip to Nashville was incredible. I went down for a two-day seminar and stayed for four days of the Tin Pan South Songwriting Festival. The seminar was a lot of fun, but in truth I think I learned more from the festival rounds. It was surreal to see great songwriters tell the stories of how their songs were born; the sparks that started them, then the magic process of collaboration that brought them to life. I left Nashville feeling refreshed, inspired, and with two main thoughts: 1) I need to book another trip as soon as possible, and (2) I need to do a lot more cowriting.

My second wish was granted only a few days after I got home, in a flurry of emails and DMs. One of them came from David Unlayao, from Portland. I met David at NSAI training. We sat at the same table and talked about our home chapters and the rounds we planned on seeing that weekend. We didn’t have any deep heart-to-hearts about our musical influences or career goals, but we did exchange cards. When I followed him on Instagram, I immediately found his super cool pop rock band Surfacer. I was creeping on live video clips when he messaged me, asking if I’d be down to do some cowriting. Then, I immediately stopped watching videos, because I didn’t want to psych myself out about writing with a talented stranger.

In some ways, songwriting with a stranger is actually easier than writing with someone who knows you closely. Through the writing process, you deeply dive into each other’s views of the world, at record speed. In their eyes, the things that seem obvious and unexceptional to you might just flick on a lightbulb. And hearing an outsider’s perspective on your perspective can be incredibly revealing, even healing. It’s definitely scary to open up, but it’s an amazing thing. We spend so much time with our own stories that sometimes it takes a stranger to see the song hiding underneath.

That’s pretty much what happened in my first song with David. We went through our “hook books” for ideas. He had the title “Now That I Think About It”. I asked him where it might go.

“I’m not sure, ” he said. “It’s something that people say, and I always thought it might make a good song.”

So I thought back to times in my life where I remember saying it; situations where I’ve had surprising second thoughts. There have definitely been a lot. I must have talked through ten different memories in five minutes.

“Every one of those could be a song,” David said. “We gotta just pick one.”

Once we got tinkering with rhymes and images, as always, the story morphed and exploded. By the time we finished, it wasn’t just about my break up. Threads of our friends’, siblings’, and coworkers’ stories were all woven together into one mosaic.

I never would have written this song by myself; the idea never would have struck me. But I’m so happy that David thought of it, because it’s become one of my favorite songs to play on my live stream shows, and it’s jumped to the top of my song list for pitching. Accordingly, the demo below is basic on purpose. As I shop it around to publishers and producers, I hope they’ll be able to hear room for their artist’s interpretation, to take the song to another level. KM

Now That I Think About It

I know you packed your clothes
And you gave back your key
So why do I still have your picture on my lock screen?
I know you’re moving on
I should probably do the same
How can I find someone to take your place when I was gonna take your name?

You left so quick, you never told me why

Now that I think about it, the house is quiet and I kinda like the sound
Now that I think about it, I’m breathing better ever since you left this town
Standing on my own, don’t know where I’m going, going
Living in the moment knowing that
You and I were far from perfect
Now that I think about it

All of your constant texts
Your stupid ego trips
I had to bite my tongue and roll my eyes, now I’m over it

You left so quick, you never told me why
I compromised so much to try to keep you satisfied

Now that I think about it, the house is quiet and I kinda like the sound
Now that I think about it, I’m breathing better ever since you left this town
Standing on my own, don’t know where I’m going, going
Living in the moment knowing that
You and I were far from perfect

And if I ever see your face again
I might even thank you for showing me what I couldn’t see then

Now that I think about it, the house is quiet and I kinda like the sound
Now that I think about it…
Standing on my own, don’t know where I’m going, going
Living in the moment knowing that
You and I were far from perfect
Now that I think about it
Now that I think about it