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About the Episode
Hey guys, welcome back to Adapt. This podcast, along with my newsletter, documents my pursuit of new talents - from music to cooking to workouts and a whole bunch more.
In this episode, I sit down with singer/songer Travis Smith to talk about the song writing process and the making of his debut album, Wildness.
We cover a lot of ground, from his musical upbringing to a live performance of his single, Try, and an in-depth breakdown of how he wrote it - from guitar riffs to full lyrics.
Before we dive in, a couple things to keep in mind:
I hope this episode will peel back the curtain a bit on all the work that goes into your favorite music, and give you what you need to have an even greater appreciation of the music you listen to
If music and song writing is something you’re interested in, I hope this interview will make those pursuits feel more approachable, and give you a structure to get started
I would recommend applying a lot of Travis’ song writing tips to your other creative pursuits. At it’s core, this is really about doing your best creative work
After this episode, I would highly recommend pouring yourself a bourbon, finding Travis’ album Wildness on Spotify or Apple Music, and listening to it front to back, with no interruptions or distractions.
Without further ado, please enjoy this whiskey filled conversation with singer/song writer, Travis Smith.
Lyrics to “Try”
There’s a dark moon hanging over my head tonight
Its pulling the tides, its blinding my eyes
and I can’t sleep
at least not well
And these thoughts they bleed
between the bad bad dreams of you
and the talk we had this afternoon
well I just want to rest
but this is still so fresh
I don't want to leave your side
No, I like to stay here my whole life
I think I’ll live forever, baby
I think I’m too scared to die
But I've seen people jump ship just as the sun starts to rise
Lord, I wish we tried
Remind myself that I been here before
and why I've locked those doors
and why I never go there anymore
Some nights the drinking helps
Others doesn't do the trick
And that path it crosses with some bad bad roads
think of holding hands and romantic poems
and well, I think I’d rather feel alone than be feeling like this
I don’t want to leave your side
No, I like to stay here my whole life
I think I’ll live forever, baby
I think I’m too scared to die
But I've seen people jump ship just as the sun starts to rise
Lord, I wish we tried
So I'll just sit here and watch you clear the floor
watch you, pack up your things
watch you, walk on the door
watch you walk away from everything
And I don’t understand anymore
I don’t want to leave your side
No, I like to stay here my whole life
I think I’ll live forever, baby
I think I’m too scared to die
But I've seen people jump ship just as the sun starts to rise
Lord, I wish we tried
Travis Smith's Guide to Song Writing: Appreciate Music, Set the Creative Table, and Capture the Lightning in a Bottle (plus: live performance from his debut album - Wildness)