￥We’re thrilled to release our first ever series with Alex Kapranos, frontman of the Scottish rock band Franz Ferdinand! We joined the acclaimed musician at Motorbass Studio to explore his diversity of influences and unconventional approaches to songwriting. Alex reveals his most notable inspirations, sourced from music, literature, and visual arts. Referencing original compositions and the work of others, he discusses pertinent elements of effective songs – vocal performance, phrase repetition, wordplay, vulnerability, and more. With his own voice and guitar, he demonstrates how chord progressions, melodies, song key, and arrangement can be altered to evoke certain reactions in the listener. He shares alternative methods of triggering creativity that involve setting restrictions and encouraging non-literal interpretation of lyrics delivered in a certain way. Using Ableton Live and a Novation Launchkey, Alex shows his process of building track foundations, developing melodic ideas, and many other aspects of his songwriting workflow!

 

PART 1
00:22:11
Inspiration, vulnerability, collaboration, breaking patterns, taking notes, repetition, phrasing

 

PART 2
00:16:20
Building on a premise, storytelling, listener interpretation, wordplay, creativity levels, triggers

 

PART 3
00:12:27
Altering lyrical delivery & mood, introspection, modulation, key changes, discarding ideas

 

PART 4
00:15:57
Arrangement, chord progressions, setting parameters, minimalism, idioms, metaphors, clichés

 

PART 5
00:11:26
Ableton Live composition workflow, leaving the computer, new directions, top-line melody, phrases

 

PART 6
00:09:47
Layering loops, melodic ideas & development, colour-coding, dismissal, rejecting external stimuli