How I wrote ‘You And Me’ by Lifehouse’s Jason Wade in Songwriting Magazine Spring 2016
The LA rock band’s frontman and songwriter displays on one in every of their greatest hits, which revived their profession and have become a marriage favorite
Los Angeles-based various rock band Lifehouse broke by in 2000 with the worldwide hit single Hanging By A Second, which spent 20 weeks within the Prime 10 and gained a Billboard Scorching 100 Single Of The 12 months award. However after a dip in business success, it was 2005 launch You And Me that put Lifehouse again on the map, spending 62 non-consecutive weeks on the Billboard Scorching 100 and peaking at No 5.
The band went on to promote 15 million data worldwide and turn out to be probably the most performed artists ever on ‘Scorching AC’ radio, with 1.5 million spins and 1.four billion Pandora performs. However as singer, guitarist and principal songwriter Jason Wade explains, You And Me was initially meant to soundtrack his engagement and the love scene in a film…
Launched: 28 January 2005
Artist: Lifehouse
Label: Geffen
Songwriters: Jason Wade, Jude Cole
Producer: John Alagía
UK chart place: –
US chart place: 6
“It was 1998 and I was at residence in LA. I suppose it was proper after our first document No Title Face was getting blended, however the track didn’t find yourself on our second document. We recorded a model of it, however it simply felt flat. So if we had put it on our second document – which didn’t do properly in any respect – the track would have been misplaced. A number of it has to do with timing.
“It resurfaced on our third album [2005’s Lifehouse], which was sort of our final probability of creating a comeback – I suppose the label would’ve dropped us if we’d had one other unsuccessful document. However fortunately, You And Me actually resonated with everyone and revived our profession. We went out and began pushing this track that was actually private to me, after which it ended up being, like, the most important marriage ceremony track of 2005 and 2006.
“The unique model began as a guitar chord development that Jude Cole, our supervisor and co-producer, got here up with. He gave me these chords and I preferred them, however I wasn’t positive if I was impressed in that second. Then a pal of mine was making an unbiased movie and he wished me to put in writing one thing for it – there was this stunning love scene. I began taking part in these chords after which the refrain started to take form and the remainder of the track got here. So it occurred in two or three completely different phases. It was a extremely particular track as a result of I wrote it for my girlfriend and I ended up taking part in the track, on a cassette tape, to suggest to her! So I was writing it about her and was impressed by the movie, after which Jude gave me these chord progressions to work with.
“You And Me got here from such a private place, and I suppose that’s the important thing: a track has to imply one thing to you if it’s going to imply one thing to anyone else. Individuals are loads smarter than you realise.”
“It took some time to put in writing. I suppose it was a matter of two or three months till the entire track was full, in distinction to Hanging By A Second which was written in 10 to 15 minutes! If it’s an excellent track, it doesn’t matter if it’s 20 years outdated or 20 days outdated, it’ll nonetheless resonate. That’s how one can actually inform the nice ones from the dangerous ones. In case you return and hearken to your entire outdated tapes, you may inform which songs are garbage and which of them are literally any good.
“So it’s each time that magic is there. I nonetheless can’t determine it out, what occurs when that inspiration is there. You simply should be current when the second is there so you may truly channel a track from one other place. That’s what I suppose retains each songwriter going again into the studio day after day, to try to discover no matter that magic is.
“Additionally, You And Me not solely revived our profession, however it got here from such a private place, and I suppose that’s the important thing: a track has to imply one thing to you if it’s going to imply one thing to anyone else. Individuals are loads smarter than you realise and, even when they don’t know precisely what’s happening in a track, they know whether or not they prefer it or not. They’ll inform when it’s coming from an sincere place or when it’s coming from a manipulated sense of simply making an attempt to have an enormous business hit.
“I’ve positively been responsible of making an attempt to recreate sure profitable songs and it by no means works. It simply doesn’t have that magic ingredient, no matter that’s. As a result of I really feel that, when the thoughts will get concerned and also you’re doing it for the incorrect causes, you’re simply making an attempt to rehash one thing that already occurred simply because it was profitable – I’ve given up on that. If there’s ever a track that sounds much like that, then it’s by accident.”
Subscribe and browse extra options like this, together with artist interviews, information, ideas, opinions and kit in each subject of Songwriting Magazine > >