Betty Boo – Hangover
A classic 90s pop song that I always return to. Her second album was pretty diverse and dark, I think this should’ve been the start of her career as a performer, not the end. She did continue writing for other folk, mind you.
Avicii – Wake Me Up
I hated this song for ages before lightening up and listening to it properly. It gets me every time, and I wish I could write songs like this, but with more personal lyrics. I guess I’ve tried to on Summer of ‘13, but I’m not quite there yet. My song Big Black Hole couldhave been an attempt at a massive pop hit if I’d taken Gordon [Anderson]’s advice and used the hook more. I’m too obtuse though.
Tegan and Sara – I Was a Fool
This also influenced Big Black Hole. I wanted some kind of pure, pristine, piano-led pop hook. I wrote the motif to fit a song I already had and then sourced some R&B presets – voila. I’m not a huge fan of these guys as, like always when I find a song I love by an artist, it turned out to be a one-off.
Ellie Goulding – Burn
When my son was born, we’d watch lots of early-morning music TV. This was always on. Not a great song, but the ideas seeped into what I was writing at the time. So yeah, I’m with the times (2013).
The Good Natured – Wolves
I don’t think this band exists anymore, or even released an album. But I love a lot of their early songs: no-nonsense pop, massive chorus, sense of urgency. They’ve been a big influence on me recently as they have such a stripped-back way of making great songs. It must be a sign of good songwriting.
