During a recent episode of Conan O’Brien‘s talk show, musician Ezra Koenig made an interesting revelation about his songwriting process. O’Brien praised Koenig’s ability to craft beautiful melodies, something that he believes is quite rare in the music industry. Koenig humbly accepted the compliment, acknowledging that melody is indeed a difficult thing to master. He explained that while he may overthink production, references, and lyrics, ultimately a good melody is the most fundamental aspect of a song.
When asked about his process, Koenig admitted that he doesn’t have a concrete method and that’s why he isn’t particularly prolific. However, he shared a trick he uses when he lacks inspiration – he keeps a running list of phrases and words on his phone. This way, when he sits down to play an instrument and nothing comes to mind, he can scan his list for potential ideas. He even mentioned that one of his songs on the new album came about from a phrase he read in a New York Magazine cover story from the 90s.
Koenig also discussed the possibility of writing for pop stars, citing a demo he made with Diplo that ended up becoming a Beyoncé song. While the idea of writing more pop music was exciting, he didn’t feel confident subjecting a pop star to his process, which involves waiting for a good melody to come. He explained that sometimes he sat down at the piano and started playing something, and certain words or phrases from his list would spark ideas and eventually turn into songs.
This talk about songwriting processes led O’Brien to share a fondness for television themes from the 60s and 70s. He stated that some of the best music from that era was actually television themes, mentioning shows like Mission Impossible, Hawaii 5-0, The Wild Wild West, and The Flintstones. Both O’Brien and Koenig agreed that the ability to churn out great television themes was inspiring and relied on the talent of songwriters working under a tight schedule.
The conversation then led to O’Brien reminiscing about his early career, where he and his writing partner were tasked with creating gags and site gags for a television show. O’Brien shared that he has always been fascinated by that side of things and even expressed an interest in reaching out to Wendy’s on Koenig’s behalf for a potential jingle. Koenig appreciatively played along, mentioning his own interest in marketing in the food and beverage industry and the appeal of grinding out ideas at a desk, just like O’Brien and his writing partner did in their early days.
Overall, the conversation between Koenig and O’Brien provided interesting insights into the songwriting process and the appeal of creating music for different purposes, whether it be for personal artistic integrity or for commercial ventures like theme songs or jingles. Both artists expressed their appreciation for creative work and the dedication it requires, making for a lively and engaging discussion on Conan O’Brien‘s talk show.
