Indie Talk interviews John McKivergan, a talented lyricist whose work seamlessly blends Christian and social consciousness themes with both rock and Christian music genres. In this candid interview, John shares the inspirations and experiences that have shaped his songwriting journey.
From the divine inspiration behind his music to the heartfelt messages from fans that keep him motivated, John opens up about his creative process, the challenges he faces as an indie artist, and his hopes for the future. Join us as we delve into the mind of a lyricist dedicated to crafting meaningful narratives and bridging divides through his soul-stirring music.
Was there something (an experience) or someone in your life that was the "catalyst" for you to start writing or performing music?
To be honest I don't have one specific thing that started me in my songwriting journey. I just remember thinking that I think I would like to write song lyrics and I just started writing. Being that these are Christian songs I do believe that they are divinely inspired so I believe that The Good Lord tapped me on the shoulder and said 'Try this'.
Let's get this out of the way. What is the CRAZIEST thing that has ever happened to you in your music career?
I don't know that this is a cray thing but one thing that stands out for me in my musical journey is an email I received from a fan stating that one of my songs had got him off of drugs.
What has been the high point of your music path?
I guess for me the high points is getting complimentary emails from fans.
So, how do you approach songwriting or what is your creative process like? The song writing process goes something like the following:
Get an idea of something that I might be able to make a song from
Determine song format and outline what I am going to include in each section of the song
Listen to a site like Audio jungle to find a reference track that I think matches the message I am trying to convey with the song
I contract with an online studio (Demo My Song).
I submit my lyrics, the reference track, and a spec sheet( info about what I am trying to accomplish with the song to the online studio. I also request the producer to work with and the vocalist(s) to work with.
I have an initial call with the producer from the studio to go over everything I submitted to make sure we are on the same page before they start.
Once they producer has put all the music and vocals together and has a song he sends it back to me for my review.
Sometimes there some tweaks or small modifications.
Once I sign off on the track they send it to me and then I go into release mode.
If you could share the stage with one other artist or band, who would it be and why?
Since I just write I wouldn't be sharing the stage with anyone. If I could collaborate with anyone, I would love to work with Bono.
Pick one song that was your greatest challenge to write. Tell us about it! The one song I struggled with was one called 'Why Can't You See' It is a song about reversal about Roe Vs. Wade. It is written to state both sides of the issue without taking a side. It is written as a duet with one signer taking the pro-choice point of view and the other singer taking the pro-life point of view. The chorus for each singer simply states why can't you see 4 times. The point of the song is that even though this is a very divisive issue I think there is a common theme for both sides. The common theme is there is a lot of pain on each side of the aisle. The song's purpose is maybe both sides can take a step back away from winning an argument and really listen to the other side. This was hard to write because I do have strong feelings about this issue, but I felt compelled to try and make this song a vehicle for trying to make peace for both sides.
What is your favorite part about being an artist? Is it songwriting, performing, recording, something else?
My favorite part of songwriting is getting the completed song back from the studio. It is always a treat to hear my words come to life.
Okay, this a fun question. When you are not doing music, what else do you enjoy doing? I am an avid pickleball player. What's coming up in the future for you? My next song which is being released is titled "Unite or Divide"
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