September/October 2011 Lyric Spotlight Q&A: J.D. Budd

American Songwriter
Lyric Contest Q&A
1^st Place
“Blood Texas Sky”
Written by J.D. Budd

What inspired you to first start writing songs?

I started writing novels and screenplays, and I just found it didn’t suit me very well. I turned to songwriting out of that and  found that it suited me better, so I’ve tried to stick it out for a while.

What drew you to the topic of Texas?

I grew up in Saskatchewan, which is in the Western part of Canada, in a small farming town, so I think there’s some way to identify with the landscape. But probably more through authors that I’m a fan of, like Cormac McCarthy and guys like that. And the backdrop just suited the story of the song well.

Have you ever visited Texas? Did it satisfy your expectations?

I drove through Texas one time. I don’t think it was an experience in line with what I’m writing about, but yeah, it was great to be there.

Do you play any instruments?

I’ve played a little in the past, but it’s mainly the rest of my family. My dad, my mom and my grandmother are all piano players and my dad was a guitar player. I don’t quite have their skills in that way, so I better stick to the writing.

Do you usually have a melody to go along with the lyrics?

Most of the time I do. Sometimes I don’t, depending on the song. I just try to get the words out first. That’s about as much as I concern myself with. If I can get the words out well then sometimes there’s a melody in my head that goes along with it, but sometimes it comes along later.

Who are your some of your favorite songwriters?

That’s a long list. But guys like Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, The Rolling Stones. That was the kind of stuff I grew up listening to with my parents and grandparents. And anybody from Steve Earle and Jamey Johnson to Pearl Jam and Tom Waits.

Who are some of your favorite Canadian musicians?

As a kid, Bryan Adams was always probably at the top of the list. And I grew into Neil Young over time, but he probably stands at the top of that list now.

What’s the music scene like in Aurora?

Aurora is very close to Toronto, which has a phenomenal music scene. It’s very diverse and there’s a lot of great clubs, big to small and everywhere in between. So anything you want is there. It’s a great place to be close to.

Do you ever perform at open mic nights?

Nobody wants to hear me sing, so no.

How did you find out about our lyric contest?

My wife pushed me towards finding something to do with my lyrics once I started to get serious about songwriting. I guess it was mostly through the web that I eventually landed on your contest. I was familiar with the magazine itself so I think that’s what prompted me to enter.

Do your songs tend to be autobiographical?

Yes, to some degree, but I don’t know about how literal it always is. I think without question the moods and feelings are autobiographical.

What’s your day job and how do you balance the two?

I’m in pharmaceutical sales, but if something hits me I write it wherever I am. I find a lot of things come to me in bits and pieces. I’ll have a bunch of ideas for a song and then I sit down and I’ll try to finish it off and pull it all together.