creative differences

[fancy_a_cuppa]

Hey all, third post or something i think... sorry if this is in the wrong place, don't really know where to put it.

Basically, we're a recently formed band who are all reasonably competent with our instruments, however our vocalist (a long standing friend of ours) while having a very expansive voice and could probably sing just about anything, is typically mainstream and seems to draw his influences mostly on punkrock like Greenday and Blink and all that, which is a horrible shame as myself and the bassist have a pretty wide ranging taste which goes from Underoath, Biffy Clyro, Coheed and Cambria, Feeder, My Chemical Romance, FFAF, The Killers. Emo to rock to indy. We're pretty much drawing influences from every end of the spectrum. However, as we see it now... our vocalist (who is very keen on only singing his own lyrics) appears to be drawing us down the road of typical school band with 4 chords to a song and really american vocals and basic lyrics for instance "i sat out on the wall outside your door, and i could hear the bottles fall" which smacks of lyrics made to fit the rhyme. Anyway, we've tried desperately to meet him in the middle musical taste wise, toning down the harder edge of the guitars and dumbing down fast riffs and suggesting he get listening to some of the stuff we do, however he's adament at sticking to his guns.

Other than chucking him out of the band, what do we do?

[moaner]

explain to him what he's doing, and the way you feel he's holding you all back. Most people can be pretty reasnoble and not realise they're doing somehting, and talking behrind their back about it can make it worse.

[fancy_a_cuppa]

we're trying, though he gets very defensive when we question his style.

[Nicko_Shmicko]

I've been un-believably lucky in my band, in that we're all heading in the same direction and it is rare we have creative differences. I have difficulty jamming with other people now because of our connection.

[PoWaToM]

get everyone in your band to write a song each and say 'this is the stuff we wanna play, your lyrics suck'

[airborne50caliber]

we're trying, though he gets very defensive when we question his style.

tough ****, someone that defensive is no use, tell him to lose the attitude.

[Moseph]

we're trying, though he gets very defensive when we question his style.

don't make it a question of his style. Just encourage him to try something new for the sake of trying something new.

[fancy_a_cuppa]

aye, we're getting there i think. we had a huge chat last night, the whole band, and we basically ripped apart his lyrics... harsh it may be but i think he needed it. Whatever he's writing now, we're all gonna take a look at and improve it whether he likes it or not.

[gaslight]

Does he sing without playing an instrument?

If so, you guys are pretty much free to make whatever music you want aren't you, I mean, just because his lyrics might be simple doesn't mean you can't put inventive music under it.

Kicking him out would be a last resort, good vocalists don't come along often.

[fancy_a_cuppa]

he left. unfortunately.
you're right about good vocalists, but he was completely unsympathetic to the style we wanted to do, so his sh*t lyrics didnt matter in the end at all, cos he was never happy with what we produced.

to be perfectly honest, he never should have joined. his mentality to it is geared up as a band based around him, and not as a group effort.

therefore = destined to be a solo artiste.
luckily for the band though, we may be pulling in a frontman from another local band who has next year free for us.