Dan Spencer Once Bitten EP - Music Record Overview
MUSIC = LIFE is something you will hear me say a lot. You will even see that statement in a lot of my online content. Music is one of the few things that keeps me moving through life. It gives meaning when there is none, it gives me hope when all is lost, and it takes me to a place of absolution. It is my outlet. As a songwriter I get to write about things related to my life but I also get to tell stories. These stories can be about other people's experiences, my own journey, or even fictional creations of my own. There is no limitation when it comes to writing. It's truly a beautiful thing.
When I was writing my record, Once Bitten, I was transitioning from the rocky side of pop into a more modern day beat-based sound. It was something that was a long time coming. I produced this type of music for several other artists so I knew that I could do it. I also knew I wanted to make a dark record since most of my prior music had been uplifting. The lyrical content of Once Bitten is about lost and imperfect love. I really wanted to tap into the pain of others through real and make believe stories. The thing I find most nostalgic about fictional stories is though they may not be real to me, they can be real to others. I've been wanting to write a blog post about my record for a while now. I often get asked what my songs are about so I figured I would do a little storyteller's post. Below you can read a little snippet about each song and there are also links to listen.
1. VAMPIRE: This song was honestly inspired by my love for vampires and the Twilight movies. Twilight ... I know, I know! Though this song is called Vampire it is not about these mythological creatures at all. Vampire is actually a metaphor for the type of person in the story. This song is about two people who are in love but one knows they are not good for the other. They believe because of the person they are that they will eventually destroy the other. They love them so much that they are saying take my life before I take yours. Though this song is upbeat, it really does tell a sad but beautiful love story. I guess you can say it is a similar story to that of Edward and Bella but minus the happy ending. It's a modern day version of tragic love.
2. Paper Trail: So I will get this out right off the bat ... this is my favorite song on the record! From music to lyrics, I think this song tells a really cool story that a lot of us have experienced at some point in our lives. This song tells a story where one person doubts the other's love. Even though they know they are perfect together their insecurities make them question if it's even real. They are so unsure of themselves, for whatever reason, that they run away from love. Even though they run the other knows their love is true and pure. They won't give up until the other sees the truth and will do everything to help them believe. This is a story of powerful but imperfect love.
3. Testify: I originally began writing this song for someone else but it didn't go anywhere. I would say that I actually struggled with this one the most. The original chorus was completely different in both mood and tempo. It took me a while but when the chorus clicked boy did it ever! I really love how it turned out. It starts out with a drop and then kicks in with vocals and the full beat halfway through. I guess you can say that I followed the David Guetta formula for this one. For all you producers out there you'll know what I'm talking about. Lyrically this song is pretty straight forward. It's about two people who have been together a very long time. Their love has slowly died over the years to the point where it ends. This is the saddest song on the record to me. Love is so hard to find and to see it end crushes the soul. Especially when it lasted for what seems like a lifetime. To be honest, I wish when people are listening to this song that they can't relate but I know that many will.
4. Confess: First off, this song is not about cheating! I know every aspect of the lyrics will tell you that but it's truthfully not. There are many things that surround a relationship that can destroy it. There are secrets and backstories that can shake the foundation if they were to come out. Have you ever heard the saying, "Our love was built on a lie"? That saying is a good way to describe what I was going for. Truthfully this song was written for the audience to interpret how they want. With that being said you guys can fill in the blanks from here.
5. If You Only Knew: Next to Paper Trail this is my favorite song on the record. This song is sad but in a beautiful way. It's about protection and making someone's life better because of it. It's about shielding them from all the bad in the world while knowing the consequences of it. It slowly breaks down the protector taking a piece of their soul each time. They are essentially giving their life, for whom they love, because they love them so much. This to me is one of the greatest, most nostalgic love stories of our time.