Video:Matthew Koma: Collaborating With Artists

Transcript:Matthew Koma: Collaborating With Artists

What tips would you give an artist on how to collaborate effectively with other artists -- how to avoid tension and that kind of thing?

Why Collaborating With Artists Is Important

It's really important, it's really really important. Remember, I came from a background of playing in a lot of rock bands and growing up kind of playing in punk bands in New York, and throughout that process being very stubborn, and being very like -- "I don't want to collaborate, I'm figuring my stuff out and I need to figure out who I am."  And funny enough, I hooked up with a writer named Sam Waters maybe about two, three years ago at this point, and he taught me a lot about pop songwriting and how it was okay to bring my influence and what I knew and apply that to something he knew in that particular case.  It was really eye-opening because I realized in that moment, like wow, like collaborating is important -- you really get to see somebody else's insight. 

Learn More When Collaborating With Artists

He taught me a lot about his insight and that wound up being something I can adopt and use in my song writing.  I realized from that point forward, collaborating with all these different people -- be it Red Foo and LMFAO or whomever -- and all these people with different reference points -- they're all going to have their process, they're all going to have their way and their reasoning for the why they go about it and how they connect with a person or how they connect their songs with their fan base.  There's something to learn from every single one of them, because there's just value to it. I mean, it works for them, and it works for them in each individual unique way so collaborating, I mean, there just always something to learn.

Combine Processes When Collaborating With Artists

And sometimes that's hard to do when you're writing about an idea or when you're working on something that's coming from a real and personal place.  So, I always found that it's easier for me when I first work with somebody or when I first work with a writer or a different producer to really not be as precious about it. And if the vibe is great and if it's immediate and if it feels like you can really be yourself in that moment and really contribute as if you were alone in a bedroom, then great, but if not -- that's the opportunity to kind of see what the other person brings to the table and really take note and say, "ok cool, so this isn't how I'd do it but that's the point of collaborating." It's not just supposed to be how I'd do it, it's supposed to be how we would both interact and get to the finish line.  Even if you have it down pat and you have your process there's one little piece of information that might make you think about it differently next time, it's just good to have that in the arsenal. 

  For More Information on Matthew Koma:

• Matthew Koma's Official Site: http://www.matthewkoma.com
• Listen to Matthew's Parachute EP: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playListId=528699766