Stars Go Dim Score Songwriting Session With Hit Maker Evan Bogart
posted in: OurStage Updates
Oklahoma pop-rockers Stars Go Dim won the Grand Prize for the SUBWAY FRESH ARTISTSâ„¢ Competition back in October, and earned the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to open for GRAMMY-Award winning band the Goo Goo Dolls. In addition to the performance, the guys scored a one-on-one songwriting session with professional songwriter Evan Kidd Bogart who, in case you hadn’t heard, has worked with some of the biggest acts in today’s music industry including Beyoncé, Rihanna and Britney Spears to name a few. Bogart is synonymous with songwriting gold in the pop universe, having penned mega hits the likes of Beyonce’s Halo and Rihanna’s S.O.S. The guys met with Bogart last week to discuss all things songwriting, and we caught up with Stars Go Dim lead singer Michael Wittig to see how things went. Take a look at our most recent Q&A below!
OS: Did you guys have a song in mind to work on when you went in to the session?
MW: We had a couple of ideas that we’ve been working on before we went out to LA. We basically started working on the first idea we showed Evan called Lose It. We came in with a hook and a first verse and then finished the rest of the song in about 4 hours. The song turned out great! We plan on recording it later in March.
OS: Did you have any specific questions lined up for him?
MW: Not really at first. We just were excited to have the opportunity to collaborate with a great writer and his team. Towards the end of the session we just talked about the music industry in general and how to release music in today’s market. We also took time to watch YouTube videos and listen to artists that Evan thought were going to hit soon.
OS: What kinds of advice did Evan offer you?
MW: He basically said to keep on doing what we’ve been doing. It felt good to know that we are on the right track and that we saw eye-to-eye with his thoughts on the industry.
OS: Were you surprised by what he said?
MW: We were pleasantly surprised and it felt good to hear it from a well-respected player in the music industry.
OS: Has the session changed the way you look at writing songs? If so, how?
MW: You never know how writing sessions will go. Sometimes you click and sometimes you don’t. We felt that we clicked with Evan and the writing camp. It felt natural and the song came easy. It was a true collaboration.
OS: Did Evan share any cool stories with you guys about his experiences working with famous artists?
MW: All of his stories were cool. He has worked with a lot of great artists. What was really cool was his wall of signatures. Almost every person he has worked with has signed his wall. On another wall, he had a bunch of sheet music as wallpaper. Of course they were all hit songs. He called this wall, The wall of inspiration. I think we are going to steal that idea.