However, it was the musicians' sophomore effort, Feeling Strangely Fine, that marked their major breakthrough in 1998. Full-length debut The Great Divide followed in 1996, garnering favorable critical reviews for its simple but sparkling take on modern pop. The group bounced back in 1995 by signing with MCA and releasing a self-produced EP, Pleasure. However, before the band could record, management reorganization at Elektra's headquarters resulted in the termination of Semisonic's contract.
It didn't take long for Semisonic (which had initially formed under the name Pleasure) to secure a record deal with Elektra.
While Trip Shakespeare had spent years amassing a loyal audience with artistic harmonies and unexpected guitar counterpoints, bandleader Wilson took Semisonic in an entirely different direction, embracing a tightly crafted sound that proved to be more appetizing to mainstream audiences. In the late 2010s, '90s nostalgia brought the band back together after nearly two decades, resulting in the 2020 EP You're Not Alone.įormed in the early '90s after the breakup of alt-rock outfit Trip Shakespeare, Semisonic were started by bandmembers and Minneapolis natives Dan Wilson and John Munson, who later recruited drummer Jacob Slichter. With this in mind then, here are ten tips Dan offers MusicRadar readers to kick-start and improve their songwriting craft: 1.American rock trio Semisonic injected post-grunge grit into harmonic power pop, a catchy formula that helped them score an enduring radio hit with 1998's Grammy-nominated "Closing Time." That single featured on their breakthrough sophomore effort, Feeling Strangely Fine, which helped them peak in the mainstream before they went on indefinite hiatus in the early 2000s after the release of their third album, All About Chemistry. I have to remind everyone who asks – make sure it’s someone who doesn’t need me, someone who’s already written an amazing song but maybe they need something to happen, or are stuck. Then the label says ‘Let’s put him in with Dan, he’s so nice! They’ll have a good time and then they’ll be willing to write with anyone we darn well ask them to!’ “I often get sent in to work with artists who are scared of co-writing and don’t want to do it, because they think it’s gonna be a terrible experience. He’s pretty self-effacing about what makes him such a deadly asset to the art. Today, with You’re Not Alone released and Semisonic back on the musical map, the collaboration requests are coming in thick and fast for Wilson. Kickstart your mobile or home recording studio and make music for less with the best budget laptops The ending of the song was pure improv by me, a one-time thing, and all her piano players since have had to memorise those exact notes. "We needed a song that told it how it was instead of showing with images. People say you must show and never tell, but I’m guilty of telling all the time! I’m always going for the most blunt and direct expression. This one had to be super direct, and I think that’s something I do really well. We wanted it plainer and less metaphorical than, say, Chasing Pavements even Rolling In The Deep is mysterious. "She also had the bones of Someone Like You. She was thinking like a playwright, she wanted a song that had nostalgia, that expressed the reason you’d be so upset about a break-up. Don’t You Remember was a brief, not a song. “When I came in, Adele had a vibe and lyrics for One And Only but not the right groove. Adele’s second album was the best-selling record in the world in 2011 and won numerous Grammys including Album Of The Year, with Wilson one of the contributors sharing the award.
The intro’s plaintive piano arpeggios? That’s Wilson, and he co-wrote and produced the song too, along with two others on 21. "The ending of was pure improv by me, a one-time thing, and all her piano players since have had to memorise those exact notes.