Name: Debra-Jean Creelman
Occupation: Singer, songwriter
Nationality: Canadian
Current release: Debra-Jean Creelman's Ego Death is out now.

If you enjoyed this Debra-Jean Creelman interview and would like to stay up to date with her music, visit her official homepage. She is also on Instagram, Facebook, and twitter.



Do you think that some of your earliest musical experiences planted a seed for your interest in writing lyrics or poetry? How and when did you start writing?

I sang in church growing up, and my first professional gig was a funeral - so I'd say those experiences probably contributed to my leaning towards the spiritual side of making music.

It is sometimes said that “music begins where words end.” What do you make of that?

Music is universal, and can tap into a deeper place than most of us are existing in on a daily basis.

Entering new worlds and escapism through music and literature have always exerted a very strong pull on me. What do you think you are drawn to most when it comes to writing?

For me writing is very cathartic. I tend to feel out of sorts if I haven't written a new song in a while.

What were some of the artists and albums which inspired you early on purely on the strength of their lyrics?   

Leonard Cohen Bob Dylan Nick Cave

What moves you in the lyrics of other artists?

Honesty.

What kind of musical settings and situations do you think are ideal for your lyrics?

Introspective ones.

When working on music, when do the lyrics enter the picture? Where do they come from?

I always have several files of lyric ideas going at any given time. Each file has a different theme.

I jot things down as they come to me, and then come back to them later when I've found a new chord progression / melody.

Do lyrics need to grow together with the music or can they emerge from a place of their own?

Either. It's a bit different every time.

When you're writing song lyrics, do you sense or see a connection between your voice and the text? Does it need to feel and sound “good” or “right” to sing certain words?  

There are definitely some words that sing better than others. There are so many great words that don't sing well, which is kind of a bummer when you realize that you can't use them in a song.

A lot of the time words will come out of certain vowel sounds / the way I'm vocalizing when I'm humming the melody.

In how far are you consciously aware of the meaning of the lyrics you're writing during the creative process?

Sometimes there's something that I'm wanting to write about / get across. And sometimes lyrics just come randomly, and the story will kind of write itself.

Do you need to have a concrete concept or can the words take the lead?

Either.

What do you express through music that you couldn't or in more mundane tasks?

I find music is the most evocative art form. But I'm biased of course.