Lyric writing tips from 3rd World Spectator

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1) Hi Peter, how are things?

Awesome thanks, and yourself?

2) When did you first start writing lyrics? How do the lyrics you're producing these days differ from those early efforts?

I first started writing poems in high school and I was heavily influenced by the surreal imagery conjured up by David Bowie, Radiohead and Breyten Breytenbach. Everything was very vague and weird and didn't make a whole lot of sense, but it was great to play around with words and how you could construct visual imagery with abstract concepts.

Nowadays it's a lot of more to the point and there needs to be a central theme or idea to engage the audience with. It's still about the story, but as I'm growing older I feel more confident in sharing more of myself with the world.

3) From your own experience, what advice would you give to young lyric writers trying to find their voice?

In finding your voice, the key element is patience. Honing your talent is crucial and you need to expose yourself to different mediums and artists. A certain movie can spark the inspiration for a phrase or a word in a book could be the potential title of your next song. It's such a fun, uncertain process filled with frustration and small victories, but its extremely rewarding once the thread comes together and the lyric is intrinsically you.

4) If you had to brief your fans to write for you, what would you be looking for in lyrics submitted for Sing ‘it that you'd be excited to record in terms of approach, style and content?

We are looking for someone who is honest, yet poetic, who truly feels they can channel a certain emotion and make their audience know exactly what they are talking about. We want to see lyrics that are anthemic, inspiring, emotionally charged. Write about the stars, write about maths, write about how a boy/girl broke your heart. We can't wait to see your lyrics!