You might think being a stunningly successful Country songwriter at the peak of his career would be enough to keep a guy satisfied, but you haven't met Dave Berg. His songwriting credits include the No. 1 Country hits "Somebody" by Reba McEntire, "If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)" and "These Are My People" by Rodney Atkins, and "Moments" by Emerson Drive. He was named the ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year in 2008, the Billboard and NSAI Country Songwriter of the Year in 2007, and wrote the 2007 Billboard and ASCAP Country Song of the Year. Another of Berg's hits, "Stupid Boy," was recorded by Keith Urban and earned a Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. In addition to writing for others, Berg has recorded and released three solo albums, Three Perfect Days (1999), Surface (2003) and Not Quite So Alone (2011).
In October, Berg participated in the ASCAP Songwriter Residency @ America SCORES, a mentorship program that provides a platform for songwriters to engage and inspire elementary and middle school students in under-resourced neighborhoods. Berg led songwriting classes with America SCORES students at Jefferson Elementary in St. Louis and then took the kids to Shock City Studios to record their song, which will be included on a special compilation CD that ASCAP produces and distributes to each of the schools involved with the program, as well as to music industry influencers nationwide.
Playback sat down with Dave Berg in New York City in November, just before his appearance at the ASCAP-sponsored CMA Songwriters Series at Joe's Pub, to talk about his experience with the SCORES program, the unique creative environment that is Nashville, and the making of a completely honest, unapologetic record.
You grew up in Portland, Oregon. How did you end up writing Country music in Nashville?
Well, it was an interesting process, because I didn't listen to Country music as a kid. It wasn't really considered very cool to listen to Country in Portland, although Southern rock was huge there -- Lynyrd Skynyrd and bands like that. It's funny how people separate the two, because they're not really all that much different. Anyway, I used to play in rock bands in Portland and I would go down to L.A. sometimes, and I don't know why, but I just never felt right there. It didn't feel like me. I'd heard you could make a living writing songs in Nashville, so I started watching CMT and I heard some amazing songs with incredible lyrics, written by these songwriters that had been working there for 30 or 40 years. The craft was amazing; I still call it the Harvard of songwriting. I visited there a couple of times and it had a nice small town feel to it, so I packed up a U-Haul and moved.
I'm sure every songwriter starts out thinking they want to be a big star -- the songwriter and the performer. It can be hard to get to the point where they realize they can write a great song, but they don't need to be the person singing it. Was that a difficult transition for you to make?
Actually, not really, because I think I've always been a song guy. And as a song guy, I loved the idea of the craft and of learning it from these incredible writers that had created the classics. That said, occasionally I write a song that makes me think, "Hmmm, I might just set this one over here for my next record."
The trend from Nashville today seems to be that so much of the music coming out of there really isn't Country, as some people might consider it. Has that made it more fulfilling to work there as a songwriter, to not be confined to one specific genre?
Yeah, and I would have to say that as much as I love and respect traditional Country music, I don't know that I would have had the career I've had if Country had not branched out the way it did. It's interesting, when you come from more of a rock background and you work that kind of a groove into a song, and then you end up with a very Country guy singing it. It's really exciting how it takes on a totally different, fresh kind of feel.
One thing Nashville has taught me is that when it comes to music, I just like what I like. I think music is either good or bad -- sometimes it's done well and other times not so much -- but genres don't seem to really matter to me anymore.
You just released your third solo record, Not Quite So Alone, which really isn't Country at all. What was it like to put aside all expectations and completely focus on something that is more of a reflection of who you really are?
That's a great question. Well, I thought it was going to be awesome, and then I quickly realized that the buck stops with you when it's your project and your voice. It turned into a very grueling and personal experience for me that took much longer than I thought it would. But it was great to just be wide open with no expectations; that's really a beautiful place to be with music. Making a record always centers me and reminds me of the importance of writing from a pure and honest place.
Were these songs written specifically to be released on your record?
Yes, all of the songs were written specifically for this record. Looking back, I think I was trying to write my way out of, or at least towards answers to, some things I was questioning in my life. I think I somewhat selfishly also wanted to know I wasn't alone in what I was feeling. I really beat myself up to make every note and every word on this record as honest, unafraid and unapologetic as it could be, and I kept reminding myself of how my favorite records seem to have no agenda other than that.
Again, this isn't really a Country record. Are you also looking to branch out to the Pop and Rock markets when you write for others?
Yes, definitely, but mostly I just want to get into a room with talented people who are inspiring and fun, no matter what genre they identify themselves with. I've found that's the recipe for creating great music, whether it's Rock, Pop, Country or whatever. I really try not to over think any of the success I've had, but of my songs that were successful in some respect, I can tell you they were a lot of fun to write. They came from a good place, in the company of good people. Besides, I love all kinds of music, and I really just love the writing process, so, yes, I'd like to get involved in a little bit of everything.
Are those kinds of opportunities available, being based in Nashville, or do you feel like you need to go to L.A. or New York? There seems to be a lot of Pop and Rock coming out of Nashville…
Yeah, Nashville is definitely a fascinating scene these days. I mean, absolutely, you still have to go to New York and L.A., and that can be a little challenging. But it seems everyone is coming to Nashville more often than ever, because the business is getting smaller and all these worlds are converging. I think Nashville doesn't quite have the stigma anymore that it might once have had, and people are starting to realize that. I mean, now we have Jack White and Kings of Leon, and bands like The Black Keys and The Civil Wars coming out of Nashville. I think people are realizing that Nashville is just a really great song town, and that's what I love about it.
You're here in New York to perform at the CMA Songwriters Series showcase at Joe's Pub. Have you done that before?
I have. I think this is my third time. You know, the first time I ever played here, I was worried, because I didn't really know how New Yorkers were going to react to Country music. It turned out to be such a great experience. I think when people here see the actual writers performing these songs it just becomes a different sort of an animal. The shows tonight are sold out, so there definitely seems to be an audience for it, which feels a little strange but is incredibly cool at the same time.
You recently participated in the ASCAP Songwriter Residency @ America SCORES at an elementary school in St. Louis. Tell me a little bit about your experience and what your expectations were going into it. Did you have any idea what you were getting yourself into?
No idea, and honestly I was a little scared, but I have to say it was pretty awesome. There were sixteen kids from about nine to eleven years old in my group. I had a feeling I could find a way to connect with these kids though, since I'm really just a big kid myself. So I went in there, put on a loop and started jammin', and judging by their reaction I knew we were in for some fun. I'm sure they were just relieved I didn't walk in there with a fiddle or something.
That's great. So how did you draw them out of themselves? What were some of the methods you used?
Well, it was fascinating. I had all of these questions ready that were supposed to get the kids to dig deep, questions I thought would inspire some really insightful answers. I had them write their thoughts down and then I took it all home that night to piece it together. I thought I was asking these really engaging questions, like "Do you think life is unfair and why?" -- things like that. All of the kids came back with answers like "Yeah, it's unfair, my sister gets too much attention." Every one of their answers was along those lines, so I guess that question didn't come across quite the way I wanted it to. But when I suggested we write some poems together, I just said "I am…" and let them complete the sentence, and wow. These kids started writing some ridiculously great, profound things. So that was it! They got really excited and we took it from there. Sometimes you just have to bob and weave until you find something that works.
Did it make a difference that you're known as a Country songwriter, and the music those kids listen to is probably not Country? Did you talk about that?
Yeah, I approached it. I'm sure they were just as nervous about working with me as I was with them. I mean, here comes this Country songwriter into their school; I'm sure they were wondering how they were going to even relate to a guy like me. But I think we got past all of that pretty quickly once we put on a loop and started having fun.
What is the title of the song that you ended up with, and what was the writing and recording process like? You did it all in three days?
It's called "I Can Be What I Wanna Be." On the first day, I had them write down their poems and the answers to my questions. I then took their words back to my hotel and began piecing the lyrics together later that night. The second day was more entertaining for them once we started jamming and putting the lyrics to music. That's when they really started to get excited. On the third day, in the studio, of course their eyes got huge. They were so wound up. I told them if they want to be rock stars and rappers they had better come up with nicknames for themselves. They did, and so in the studio we incorporated that into the song. I sang the line "Hey, if we're gonna do this right, y'all need a nickname that you can go by." It was fun watching how focused they became on working their parts out to the song. By the way, they gave me a nickname too. I'm going by D-Man now, if anybody asks.
For more information about Dave Berg, visit www.daveberg.com. Listen to Berg discuss his latest record, Not Quite So Alone, in an ASCAP Audio Portrait: www.ascap.com/network/audioportraits/Dave_Berg.
