Tobias Bader On the Making Of “Rise Above”
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your "Rise Above" and the story it tells?
I have always loved disco, soul and funk music. To me writing a funky song with a catchy melody is the holy grail of songwriting. It is easier to write great melodies for pop or rock songs, but for funky songs that is much harder. That is why there are only so many great disco songs.
”Rise Above” is meant as an encouragement to transcend your fear driven choices and start trusting the power of love. Giving love is the thing that makes us most happy. As Buddhists say: 'altruism is the smartest form of egoism' because in the end it benefits you the most.
Were there any challenges or breakthrough moments during the songwriting process for this "Rise Above?"
The biggest breakthrough in the process of writing “Rise Above” was when I came up with the Harmonie vocals for the punchline sentence 'rise above'. Another one was recording the Clavinet. It was done by Jelte Noordveld and really got the funk into the song. It works really well with the guitars and bass line.
What are you most proud about "Rise Above?"
The catchy melody combined with the groove. And the seventies feel it has. I like the melody line for the horns that I came up with. It is quite unusual in the sense that it goes right through the vocal melody. I addlipped the idea. The Jay Horns did a great job arranging and recording it.
What is your songwriting process like? How do you usually start crafting a new song?
I usually start with a rhythm and some chords, just jamming on my acoustic guitar and improvising a melody. When I find something interesting I start structuring the composition, trying to find interesting transitions. Usually, I end up using a couple of chord sequences or parts in one song. “Rise Above” has 6 different parts: intro, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, bridge and the 'punch line'. That is quite a lot but it still sounds easy to follow. Some of the best songs are super simple though, but that does not always work.
In this case, I came up with the idea for the funky guitar riff in bed, already half asleep. Luckily I was present enough to record the idea! The next day I listened back and was really enthusiastic about it and and started going from there, building the song bit by bit.
Usually, I start with the music and then try to find the right words for it. I work together with a text writer, Dick Sinnige. His lyrics are a great inspiration for me, they are witty, sometimes with a deeper meaning but always open for different interpretations.
Can you share a memorable experience from a collaboration that enriched your music?
I compose my music alone, so I always find it very interesting and fun to work with other people in the recording process. I think it really enriches your music to get the input of other musicians. I am most thrilled that the great jazz pianist Brad Mehldau played on 4 songs of my previous album 'Lost On A Star'.
I know Brad personally but never dared to ask him to record for me. I mean, he is such a musical genius. Then he asked me to scream a German text of Hegel for his track "Herr Und Knecht'. I then had the nerve to ask him to record a couple of songs in return while being in the studio. Turns out he likes my music too! That was a great lesson for me: sometimes you just have to ask.