From Playlists to Jingles - My Take at the Native Texan Theme Song

Contest sparks creativity after months of COVID blues

I heard through Black Fret about a theme song contest for Native Texan Pilsner beer in early March. I'm a sucker for this type of contest, especially when the reward includes not just cold hard cash but also a year's supply of cold beer! In all honesty though, I decided to participate because it sparked my creativity and gave me a sense of direction. Being a performing artist during the COVID pandemic can feel directionless, and with a challenge to write a song that describes what it feels like to be a Texan and celebrate life’s simple pleasures, I knew I would have fun doing it. It has been months since I've written a song, and I embraced this as an opportunity to pick up my guitar and lose myself in the songwriting process.

Fine tuning lyrics on the deck of our beach house rental

The timing for writing the Native Texan theme song was pretty perfect, because my family and I were just hitting the road to Galveston for a getaway with my in-laws. Road-tripping to the coast was great inspiration for 'contemplating life's simple pleasures' and being a Texan. I'm a huge fan of Texas beaches and all of the awesome things the Texas outdoors has to offer, so I knew that had to be a big part of the song. I liked the idea rapid firing off a list of my favorite things in a sort of rock/blues/rap style mid way through the tune and ending with my ultimate favorite: Cold Native Texan beer and my guitar!

My jingle-making process

I think my knack for writing jingles is due in part to my experience curating custom playlists for a huge variety of companies. As a music programmer, I learned to translate a brand's image and customers' values into the music. In doing this work, I have listened to thousands of hours of music across every genre out there. I think that is why it comes naturally for me to break out into any style of music and find the one that best fits the message. The freedom of exploring new ideas and genres sets my creativity level to the on switch.

I am a guitarist first and foremost, so most of the time for me the guitar part comes first and the lyrics later. A trick that works for me is to just use made up words in place of real ones. This helps keep me from getting too hung up on trying to figure out the perfect lyrics and focus on crafting a melody. Eventually, the right words come to me that fit with the rhythm. Another important ingredient (and my personal favorite) is coming up with a catchy phrase that captures the brand name. Watch the final contest entry below!

May not have won, but had a whole lot of fun!

Me and my bro-in-law who filmed the music video

My brother-in-law, Branch Archer, filmed and edited the music video and we had such a great time taking silly shots on the lake. So much of it was spontaneous... I even ended up doing an impromptu BBQ complete with Stubb's BBQ sauce. I ultimately didn't win the contest, but I was among the Top 5 Finalists. There were so many great entries. Donnalou Stevens & The Texas Lovebirds took the prize!

I really enjoyed the whole process and am eagerly seeking out my next opportunity to get creative and drive brand engagement through music!