MTB Episode 9

The episode opens with the guys being interviewed by Shirley Halperin of Hits Magazine. She reads a recent review which called their first album an ‘abomination’ and their group a ‘paint by numbers’ act. Halperin then says if they could get their own material on the next album, it would go a long way towards gaining them respect. The guys all agree with this and begin the creative process of song writing. Dan says he wants to create songs that mean something and are fun for him to perform. In their home studio, Ashley impresses Jacob with the catchy ‘I Know’, and Jacob sings a bit of ‘Meant For You’, a love song for Janie, to Dan. The guys then have a meeting with Clive Davis to discuss their plans for the next album. Clive asks them who they think they should go to for material for the next album. They tell him they really want to write their own material. The next scene focuses on Trevor’s initial efforts to songwrite. He realizes it will be a long process and gets some much needed advice from his friend and fellow labelmate, Rich Cronin, then sings the hook of his new song, ‘I Do,’ to Jacob.

Dan sings a bit of ‘American Game’ for Trevor, accompanying himself on acoustic guitar. He tells Trevor he’s proud of himself for just having learned it from musical director Billy Chapin the day before. Trevor assumed he had learned to play the guitar some time ago. Jacob is shown working on his song for Janie, then calls her from Orlando and asks if she can get some time off to come visit him. He explains that he values her opinion on his songwriting more than anyone else’s and that she would help relieve the tension he’s feeling at submitting his songs. They do some skateboarding together then have a spiritual discussion about God. Jacob plays a new song called “The Preacher” to Janie, asking whether she thinks it’s too ‘serious’ for O-Town music. She says no, that she likes it, and he’ll never know if it will be accepted unless he submits it.

Jacob talk to Mike Morin talking about his concerns that J Records doesn’t have the same musical taste as he does. Mike teases him about always being the artist, then tells him they are trying to create a new sound and that not many boybands have done that successfully, quoting only the Beatles and Led Zeppelin. Mike reminds him they play their own instruments and have written some good songs, and that not many bands in their position get much input on their first couple of albums. Jacob says he will continue to submit material to J Records. He presents the demo of Meant For You to Clive Davis. Clive tells him it’s an album cut, but not single material, and could have had more lyrical depth. In the studio soundroom with Trevor, Jacob expresses his disappointment at Clive’s reaction to his song, saying he’d hoped for more. He says he’s written lots of songs for Janie but that this is the first opportunity he’s had to get one on an album. Trevor tells him that he’s writing music so that people can hear it, and that it doesn’t matter if it’s on a street corner or in a concert. Jacob responds that he wants Janie to hear it, and Trevor says, ‘well then dude, we’ll do it!” Jacob performs Meant For You in London, finishes the song and walks offstage to embrace Janie.

Memorable Quotes:
Jacob: We sing countless love songs to girls every night in our show, but to be able to sing my song, to my girl, just makes it so much better.
Trevor (on songwriting): It’s not [going] to come out of my mouth and onto the paper, and just be brilliant…it’s going to be trial and error basically.