Ted Sablay (The Killers)
Key Takeaways
- Ted Sablay tests the completion of his demos by ruthlessly sequencing them on playlists right next to classic, highly admired songs.
- A song is officially considered done by Sablay only when it no longer actively annoys him.
- Unlike many songwriters who find inspiration through walking or running, Sablay often generates his core concepts while lifting weights during chest day.
- Sablay rejects the romantic notion of the muse, instead treating songwriting like a prose writer's craft that requires daily repetition and showing up.
- The touring guitarist and musical director for The Killers released a solo album titled State & Motion.
"I'll put my demos and finished songs on playlists alongside artists and songs I really admire. It's a great test to determine if a song is done. And it's usually pretty brutal because it's not really fair to play my demo right after a classic U2 song. But it gets me motivated," says Ted Sablay, the touring guitarist and musical director for The Killers. And how does Sablay know when a song is done? "When it no longer annoys me," he says.
Like most songwriters I interview, Sablay gets many song ideas through movement. But unlike most of them, his ideas come when he's lifting weights. "I think of a lot concepts on rep two of chest day. And if I don't watch it, my breaks become too long." Sablay's songwriting process parallels his lifting routine: he believes in the reps. He has little time for the idea of the muse and instead fashions his writing process like a prose writer's process: you need to do it every day.
Ted Sablay's solo album is called State & Motion.
*photo by Ashley Marie Myers
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Ted Sablay?
Ted Sablay is the touring guitarist and musical director for The Killers, as well as a solo artist who released the album State & Motion.
How does Ted Sablay know when a song is finished?
Sablay knows a song is done when it no longer annoys him and when it can stand up on a playlist next to his favorite classic tracks.
Where does Ted Sablay get his songwriting ideas?
Sablay frequently conceives song ideas while working out, specifically during weightlifting sessions like rep two of chest day.
