I love your philosophy on work and completing projects! I generally settle at 80% complete too, so that I can move onto the next project. I love seeing my tracks stack up over time, it’s so rewarding.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot, perfectionism and it’s opposite which would be flow, like real creativity. Being in the moment and just making something. I think tapping into that everyday as opposed to “perfecting” something over a year, is where you get the sauce. It directly correlates to the fear of failure. I had such a hard time moving past this but it is ESSENTIAL to growing. Like every time I finish writing a song I learn what I do and don’t like about songs and what I can do differently next time. It is so much more valuable to make things with no pressure and learn from the act of doing it. The music always improves. I like what Rick Rubin says about finishing songs. “The art is done when there isn’t anything else you would change about it”
My problem is that the lyrics I’m trying to write are like actual pieces of me and It’s hard to accept that I’ll rewrite the same song later in a different way because I feel like the material has been « used ». If ever you have any tips to overcome this I’m all ears. Thanks in advance
I’m this way too. Lyrics don’t feel good unless they are personal. I have come to accept though that with that care, you almost do yourself a disservice by not writing and putting it out. I love the old songs my favorite artists put out even if they were less skilled at the time. Many of my favorite artists write about the same thing to but just in different ways that are fresh.
Thanks for sharing this Kiefer. Some additional questions popped up though: How do you decide which beat is going to be finished i.e. turned into a full song? Do you decide that “this (daily) beat that I’m working on right now shows promise and I’ll turn it into a full song”? If so, when do you start turning it into a full song? Immediatelly or you set yourself a reminder to do it later? Or do you go back to previous “unfinished” beats (like the short loop you presented at the end) and sift through them until you find one you want to work on? I realize that there’s no right answer to this but I’m curious about this part of your process too.
You are correct that there is no "right" or "wrong" way to do it, but the way that works for me is as follows: Everyday, I usually have two phases of my workflow. I make a new beat idea, and then I spend the rest of the time fleshing out previous ideas that appear to have real potential. When I start finishing pieces, however, is usually during "album mode". This is a whole other approach than my usual daily routine. When this mode happens (which is whenever it feels right to me), I make a playlist of 20-40 candidate songs, and as you said, I will sift through them to pick my best dozen or so. Then, I impose my creative will onto them until they are "finished" (whatever that means lol). Sometimes I have to record new songs, sometimes I have to reach way back in my archive to find an old one that'll enhance the vibe of the album. "Album Mode" has many phases of its own as well. In total, "Album Mode" usually takes a month of working all day long on it every single day. Album mode is extremely fun for me, and usually I crave going into it (I've been in this mode 7 times now, so it is familiar, fun, and I often look forward to it). Though I crave it, I rarely give in to that craving, because when I go into album mode, I usually drop almost everything else in my life and go all the way in. So it has to be the right time.
Given there is actually so much music already I think you can better work on one song and make it perfect than working on 10 songs that are 90% done, from a musical perspective at least. But I would agree with you if you really want to make being a musician/producer into a career.
