Today’s challenge, write, record, upload and perform a brand new song at open mic in less than a day. What could possibly go wrong???
You may recall a while back I set myself a challenge to write a song in thirty minutes, which I did… the song was called ‘My Toaster Wants Me Dead’ and you can read about that here:
That blog was, in part, about how the lack of any time constraint what-so-ever can be an enemy to creativity. Or indeed just simply, getting stuff done. Putting decisions off that you don’t have to make until later, or in the case of songwriting, decisions that you simply don’t have to make at all, often means you don’t actually produce anything. Nothing to show for the little time you have.
I haven’t written as much recently. I kind of think it’s to do with the fact that I’m almost playing catchup with the songs I’ve already written. Having now made the move to try and record what I’m doing, either at home or in the studio, has made me realise just how much ‘stock’ there is hiding out in the backroom, that might as well be ‘on the shelves’. The songs might not be everyone’s cup of tea at times, but they’re no use to me hiding in some scribbled notes in the back of an exercise book.
I think I remember reading that Bruce Springsteen has spoken about having very strict ‘input and output’ stages. Periods in which he writes, and then periods for which he records or performs. Each stage actually produces the fuel, so to speak, for the next.
Writing, though I’ve found, is like going to the gym. If you get out of the habit, it can be hard to break back in, so a new challenge is called for. I know I can write quickly, but can I put my new found home recording skills to the test too? Can a song be taken from inception to recording, to performance in front of people in just a day? Of course it can. There’s no rules to say it can’t, just the suspicion of common sense that it doesn’t happen that often.
Sunday...
So yesterday, at lunchtime, I wrote a song, and I called it ‘I Dropped The Shopping’ - because that appears in the first line of the song. I did have some chord ideas ahead of time I’d been looking to try out, but no tune or structure. Once I’d come up with the first few lines, it started to remind me, (in spirit but not musically) of ‘Hate It Here’ by Wilco, which basically recounts the unhappiness of a man living in the home he used to share with his partner.
Listen to 'Hate It Here' by Wilco
Last time I wrote about homicidal toasters, and now this… you’d assume that my home life is pretty unpleasant, which certainly isn’t the case. Stylistically this song might not be exactly what I’m fishing for at the moment, but it’s what came out, so…
I Dropped The Shopping
Verse 1.
I dropped the shopping on the floor,
I had forgotten you don’t live here anymore.
Take a breath and let it out,
I don’t feel nothing ‘cept the urge to scream and shout.
Chorus.
About the way that you left me, and the promises you made,
The way that you told me, you were tired of this charade,
And you never could have loved me, however hard I prayed,
For you to change
For you to change
Verse 2.
I guess it was a foolish dream,
But I’m a fool for love as unlikely as it seems.
Now the words stick in my throat,
You made the last two years into a two bit anecdote.
Chorus.
Instrumental.
Outro.
I dropped the shopping on the floor,
I had forgotten you don’t live here anymore.
Recording...
For acoustic demos like this I record live. I have a two channel PreSonus interface, that I plug one mic and my guitar straight into. I sing and play, and if it’s acceptable, I mix it a bit, reverb, EQ… and that’s it. I might have been able to do better, but remember, procrastination is my enemy here. Today I'm in the business of getting it done, because I’m going to an open mic night tonight and I’m going to play it.
So this is how it came out…
Okay skip forward to the evening. Before I tell you this, I’m aware I used the phrase, ‘What could possibly go wrong’ earlier..... Welcome to live music. ;-)
Playing...
Before my slot, I decide to open my three song set with ‘Copperhead Road’ by Steve Earle. There’s a band in front of me, I want to hold onto some of that energy before I unveil my lo-fi shopping orientated masterpiece, and ‘Copperhead Road’ is an easy to play rabble rouser, albeit in DADGAD tuning. I tune my guitar appropriately and on I go.
Half a verse in the sound system starts to cut in and out and splutter. I try to carry on but it appears there is some kind of problem with the wireless gear that’s being used, so the receiver gets swapped. I kind of keep playing and having a joke with the audience, but after another twenty seconds or so the same problem happens again, forcing me to stop. The moment I was hoping to retain has been lost. It's nobody’s fault really, technical issues happen sometimes, I decide to abandon the song, retune, and go for the new song, to give the organisers a minute to try and troubleshoot the problem, when TWANG… I break a string.
Fortunately, faced with more downtime to change the string, a fellow open miker lends me his guitar (thank you, Duncan). So with an unfamiliar instrument, a page of partially legible lyrics (I have beautiful handwriting I think, it just can’t be read at a distance by humans) and a few scribbled chords, I explain what I’m doing, and lurch into the song. Here’s a very short video as proof.... ;-)
Aside from a briefly stumble going into the first chorus, which, as previously mentioned, could have been avoided with legible handwriting and/or a better memory, it went well. Open Mic audiences in pubs can be an odd thing. The ones who've played and appreciate what it takes are attentive and supportive. More general audiences are typically indifferent to material they don't recognise, which can make the performer feel like they've not done a good job, which of course is often not the case. I didn't even know this song myself about ten hours ago. Give them a break!
For the last song I played another original, ‘All That I Do’ - a song I recorded as an acoustic demo a month or two back. You can listen to it here:
Result!
So what’s to be learnt from today’s adventure? I’m not really sure. I achieved what I set out to do, write, record, upload and perform a new song all in the same day. I actually had quite a bit of time to spare, so I suppose it proves that these types of processes don’t have to be long winded affairs for you to yield a result. It might not be the perfect result, but the result is only truly certain if you simply don't try.
Would the song be ten times better if I’d spent ten days writing and recording it? Unlikely. Would it have sounded ten times better on a guitar ten times the cost? Equally unlikely. I think if you get yourself in the right headspace, a lack of time, a lack of ability in some areas and or gear can force you to be more creative, because it’s literally all you’ve got.
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