Done Is Better Than Perfect

In 2017, my bandmate Scott and I created a 10 song album… and never released it.

Why?

I was self conscious. The timing didn’t feel right. I was getting busier with school and felt I couldn’t put in the energy to release and promote it. But mostly, I was afraid of what people would think of my songs.

This is a common problem among musicians and artists in general. We create works of art, then keep it to ourselves. I know a good handful of musicians who struggle with this at the moment.

I wish I would have released it, because even if it wasn’t my best work (looking back on it now), it was something I created.

Today, when I write a song and finish it for myself, I make a point of recording it then releasing it. I don’t care if it’s not my best work every time. Don’t get me wrong, I put a lot of effort in all my songs, but some of them are weaker than others. I still put them on the release calendar.

Here’s the thing with creating, you won’t always get a hit. But some of your work will pick up, and it may not be the ones you would expect. That’s why I think that releasing everything is better than keeping most of it to yourself.

Let me give you a real life example: My song Blue seems to be a favorite amongst people who have listened to my band Two Bad Bricks. Even though it’s only a few months old, I don’t really like that song anymore; I find it overly emotional. But you know what? Many people disagree with me! I thought I would get those comments for other releases, like Bleeding Red or I’m Nobody (because I prefer them), but Blue seems to be a hit for many folks. I never would have expected that.

Here’s another tip: I don’t nitpick a song for too long. I work on the structure, do my best with the lyrics, let it sit, add some texture (instrumental melodies, percussion texture, harmonies, etc.), let it sit again if I have to, then finish it and move on to the next song. I do my best not to judge myself.

Self-judgment has been my biggest problem in my songwriting journey; I know it’s a problem for many people. I feel like I’ve gotten much better at that with time. Once I released some music, I started to see that most people actually want to see me do my thing and consume what I’d created.

Same thing applies to the mixes and masters. Apart from a few comments here and there about volume and presence, I usually don’t have much to say. I just want the song to be done.

Weather it’s a song, a film, or a drawing, I encourage you to finish what you are currently working on. That’s my weekly tidbit of advice :)

Kim

(You can reply to this newsletter, if you have questions or a topic you’d like me to discuss, just ask!)