Experimenting Backwards

If you’re working on a song and have the line…

“The best in the world”

You might follow it up with…

My favorite girl

As the moonlight swirls

Finer than pearls

But you decide those aren’t quite right so you spend an hour flipping words trying to crack that line.

Your problem might not be the second line.

It’s the first line that is giving you the boundaries for the second. If you don’t like the boundaries, change them. Change the first line and open up new doors for the second. Or if you land on a great second line, change the first one to fit the second.

Sometimes you need to go experiment backwards to move forward.

 

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

Good Thai Food

There’s a really good Thai restaurant by my house. We order all the time. When I get in the car to go pick it up I can listen to exactly one song on the way there and one song on the way back. So I choose wisely.

The restaurant has won a bunch of awards in Nashville but here’s the thing…I don’t have a clue how authentic it is. I’ve never been to Thailand. I don’t know if it’s real, I just know it’s good.

If someone told me it doesn’t taste anything like that in Thailand, it wouldn’t matter to me. I like the food.

Being good, consistent, and remarkable doesn’t necessarily mean ‘more authentic’.

 

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

Weaving Through Burn Out

Write music

Record music

Play shows

Connect with audience

I don’t think artists get burned out by these. Artists get burned out by all the other stuff…the pressure that gets added to each of these core elements…plus the pressure of the business.

There isn’t a manual for how to weave through the burn out to get back to being an artist but while you’re figuring it out sit down and make some music.

 

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

Traffic News

Isn’t news for long

So if you’re in the business of traffic news, it helps to know that what you’re building today is going to have to be rebuilt tomorrow. That’s the gig.

On the other hand if you want to build something that compounds and grows…it’s best to not get distracted by traffic…or the news about it.

 

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

Part Of The New Price

While you’re in the middle of your set people have posted videos from your show for others to see. And those other people, who are far away, are making comments. While you’re still on stage.

It’s hard enough being an artist playing live shows…and then people who aren’t in attendance are making sweeping judgements and drawing conclusions about your performance before you have a chance to catch your breath.

It’s part of the new price you pay for having the audacity to get up and perform.

Keep laying it on the line.

 

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple