Ask Alexx

When it comes to the writing process of any song, record, etc., what do you find the most difficult part, and what is the most rewarding? ~ brandon Stebbins

Hey, Brandon! I’ve found that the most difficult parts can vary, as there are a lot of elements involved in a song. For example, there are lyrics, melody, instrumentation, and production.

Sometimes a song will come easily, and everything falls into place. Other times, however, I’ll have difficulty putting words to a melody, or finding a melody that works with my words.

Producing a song can also be tough. You can have a great song, but maybe you’re not sure about which instrumentation to use, which direction to take it, or where to add or subtract harmonies, counter melodies, etc. Sometimes you’ll throw the kitchen sink at production only to find that it’s just not working.

The bottom line is, the inspiration isn’t always there, and you can’t force creativity. If I find that I’m struggling with a certain part, I’ll come back to it, or work on another part of the song.

The most rewarding parts also vary for me, but one of my favorites has to be writing the song. I absolutely love the initial process of sitting alone with my acoustic guitar and coming up with a melody, lyrics, and chords. There’s a certain magic that happens when you first write a song, and it’s hard to replicate that same energy or performance again sometimes when you go to record the final version of it. The universe opens up to you for a brief period of time, and you just have to take what it gives to you. It may not always be a great offering, but the good part is, you can always revisit a song and make it better.

Ultimately, I think you just need to enjoy the journey of putting together a song or record and accept that even the most difficult parts are what make the process itself all the more rewarding.

~Alexx

Photo by Anabel DFlux