When it comes to my songwriting process, I’ll be honest. Expecting instant gratification and results is one of my biggest flaws. It really hurt my creative process. Until recently, I didn’t allow myself to enjoy the journey of watching an idea blossom into a song. I was so caught up on the irrelevant, potential outcomes of whether or not it would go viral. I found myself giving up on songs before they were even finished. Ultimately, this led to a pile of half-written music that I didn’t feel inspired to go back to.
A Switch in Perspective
In January 2021, I decided to switch my perspective on songwriting and solely focus on the craft itself. With the concept idea of “Did you love me in the first place?” I took my magenta guitar off the wall, sat on the floor against my black, floral comforter, and allowed myself to word vomit. It was the first time in months that I allowed myself to be vulnerable and honest in a session. After an hour of being in the zone, I had a verse and chorus written.
Instead of repeating my poor habit of rushing to get it done, I decided to take my time songwriting to make it the best it could be. I knew I had to bring another creative mind on board because I could not write a hard-hitting second verse. I called up my friend and co-writer Colton Waters, and like a pinball, we bounced ideas off of each other. Before we knew it, we had a song!
Next Steps
The next step in the songwriting process was to find a producer to help bring the track to life. Usually, I would call up a past collaborator, but this time, I took a different approach. What if I pitched it to an Electronic Dance Music artist? After suggestions from friends and listening to a number of producers on Spotify, I landed on melodic-bass duo, Caslow. I immediately connected with them and sent a rough demo of the track. Within a week, the acoustic voice memo turned into a pop-punk, electronic banger.
The kid-like excitement fueling inside me wanted to release the song immediately, but I knew I had to stay patient. After we had the master, it was radio silent for a few months as we waited to hear back from potential collaborators. As opened doors turned into closed ones, I began to grow anxious. Like a broken record, the voice in the back of my mind echoed, “trust the process, trust the process.” That’s exactly what I did.
Dreams that Became Reality
By trusting the process, it allowed me to make authentic, creative choices, appreciate the growth and evolution of the song, and enjoy the opportunities that came with it. After about six months of keeping it in our back pocket, an incredible EDM producer by the name of Yetep joined as an artist on the track. After a year of penning the first line on paper, “First Place” released under Monstercat Records and has gained over 200,000 streams since. It even got added to a set at the world-renowned Electric Daisy Carnival Music Festival in Las Vegas! These milestones are ones I’ve always dreamed of. However, the true magic and satisfaction happened when I allowed myself to enjoy the beautiful, musical ride of turning a heartbreaking experience into a tangible piece of art.
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