What happens when you stop thinking and just let your natural creative tendencies pour out? For me, I tend to think of those sorts of ideas as “typical”, “stock”, “obvious”, or “cheap”...
In trying to come up with the last track for the next Foreigns EP, I initially started with some unfinished ideas that had been sitting around for a long time. What I liked about these ideas was that they are the most accurate representation of where I am coming from creatively with Foreigns. They are like “bedrock” riffs. Even though Foreigns has covered a lot more ground than these ideas might imply, they encapsulate the concepts, melodically and rhythmically that drive the whole project.
The funny bit is that these riffs sat around for years because for so long, I thought that they were too basic and “stock”. That I didn’t try hard enough. That I could come up with something “so much better”. But upon revisiting the material, I can’t help but wonder to myself “”so much better than what?”. And when I try to think of, or find another artist that sounds similar, I come up with nothing… So, is this stuff actually “stock”, or is it just the result of my natural output, and because it didn’t take as much effort as some of my other material, that it’s not as seemingly valuable to me?
It got me thinking - “how much do I do this?”. How much stuff do I come up with that is perfectly usable and even potentially interesting, but I don’t use because it’s “typical” Bunn stuff?
The more I think about it, the stuff that comes naturally, is probably my better stuff. They are the ideas that I probably am the most in synch with. The material that is the most natural and authentic.
Going forward, I’m going to attempt to “tune in” to more of my immediate ideas and give them more development time. This last track is very early in its writing and arrangement (V3), but already really grabbing my curiosity. What will version 20 look like? I’m stoked to find out!
How many ideas do you throw away because it’s what comes natural and doesn’t seem as interesting as the stuff that you have to fight for?