I’ve often been asked how our music comes together, and my answer usually varies depending on how seriously I take the person asking the question. Stephen and I used to fail classes together in high school, and now that we’re in university, we fail classes separately. Even though nobody takes either of us seriously, I gave it to him straight and in living colour. This MSN conversation outlines our writing process, for the most part:
Stephen says:
are you still playing guitar too?
Stephen says:
shit dude i havent seen you in good long time
- www.soulplanemusic.com says:
Yeah man, you need to get your ass out here and let's blaze
- www.soulplanemusic.com says:
I don't play much guitar anymore... remember I have a band who can make me all the music I need to hear..
Stephen says:
true....how does that work, do you guys just keep laying down riffs and chose whatever?
- www.soulplanemusic.com says:
Well, for now, Kevin (our rhythm guitarist) is really the force behind the core of the creativity. Most of our tracks were written in his living room, between myself and him. Over the summer, I'd be at his place, sitting on his couch after blazing way too much, with a pad of paper and pen in my hand, and he'd be behind me at the piano, holding his Strat, with the metronome of the electric piano on
- www.soulplanemusic.com says:
And he'd just start going off and playing chords here and there, little notes, little scales, and I listen until I hear something I think has potential and I yell "STOP"
- www.soulplanemusic.com says:
And we build off whatever I tell to play again
- www.soulplanemusic.com says:
*him
- www.soulplanemusic.com says:
And I'd write my lyrics to his rhythm and the metronome that was going on the piano.
- www.soulplanemusic.com says:
And when we had something of substance, we'd bring it to practice and be like... guys, check this.
- www.soulplanemusic.com says:
But recently we've started including everybody in the writing process. Out of our thirteen songs, Gideon's (lead guitar) responsible for 2. Kevin has the other 11.
- www.soulplanemusic.com says:
Our process is really simple if you think about it
Stephen says:
gebus
- www.soulplanemusic.com says:
Haha, yeah, we got used to it real fast I guess.
Stephen says:
yea im guessing you guys know each other's writing styles so it come quick
- www.soulplanemusic.com says:
I'd say that, but it's not always quick
- www.soulplanemusic.com says:
We get stuck on shit a lot, but that's got to do with the fact that Kevin and Gideon are both perfectionists. They won't let it go if they can make it better.
- www.soulplanemusic.com says:
For me it's like, hey, if it sounds good, and it's in 4/4 or 3/4 time at a decent tempo, I'll spit.
- www.soulplanemusic.com says:
Good thing some of us actually have work ethic in this band
Stephen says:
ye i can see that
Stephen says:
lmao is 4/4 and 3/4 like a standard beat time?
- www.soulplanemusic.com says:
Well if I'm rapping, I'm not going to rap over 7/16
- www.soulplanemusic.com [UPDATED] says:
Anyway man, I gotta bounce, but it was great talking to you again. I'll hit you up sooner than later, we should get drunk sometime.
- www.soulplanemusic.com [UPDATED] says:
Get to
- www.soulplanemusic.com [UPDATED] says:
*** *** ****
- www.soulplanemusic.com [UPDATED] says:
Peace man
Stephen says:
yea man...cheers
However, chances are, you don’t give a shit.
Up next: How we wrote a radio single in less than an hour and a half…
