So I’m considering a music project. I’ve spent so much time listening to music while on vacation that I’ve got a bit of inspiration, and I want to start working on my actual debut album. A review of Phoebe Bridger’s first album noted a joke that an album has their entire life to create their debut album, and I’m thinking about writing all new material for it. Something along the lines of Midlife Crisis, or maybe Dad Bod if I’m feeling cheeky. I was daydreaming titles earlier while I was cutting grass, and thinking up potential lyrics. I have a long history of music and yard work, going back to when I was fourteen and singing Pearl Jam’s Ten week after week after week.
I’m really itching at the bit to grab one of my old song notebooks, one that hasn’t seen a pen to it in almost ten years, and start scratching out thoughts. I think the first words might be something along the lines of I’m too old for this shit. Trying to start a music career in earnest at this age is a bit late, but I really feel like this will be a good outlet. You know, since crypto and working out and learning programming and running a dao aren’t enough for me on top of running a household. Hell, at least I’m retired.
As soon as I get done here I’m going to pop upstairs and see what programs I have at my disposal. The last time I recorded anything I was using Cakewalk to record guitar and vocals, and Rebirth for synths and drum machines. I don’t know if I still have access to pirated copies of them like the old days, or if there are FOSS programs that can do just as good. I did some work with Adobe Audition a few years ago during my podcasting phase, but that subscription lapsed.
I was playing around on the piano last night, the first time I’d really tried to make up something on it since I’ve been playing it for what, two years now? I’m still way better at guitar, but I haven’t played it in so long, or come up with anything new on it in several years since I was working on a political themed song called Americaland, about the Trump admin child separation policies.
I actually started jotting down a few rhymes the other day, a response to the kids’ tantrums called Grumplestiltskin. It’s too kitschy or tongue in cheek to include in this project, I want it to be more serious. And I’m going to need to figure out what genre I’m going to make it. My ouvre is all over the map, and I need to find something to hold everything together. I need to find my sound.
I could try to limit it to guitar, piano, and vocals, just to keep it simple, cause Lord knows I can get lost in synth and effect programming. But I just need to get back in the habit of playing.
It’s time to start.