I had such good intentions. I really did. I was going to do regular blog posts throughout February while I took part in FAWM (February Album Writing Month), chronicling the highs and the lows of the creative process as I attempted to write 14 new songs in 28 days. But while the songs got written, the blog did not....
Still, blogging laxity aside, 2014 feels like one of my best FAWMs yet. I completed the challenge, writing a total of 14 songs during February, with accompanying demos for each one posted to the FAWM website. More importantly, though, I pushed my boundaries and experimented with some new sounds. And in doing so, I made some music that I'm really pleased with.
In the past, writing lots of songs during FAWM has tended to pen me into my comfort zone: acoustic singer-songwritery stuff, often with a rather miserable slant. (Hey, happiness is for losers, right?) There were a few gloomy acoustic ones again this time ("I will just not dance", "An asymmetric longing"), however, I also tried my hand at some more synth-y stuff ("Excuses", "Medicate my mind"), plus some upbeat guitar-pop ("Can't wait forever" and "Say hello to adventure" - my absolute favourite from this year's crop). Another personal favourite was the first song I posted, "Get this started", which seems to have been widely interpreted as a song about songwriting. Curious, that wasn't what I intended!
Something I often struggle to write is love songs. Unusual for a songwriter, perhaps. But I did write a couple this time. I couldn't resist adding a few incidental snails to one of them ("Escargatoire"), but the other is pretty normal ("Captains of the ship", probably one of the happiest songs I've ever written).
As in previous years, some of the super-talented folks on FAWM gave me a chance to collaborate with them. Massive thanks to Kristian, FAWM's very own synth wizard; I've certainly never before done anything like our collaboration this year ("Hymn to spring" - dreamy synth-pop with an almost spiritual feel) - thanks for challenging me! Also to McTown, whose lyrics again pushed me into unfamiliar writing territory and inspired me to work on improving my own ("More than your song to sing"), and to Balance Lost, whose command of arrangements and textures appears infuriatingly effortless ("More attractive all the time"). Finally, to Helen - my bandmate in another of my musical projects, the Random Mind of Meg - who is now well and truly complicit in my efforts to bring daft, stalker-ish pop songs to the people of Cambridge ("I really, really like you").
Hey, while I'm on the subject, check out Helen's EP-a-month challenge - she's recording and releasing an EP every month during 2014. Nutter. February's installment includes another of our collaborations from a previous year ("In conclusion"). Enjoy!
