The Self-Recording Band

274: Finish Songs Fast or Let Them Sit? (Raw Emotion VS Refining Over Time)


Listen Later

Your next step:

Apply for coaching! 

theselfrecordingband.com

Our coaching community, The Self-Recording Syndicate, is the number one way for DIY producers around the world to get results that they'll be proud of forever. 

If you apply for personal mentoring, we'll first jump on a completely free call so we can give you feedback, build a custom plan for you and help you figure out the best way forward.

🚀 Here are all the details, let's go:

theselfrecordingband.com

--

Episode show notes:


Have you ever written something in a burst of raw emotion - only to cringe at it a year later? Or maybe the opposite - you sat on a song too long and lost the magic?

In the age of AI-generated music and the flood of music that's technically fine and engineered without flaws, but still incredibly boring, what is it that music fans want most? 

The human connection. Stories. Emotion. Art that is relatable and authentic. 

So let's talk about that part of producing music some more. Let's explore different ways to approach it and how they lead to different results.

 

What you'll learn from this episode:

  • Writing/producing fast and in the moment vs letting it sit for a while
  • Writing songs in the moment, when you are going through something versus writing them some time later
  • Same with producing 
  • The Emotional Argument:
    • In an AI-dominated, overpolished era, what listeners crave isn’t just clean production—it’s connection.
      • Why immediacy can lead to:
        • Raw energy
        • Honest storytelling
        • Unfiltered performances
      • Why hindsight can lead to:
        • Deeper insight
        • Refined songwriting
        • Better arrangement decisions

“Is one more ‘authentic’ than the other - or is it just a different kind of truth?”
 

As an example we talk about Manel's upcoming and already partly released album.

And his experience producing the album (writing the songs 2/3 years ago, then revisiting them 1 year ago, and mixing them now)

  • What changed emotionally or musically during that time?
  • Were there parts he wanted to keep but didn’t connect with anymore?
  • Did letting things sit help or hurt the creative flow?

We also mention some famous examples, like Taylor Swift, Kurt Cobain, Metallica, Radiohead, or the Foo Fighters.

And finally, we talk about the producer’s dilemma:

When producing others:

  • Do you push for emotion in the moment or help refine over time?

As a self-recording musician:

  • Are you capturing a moment—or sculpting art from memory?

And, of course we add some practical advice and action steps for you before we wrap it up.

Enjoy!

--

For links to everything we've mentioned in this episode, key takeaways, as well as full show notes go to: theselfrecordingband.com/274

--

Send us a text

If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: [email protected]

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The Self-Recording BandBy Benedikt Hain / Manel Espinosa Berenguer

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

12 ratings


More shows like The Self-Recording Band

View all
Radiolab by WNYC Studios

Radiolab

43,979 Listeners

WTF with Marc Maron Podcast by Marc Maron

WTF with Marc Maron Podcast

29,516 Listeners

Working Class Audio by Working Class Audio

Working Class Audio

204 Listeners

Guitar Nerds by Guitar Nerds

Guitar Nerds

156 Listeners

Recording Studio Rockstars by Lij Shaw

Recording Studio Rockstars

501 Listeners

The SBL Podcast by Scott's Bass Lessons

The SBL Podcast

416 Listeners

Master Your Mix Podcast by Mike Indovina

Master Your Mix Podcast

50 Listeners

Tape Notes by In The Woods

Tape Notes

180 Listeners

hanging out with audiophiles by hanging out with audiophiles

hanging out with audiophiles

244 Listeners

Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond by Pushkin Industries

Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond

4,106 Listeners

The SonicScoop Podcast | Mixing, Mastering, Audio Engineering and Music Production by SonicScoop

The SonicScoop Podcast | Mixing, Mastering, Audio Engineering and Music Production

167 Listeners

Life of the Record by Life of the Record / Talkhouse

Life of the Record

215 Listeners

The New Music Business with Ari Herstand by Ari's Take

The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

190 Listeners

Inside The Recording Studio by Inside the Recording Studio

Inside The Recording Studio

18 Listeners

Recording & Mixing by Sound On Sound

Recording & Mixing

76 Listeners