Midnight Voice Memos ‘EXPERIMENT’ posts are quick, playful, and slightly addictive ways to jump-start your music-making brain.

Procrastinate Attempt is an experiment in working with resistance to finish songs.

It will help you

• Trick yourself into writing a song 

• Write even when you don’t have ideas 

YOU WILL NEED

Pen, notebook, an instrument or DAW, someone else’s record 

TRY IT

Start listening to your chosen record (~40 mins)

If choosing is difficult, go with your first thought. Listen closely, or let it wash over you. Either is fine. Hold the intention that you will listen to the entire record before starting to write any kind of music.  

Make a list of elements you love (~40 mins)

As you listen, write down what pulls you in or makes you wish you had though of it. Don’t just do this in your head. Write it down for real. This is going to be the ‘brief’ for your new song. Capture lyrics, chords, moments, ideas … whatever. 

Spend 20 minutes writing a song (20 mins)

Set a timer and dive in. Use the list as a set of limitations, rather than a leaping off point. Aim to fill the song with every element you wrote down. Move quickly, and think as little as possible. 

OTHER MIDNIGHT VOICE MEMOS GOODIES

• 7 Ways To Write A Song A Week (free, or PWYW)

• Music-making Limitations Bingo (free, or PWYW)

• Unwritten Records - Vol 1 ($5)

n.b. EXPERIMENT POSTS ARE FREE to access for the first 2 weeks, after which you’ll need a SONG CLUB membership to access the archive.