Kristie Addison

Well, The RPM challenge is over, and while I didn’t complete it in time I feel it was definitely worth while attempting it because I have written a lot of new material that I otherwise would not have.

Next year, I think I would do a few things differently to make sure I finished in time.

Not starting a week late.  I started a week late this time, because I heard of the RPM for the first time a week into February.

Not spend so long on songwriting.  I spent so long writing, demoing, then rejecting songs, that I planned to do most of my proper recording and mixing in the last few days.  This backfired terribly when I got the stupid flu and spent the last few days lying on the couch feeling like death microwaved on high for 30 seconds.

Take it more seriously.  Probably the biggest reason I didn’t finish, is simply the fact that I didn’t make it my number 1 priority.  If I had taken it more seriously, I would have been forcibly removing visitors from my home – family or not, recording on those last few days no matter how sick I felt, and recording in the evenings without worrying about annoying the neighbors.

I had actually been planning on having a proper album finished by June, so this was good motivation to get some more material together, and I now have a few new songs that I’m quite keen on (and quite a few I’m not!).

[Actually, if I had really low standards I could just send in ten demo's I've done, but nah.  Not gonna happen   ]

Somehow in between all my procrastinating I have managed to come up with my ten RPM Challenge songs Duh duh duh duuum…..

1.  Don’t want to wake up (without you)

2. Long Road

3. Wasting time*

4. Lullabye*

5. Ragdoll

6. This world (instrumental)*

7. End of the world*

8. Second Best

9. Autumn Leaves*

10. Song for Dan (Instrumental)*

* Far too many of these songs are rehashed old songs originally written at least 3 years ago!  I’ve had writers block all month

Now that I have spent two days tidying and rearranging my workspace in order to maximise my work efficiency, I think I will actually start recording my final versions of these songs. 

Off Topic:  During my tidying and reorganising process, I came across an old Savage Garden cd.  Now, while I am ashamed to admit I was a huge Savage Garden fan as a teenager, I am almost more ashamed to admit that I can still hear exactly what I liked about them.  Bar the cheesy lyrics, and the sheer awfulness of Truely Madly Deeply, the songs on their self titled album are really kinda cool!  Don’t lynch me!    I just love all the synths and harmonies.  It’s neat music.

The RPM challenge is to record an Album in 29 days.  I read about this in a blog, checked it out, and was horrified to see that it runs for the month of Feb, and I’ve already wasted a week simply by not knowing about it!  Ahhhh.    RPM stands not for Rev’s per Minute, but in this case for  Recording Production Month.  I think it’s a brill idea and signed up right away.  You’re allowed to use pre-written material so that’s a big help since I’m starting a week late.  I’ll still have to do some writing too, but not a whole albums worth in two days   I’m trawling through a ton of ancient demos and lyrics to try and find what is easily salvageable or rewritable.  I plan to have ten songs really roughly demo’d by midnight tomorrow night.  So far since this morning I have five songs chosen for resurrection, have written two more songs, and still need to pull three more out of somewhere…    Deadlines are great motivators.