Author: jakehaws

This song is a homage to Bob Dylan, particularly his songwriting style for many of his songs where there isn’t really a chorus, just a line repeated at the end of verse which happens to be the song title. A good example of this is in his 1975 song, “Tangled Up In Blue.”

To start with the recording, I laid down the acoustic guitar by itself.

I knew from the start I wanted to include a harmonica. I’ve never actually put one in any of my songs, so it was a little bit of an experiment. I actually had to go out and buy one and make sure it was in the right key of the song. I took a little time to learn the basics of playing and then went for it. Here’s how it sounds.

The percussion for this recording builds as the song progresses. The first element is a kick and tambourine part that comes in on the second verse. After the second verse ends, I bring in a snare drum with brushes playing a Johnny Cash style beat, which I like to call a train beat because it has a kind of chugging sound.Then when we get to the bridge, I bring in the handclaps to complete the hoe down.

To fill things a bit more, I added an organ. I also added in a simple electric guitar part to give it a little more fullness and energy.

The vocals have a heavy slap-style reverb similar to Johnny Cash or Elvis.

The lyrics of this song are about a friend of mine who recently went through a divorce. It’s about looking back at the situation with regret and wishing you had done things differently; wishing that you have communicated more clearly and been more empathetic.

Here’s the music video for the song:

This song is available to license for your projects like podcasts and videos. Get 50% off your purchase until June 4th using the promo code “songoftheweek” at checkout. Find it at: https://archesaudio.com/shop/royalty-free-music/im-so-sorry-folk-rock/

Also, for listeners of this podcast, Arches Audio is offering an additional 10% off your purchase of this and other songs in the music library, as well as any services, including audio editing, artwork, and a new course on podcasting. Visit archesaudio.com and use promo code “makingmusic” at checkout.

That’s all. Thanks for listening. We’ll see you next time.

In this episode, I break apart a song called, “Heaven Help Us.” This comes from my album Starting Over released back in August of 2022.

Originally, I thought of the song as more a sparse folk ditty. The chord structure is super simple. Most of only one chord: C9. And in the chorus, I add a second chord. So with the simplicity of a song, I need to make the production a little more interesting. As It came time to record, I started thinking about the song, “Red Eyes” by The War on Drugs.

Their song also has a pretty simple chord progression for most of the song but they keep it moving with a steady beat and plenty of atmosphere elements, which tend to borrow from the heartland rock of the 1980s, like Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp. So, I tried to keep some of those elements in mind when I produced my song.

First, I chose this drum loop from the Circles Drum library and added a few extra snare and cymbal hits. It was labeled “Petty” which I assume is a reference to Tom Petty. To me, it’s a little bit like the drum sound on “Running Down A Dream.”

With the beat squared away I laid down acoustic and electric guitars for the rhythm part.

I added another guitar with distortion to give the chorus a little bit of an explosion of energy.

Next I added a lead guitar part played with an Ebow, which is a little device that makes guitar strings vibrate without actually touching them, giving it a sound a little bit similar to a violin or cello. Here’s what it sounds like.

Next, I added a simple retro-sounding synth part to fill out the choruses and double up some of the lead lines.

For the vocal production, there I added on a heavy slap-back style reverb to add to the atmosphere.

The lyrics from this song are based on a personal experience. My family recently went on a hike in southern Utah, where we underestimated our timing and ended up having to walk in the pitch dark for a few hours along steep terrain with just the light from our cell phones. We made it back fine but there was this fear in my head the whole time that we would get lost. I made the situation worse in my head, which led to some intense prayers. And so, the worst-case, “lost in the desert” scenario became the basis for this song. It’s also a religious metaphor for our time on earth and our reliance on God to return home.

And with that, here’s the complete song. I hope you like it.

This song is available to license for your projects like podcasts and videos. Get 50% off your purchase until April 23. Use promo code “makingmusic” at checkout. Find it at archesaudio. 

Also, for listeners of this podcast, Arches Audio is offering an additional 10% off your purchase of this and other songs in the music library, as well as any services, including audio editing, artwork, and a new course on podcasting. Visit archesaudio.com and use promo code “makingmusic” at checkout.

That’s all. Thanks for listening. We’ll see you next time.

In this episode, I break apart a song called, “Feeling Like A Ghost.” This comes from my album Starting Over released back in August of 2022.

This song is influenced by the band, The Shins, particularly their song “Pink Bullets.”

I like the imagery of the lyrics, along with the sparse, haunting production. So I tried to keep some of those things in mind when I recorded my song.

So the first thing I recorded was the acoustic guitar. The strumming pattern is kind of similar to the Shins, especially the way the guitar has a melodic feel to it.

I started thinking about what kind of different layers I could add to the song to fill things out more. The first thing that came was the piano part, which plays simple whole note chords during the singing and takes on a melody line during the interlude and outro.

I added a churchy sounding organ to give it a little more of the haunting atmosphere.

Next I added a shaker. It’s pretty soft in the background but just helps keep a little bit of momentum going with the song.

It needed little more punch so I came up with this idea where in between phrases, I take a recording of a cymbal and piano, and reverse it, followed by an echoey kick drum hit. Here’s what it sounds like.  

I like the direction this was going but I still felt like the song dragged on a little. So, for the second half of the song, I decided to have more instruments come in and shift the vibe a little.

First there’s the drums. I programmed the beat using samples from the Circles Drum Library. I picked a really buzzy sounding snare drum because it thought it fit the vibe I was going for pretty well.

Next I layered on a few extra piano parts. One of them is a steady quarter note played in octaves to help drive the momentum to the end.

I also layered on this tinkly, echoey piano part to give in a haunting feel.

During the recording this song, I was watching Stranger Things and I heard their opening title sequence, which has some really interesting synths parts that pay homage to horror movies from the 1980s.

So I started playing around with some similar sounds and came up with this retro synth line. 

Next I added this really ghostly sounding synth part to really drive home the haunting atmosphere.

For the vocals, I added a slap-back reverb effect. During the chorus, I doubled up the melody and added a subtle harmony part.

Lyrically, this song is about fearing death. Watching people around me pass away has left me with this sense that life is fragile and that I or anyone I love could be gone anyday. I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that we’re all going to die some day. It can be really depressing to think about but it’s also made me want to make the time I have in life count, in terms of keeping my priorities straight.

And with that, here’s the complete song. I hope you like it.

In this episode, I break apart a song called, “Killing time.” This comes from my album Starting Over released back in August of 2022.

This song is influenced by the band, Wilco, particularly their song “California Stars.”

I liked the beat and laid back feel of the arrangement on their song. So, I tried to incorporate some of those elements into my song. 

So to start with, I recorded an acoustic guitar play the chords with a pretty straight forward strumming. Then I played the same rhythm guitar part again but with a clean electric sound to give it more texture. For the percussion, I started by putting a beat together using samples from the Circles drum library and a tambourine. Then during the chorus, the beat is fairly steady and kind of similar to Wilco’s California Stars with a shaker added in on the bridge.

For verses 1 and 3, I give it a beat similar to the Fleet Foxes song “Battery Kinzie.” 

It kind of reminds me of an old Motown style beat. I also layered on this lofi drum machine throughout the song but you mostly notice on the Verses 1 and 3 when most of the instruments are cut out.

Most of the song, including the solo, has this retro sound organ to fill things out. Again I took some inspiration from hearing this type of sound on some of Wilco’s music. During the solo, I added a really buzzy synth, which is typically a little out of place for this sound but I thought added something kind of unique and gives the song a little more edge to it.

For the vocals, I doubled them up and added a heavy slapback echo reverb sound, which gives it kind of a murky vibe.

Lyrically, this one is a story from the perspective of a teenager struggling to find a purpose in life. They’re watching the world fall apart, the future looks bleak, their parents are constantly yelling at them, and they start feeling like “what’s the point?” They’re never going to be satisfied with life so it feels like they’re just running out the clock, killing time until they kick the bucket. 

I think many of us can occasionally get caught in a similar rut. This song is supposed to represent just a snapshot, that hopefully this type of thinking is temporary and that we overcome it and find a way to gather some meaning and purpose going forward.      

And with that, here’s the complete song. I hope you like it.

And that’s our episode . If you’re interested, I made a music video for this song, which you can find on YouTube or in the description.

Also, This song is available to license for your projects like podcasts and videos. Find it at archesaudio.com. Use the promo code “songoftheweek” at checkout to get 50% off your purchase of this song until March 19th.

Also, for listeners of this podcast, Arches Audio is offering  10% off your purchase of the other songs in the music library, as well as any services, including audio editing, artwork, and a new course on podcasting. Visit archesaudio.com and use promo code “makingmusic” at checkout.

That’s all. Thanks for listening. We’ll see you next time.

In this episode, I break apart a song called, “Not Easy.” This comes from my album Starting Over released back in August of 2022.

This song is influenced by the band, The Weakerthans, particularly their song “Sun In An Empty Room.”

I like the lead guitar line a lot and the way the other instruments keep things simple and stay out of the way. I also like the mellow but melancholy feel this song has. So, I tried to borrow some of those different elements when I made my song.

To start, here’s the original voice memo recording I made while I was still writing the song. The words are just gibberish phrases while I tried to work out the melody.

I eventually came back to the voice memo and finished writing the song. When it came time to record, I started with guitars. First, there’s the acoustic guitar. Then an electric guitar with a little bit of overdrive emphasizing the lead line. Then there’s a bass part that I keep pretty simple to help ground the song.

For the drums, I took samples from the Circles Drum Library and programmed my own part. I tried to mostly keep it simple but throw in some occasional accents and fills.   

One of the last things I figured out was the guitar solo. I took a lot of stabs at it but it kept feeling too busy to me. Then I remember the solo from the Red Hot Chilli Pepper’s song, Scar Tissue. I like how breezy and effortless it sounds. 

So I tried to do something similar with my own guitar solo. It’s one of those situations where less it more.

Lyrically, this song is about trying to come to terms with your place in the world and getting perspective. Like a lot of people, I have big dreams and ambitions. I used to turn to people like Steve Jobs as a model of accomplishing big things. He was quoted as saying he wanted to “put a dent in the universe.” I’ve certainly had that desire but now I’m questioning the sentiment. It’s made me feel like if I haven’t accomplished something big, then my life hasn’t been worthwhile.

 

There’s a line in the 1st verse where I reference that quote and say, “Did I ever matter? Did I make a dent? Now I’m second guessing, what it ever meant” 

I’ve had to learn to let go of that notion, be okay with where I’m at, and focus on the things I have control over. So in the chorus of the song, I say “It’s not easy to see the forest from the trees,” which is about trying to get yourself out of a rut and gain some perspective. 

As one of my friends, Kimberly Knighton wrote in a song, “You don’t have to save the world. Just leave it better than you found it.”

Also, This song is available to license for your projects like podcasts and videos. Find it at archesaudio.com or click the link in the description. Use the promo code “songoftheweek” at checkout to get 50% off your purchase of this song until February 12th.

Also, for listeners of this podcast, Arches Audio is offering  10% off your purchase of the other songs in the music library, as well as any services, including audio editing, artwork, and a new course on podcasting. Visit archesaudio.com and use promo code “makingmusic” at checkout.

In this episode, I break apart a song called, “Figuring This Out.” This comes from my album Starting Over released back in August of 2022.

This song meshes together a whole bunch of different influences including Vampire Weekend, Modest Mouse, Animal Collective, The Walkmen, Gorillaz, Regina Spektor, and Phil Collins. I’ll dive into the specifics as we go along here.

In my head, I originally had something along the lines of a less trippy version of the Animal Collective song, Unsolved Mysteries.

So, to start with for the recording, I took a kick drum sample playing quarter notes and laid an acoustic on top of it playing eighth notes.

So this was a nice start but I felt like it was lacking some energy and grit. I started thinking about The Walkmen song “Wake Up.”

I really like the way the electric guitar sits in their song, so I played a similar electric guitar part in mine and doubled it up.

Next, I worked on filling out the beat a little bit. I had something like the beat for “Float On” by Modest Mouse going on in my head.

I added hi hat, and snare samples, which occasionally do a roll sound.

The guitars alone weren’t quite getting the feel I wanted. I started thinking about the Regina Specktor song, Fidelity.

I like the soft, pizzicato string plucks and the way they felt with the beat. So I created a similar sound by adding an electric piano in the mix.

At this point, I started thinking about how I could break up the different sections of the song so that it progresses to different places as it goes along. I changed the opening beat on the first verse of the song to a drum machine that sounds like this. I also added a fuzzy, synthesizer bass, which layers a few different sounds together. I tried to do something that Gorillaz would do. During the second verse, I add a glockenspiel sound to give it kind of a playful feeling. In the second half of the song, I added an echoey, high pitched guitar part for another texture.

Next I thought of the style of early Vampire Weekend. I like the way they are able to incorporate baroque classical instruments with their brand of indie rock music.

So I borrowed this approach for something similar in my song. First there’s the harpsichord and then a string section at the end.

To close it out, I wanted to throw in a fun drum fill at the end and the first thing I thought of was Phil Collins’ famous drum solo from “In The Air Tonight,” which sounds like this.

So I used this as a reference and programmed a similar drum fill.

For my vocals, I added distortion, reverb and delay effects. It sounded a little like the sound quality of an answering machine to me and since the first line mentions an answering machine, I created a “beep” sound to really drive the message home (no pun intended).   

In the chorus production, I went back to Modest Mouse for inspiration. I like the way they have several different voices singing the song together on Float On. I layered on about 5 different voices of my own.

Lyrically, this song is about relationships and the feeling of fear and insecurity that can sometimes creep in.

Back to the Phil Collins song, “In The Air Tonight,” there’s a very bitter line where he says “if you told me you were drowning, I would not lend a hand.” So in my song, I reference that line but flip it and say “If I told you I was drowning, then would you not lend a hand?” So that part of the song is about the difficulty of really speaking your mind and asking for help when you need it. 

And with that, here’s the complete song. I hope you like it.

Also, This song is available to license for your projects like podcasts and videos. Find it at archesaudio.com or click the link in the description. Use the promo code “songoftheweek” at checkout to get 50% off your purchase of this song until February 12th.

Also, for listeners of this podcast, Arches Audio is offering  10% off your purchase of the other songs in the music library, as well as any services, including audio editing, artwork, and a new course on podcasting. Visit archesaudio.com and use promo code “makingmusic” at checkout.