![\"Curtis](\"https:\/\/byta.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Curtis-MP-Studio.jpg\")
Explain your creative process? Do you have a routine?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Absolutely no routine. If I don\u2019t feel like writing then I won\u2019t write. If I feel like writing then I will write. It\u2019s that simple unfortunately. Sometimes it comes from just messing around in the rehearsal room and I\u2019ll go home and work on it or just keep going with it at rehearsal. On the rare occasion, lyrics will just paddle out of my mouth, but 90% of the time I like to record the song idea and go home and think about what I want the song to be about. Sometimes Joe will give me a lyric or two which I will take a liken to and then write around that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I do have some funny and strange\u2013I suppose you call them suspicions? when I do write though\u2026 One of them is that if I can\u2019t remember a song I\u2019m working on the next day when I wake up then it clearly isn\u2019t catchy enough, therefore, banished forever. And another is that if it doesn\u2019t sound good when it\u2019s just me and my guitar, then it\u2019s not good enough for the band and again, banished forever. I know, I\u2019ve probably wasted a lot of potentially good songs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is your \u201cstudio\u201d setup?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What studio? It\u2019s basically just me, the guitar, the pedal board and a mini amp in some room where my fianc\u00e9e isn\u2019t. I will sometimes get the microphone out if I\u2019m feeling fruity but yeah, I feel more comfortable writing by myself with just my guitar and seeing if I can write organically, if that\u2019s even a thing? When I think I have a good enough song, I will record it on my phone and send it to the band and if they can hear there\u2019s a song in its pure rawness then we\u2019ll get together and work on it. Demo it, improve what needs improving and then hit the studio. That way we can concentrate on production rather than parts\/structure\/hooks and all that boring stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here’s a shot of us (myself with Joe – bassist of Mystic Peach) demoing at a rehearsal spot near us, called Planet Sounds<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I do like collaborating with my band a lot. I really like it when they add their own influences on something I\u2019ve written. It surprises me how different a song turns out compared to the version that was in my head. I also like mucking around in rehearsal and something really cool comes out of it. Like a riff or a melody or whatever. It\u2019s like the hard part is done, it\u2019s just turning it into some formulated song which is never that important, as a producer will hear something different and want to change the band’s structure anyway\u2026 probably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I don’t think I’ll ever feel 100% comfortable showing my songs to anyone, personally. You always leave a bit of yourself in most songs you write so it can be like you\u2019re exposing your insecurities or secrets to people. Not like they ever notice because people generally make their own meaning on a song, but yeah. Even when I show my band mates, I do wonder if they know what I\u2019m writing about as they know what I get up to or what\u2019s wrong with me most days, so that can be interesting as well. Sometimes Joe will just say \u201cdoes that say \u201cblah blah blah\u201d and I\u2019ll be like \u201cYeah\u201d and he\u2019ll know exactly what the whole song is about. My fianc\u00e9e is still angry at me for not writing a love song about her though. (I have written one but I\u2019m not one for public affection\u2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Only between band members, management and producer really. Our manager deals with all the nitty gritty stuff so I really wouldn\u2019t know? Funnily enough he uses Byta<\/a> for all of that stuff. All of our songs could be leaked everywhere and I wouldn\u2019t know it. But I do remember when our single \u2018Wanna Be My Daddy\u2019 was released digitally (Spotify etc.), it came out like \u2018Mystic Peach\u2019 by \u2018Mystic Peach\u2019. It looked so unprofessional and embarrassing at the time, but these things are easily resolvable and got sorted within a couple of days. It was just a metadata mistake by the distributor, but it confused some people. Shows how that stuff really matters at times. We still blame that for the single not getting playlisted much\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n With Byta you are in control of your music. <\/p>\n Read More<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n I guess you know once the mixes start coming through, it\u2019s quite a long process but I think if you\u2019re not happy with the songs you recorded in the studio within the time you were in there (unless intending to go back at a later date) then something has gone wrong. You know once you\u2019ve put everything down and have listened to a rough mix before you\u2019ve left that it\u2019s done. It\u2019s just the finer details that create the long drawn out process, it\u2019s mainly the drummer trying to be louder than the bass and guitar so that\u2019s the first and main issue you need to sort out first\u2026 But in all seriousness I don\u2019t think you ever know really it\u2019s just \u201cyeah that sounds cool\u201d and then suddenly it\u2019s out. Whenever I listen back I always wish I had done something different here or there so the best way to solve that is to not listen to it ever again!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Usually in my earphones as I\u2019m usually at work when they get sent through, so I slyly give it a listen just out of excitement really, but I will listen through every speaker I have possible to see if there\u2019s a consistent niggle I can hear or if there\u2019s radical change between the speakers. Every speaker has it\u2019s own character of course but as long as it sounds good through all of them that\u2019s when you know you\u2019re onto a winner. Car speakers are always a great way to listen as well, it\u2019s nice to just go out and sit in a tin blasting a mix out. There\u2019s always nostalgia attached with driving\/road trips and music so for me, you listen to it in a different way compared to being at home\/work or on a night out. It feels a lot more personal for some reason?<\/p>\n\n\n\n I think I guess it depends how high up you are in the industry I guess? It\u2019s never worried me and I wouldn\u2019t know anyone who would want to steal my music to send around to random people. So no, no horrors as of yet but I\u2019m sure it will come one day, comes with the nature of the beast that is digital. But I don\u2019t think it was any safer pre-digital, if not probably worse but that\u2019s just me assuming? But I do remember LimeWire back in the day, was the place to get your latest grime and garage bangers\u2026 I heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Band members obviously and manager and close friends and family? Depending on the release, sometimes we\u2019ll get together to have a listening party and have a few beers and celebrate. I remember when we released \u201cAcross the Pond\u201d and as per usual we took it too far, we had to do a DJ set the following day and we turned up still in the same state as the night before\u2026 I don\u2019t think they\u2019ll invite us to do another DJ set again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anyone who is involved with the release itself I guess so they know what they are actually pitching. Anyone who wants to promote it can listen to it to be honest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Working on a single release for Autumn currently. Yet to be discussed but we\u2019re working on an EP right now whilst preparing for our tour in Europe in October as well so yeah, boots to the ground at the moment which is excellent. Always worrying when you\u2019re fiddling your thumbs in music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our last single came out a few weeks ago, called Ursodfrnt. You can stream that here<\/a> or watch the video here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Curtis,](\"https:\/\/byta.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-04-at-11.34.50-AM.jpeg\")
What is your process when working with other people? How is collaboration different in the studio vs working remotely? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
At what point(s) are you comfortable letting other people hear what you are working on?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Do you share your work in progress (streams or downloads)? Any technical frustrations? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Byta delivers fast and secure audio sharing<\/h3>
How do you know when a track\/album is finished?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How do you listen to the final mixes\/mastered work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How important is pre-release security<\/a> when sharing new work? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Who on your team gets to hear the final versions first and why, what formats do they each need?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Outside of your inner circle who are the people that will need to hear the new tracks next?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Anything you are working on, anyone you are working with and want to share? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Curtis,](\"https:\/\/byta.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-01-at-11.52.48-AM.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4094,"template":"","categories":[14],"class_list":["post-4092","methodtomymusic","type-methodtomymusic","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-methodtomymusic"],"yoast_head":"\n