Looking back at the moments that defined the making of my latest song – A Minute – made me realise the power of a small, late-night idea should not be underestimated. Here’s how it all came together.
Moment #1 – Night prog, 18th June 2025
While spending an evening improvising guitar progressions, I came up with something that felt familiar yet more open and harmonious than my usual ‘comfort finger picking’. I captured this as Night prog note.
Moment #2 – First words, a few days later, still in June
Another evening still kicking that June’s creative trend, I sat down and started typing whatever would come up. I didn’t have any idea for a song so I stuck with a feeling. A vague feeling of reclaiming some time to reconnect with myself, away from the screens and the all-consuming need for attention.
Enjoying all the characteristics of the midlife man, I deducted that my younger self was on the other side of that conversation. I kept exploring and captured most of that story that evening.
Moment #3 – This is a match, 1st July 2025
In my experience forcing things to happen makes them not happen (or happen rubbish). That’s the reason I keep a record of any idea finding its way to me. Writing notes, recording notes, many notes.
Often, I get back to whatever I previously captured to see if that can trigger something else. That time I found out that Night prog + First words = A minute. Next song is on.
Moment #4 – Settling the feel, 5th August 2025
Great to see you again Logic Pro. Fired by my newfound project I got to a nearly finished demo pretty quick, with the overall feel of the production nearly there. Solid for a v0.4 I thought. Of course I wasn’t done, not even close.
Moment #5 – Finding a bridge, 21st August 2025
Yearly family reunion in the south of France. I aimed to bring home a bridge. For the song. I wrote and recorded yet another note under the pine trees in a warm afternoon, capturing a few cicadas in action along the way. I packed that back home.
Moment #6 – Record, mix, repeat, September to November 2025
I lost count of how many times I recorded ‘better’ voice tracks that never got better than the original ones. I kept the original ones. I learned the hard way how to properly record the sound of my electro-acoustic guitar (dropping the DI, embracing the mic thanks to Joe Gilder) while minimising the unavoidable squeaks of my left hand on the guitar neck. I kept the squeaks. Altogether with ongoing existential uncertainties about that song not being good enough, that last leg felt like a slog. Of course I had to finish it to move on to something else. And so I did. On the 23rd November 2025 A Minute was out.
…
On the night of release I did that thing. I liked the idea but a rushed animated GIF wasn’t going to cut it. It got me thinking and shaped up my next creative brief. Still not done.
Moment #7 – A minute in motion, December 2025 to January 2026
After spending the last 6 months focused on music, all I wanted was to get back to illustration. That little GIF acted as the start of that transition but was also designed for putting A Minute into motion, and so I did. Lyrics video is on.
After realising what I had in mind couldn’t be done in Premiere but After Effects, I spent a few evenings getting started on a tool I somehow never had the opportunity to play with. Came across Jake in Motion YT channel – helping me a lot to understand the fundamentals of AE and build my confidence. Then I basically spent a couple of months digging deep into my layers, keyframes, transformations and easing – while storyboarding the key moments in Figma.
Moment #8 – The meaning, Late January 2026
Looking back at how this began, I don’t remember stopping to check which age group I was writing from when those first lines appeared. I’m nearing 46 now, firmly in midlife, and I can honestly say it’s treating me well.
As the song took shape, especially through its visuals, I realised how often I’ve been looking back at my younger self to move forward in the present. Not out of nostalgia or a desire to return, but out of gratitude, for the difficult choices I made back then, without knowing where they’d lead, and how they quietly shaped the confidence and growth I carry today.
It could have gone many ways. I’m glad I took this one.
Here’s to everything still ahead.
~
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