The more you labor over it, it becomes like digging a grave

I heard an interview with a world renowned record producer and mixing engineer.

He’s worked with some the biggest names in music for over forty years. When asked the question, what’s the key to being a good producer, here’s what he said.

Making decisions. It’s that simple. You waffle one second, and there’s a problem.

Chris went on to explain the importance of pace in music production.

I work like lightning. As fast as possible. Because a song can get tiring so fast. It can spoil so quickly. You’ve got to be in the heat of the action. When you record a song, the quicker you do it, the more you keep all that energy in there. But the more you labor over it, the more it becomes like digging a grave. It’s just a drag. That’s human nature. The more you hear something, the more you lose all concept of it.

Now, if you want to work fast, put the song aside for a couple of weeks, and then come back later to clean it up, great. But for now, just get that impression. Make the timestamp. Many artists work at a glacial pace and their final recording doesn’t improve from the demo. It actually gets worse and more boring. Because they didn’t keep the energy, and that’s what makes the song interesting.

How fast do you work? Are you using speed as a weapon in your projects?

I have found this approach to creative production to be true. Speed is basically a preservation strategy. Which is helpful for the artist, for whom inspiration is fickle, momentum is everything, and their emotional charge has a limited shelf life.

If you wait one minute or even one second too long, the magic might be gone.

So you move forward without hesitation.

Of course, this entire approach is useless if you’re insecure about your creative choices. People who are unconfident, perfectionistic, non committed won’t typically use speed to their advantage. They will claim speed compromises quality. Which can certainly be true.

But then again, when did we decide quality was still the mark of success? Are we still singing that bullshit postwar propaganda?

Listen, we live in a world of fast fashion and mass produced consumer goods. Let’s not pretend people care about quality like they used to. Speed and novelty trump durability any day of the week. It’s not how long it lasts, but if it gets to you fast.

Waiting is so last century.

If it takes more than two days to ship, forget it. Consumers prioritize immediate availability over long lasting quality.

Are you moving fast enough?