BEHIND THE SCENES OF CREATING MY NEW SONG, "TEMPORARY"
I finally released a new song. This time it wasn’t about infatuation or an anthem of independence, but more a letter to myself.
Let’s Write...
15 minutes before I had to hop on a call, I looked over to Cooper (my husband) who was sitting on the couch with a guitar and said “let’s write”. There wasn’t a lot of time before my attention would be taken elsewhere, but as Cooper began plucking away at the same notes you hear at the start of the song, melodies began to find their place. I left that first session with the chorus lyrics in place, not full knowing myself yet what I was hoping to be “Temporary”.
The next day, we went to chip away at what we started. I had watched a sermon that morning that was about the power of our thoughts and mindset. I was reminded of how often I fall victim to my own thoughts: all the “you’re not good enough”s that I replay to myself; that quite often, I can dig myself into a deeper and deeper hole, just by repeating these false truths in my head.
”Recycle thoughts like it’s my only job…when they should just go in the trash.”
The rest of the lyrics began to take shape, and it became all about my thoughts, moments of anxiety and a reminder that those feelings are a passing moment. So often I want to create these big, feel good pop songs that make you wanna dance. I feel like those are underrated and important too (everyone needs a little escape), but sometimes you just gotta get in your feels and write a reminder to yourself.
”I’ll throw it out time to replace it all, fill up the space with something beautiful…”
Finding the Sound…
Once the song was written it was time to figure out the production. I still wanted the song to have good movement to it, but the word I used to explain the feel to Cooper was “dreamy”. So many of the sounds that you hear in the track are from my childhood Casio keyboard. That thing is ancient, but brings an element that’s hard to replicate. The first time I heard the track coming out of the car speakers, it brought me back to angsty moments looking out the window, pretending I was in my own music video as a kid. That’s how I knew immediately he had captured the dreaminess I wanted.
Quarantine Music Videos…
The moment vocals were done and it was all mixed and mastered, it was time to figure out a visual element. It’s hard to shoot a music video in the midst of a pandemic so we had to get creative. I had already been talking about filming a video for another song of mine with Ted Brooks. As I listened to a mix of “Temporary”, I realized the concept we were already brewing fit well. I can’t tell you the exact moment, but at some point on a brainstorming call, the concept became stop-motion. And at another point, I blurted that I wanted to now follow the journey of a little bunny. I went online and found the cutest little felt bunny and knew he was our star. Many phone calls later, we had our story and scenes finalized. The story would be brought to life by a 2D paper world and a little bunny. My mom and sister cut out all the props and scenes that you see in the music video! Little small movements and hundreds of camera clicks over three days made it all happen. The craziest part is that I was never even in the same room. I communicated all my wild thoughts to Ted from Tennessee and he brought the video to life in California.
IG: @TedBro6
A behind the scenes look at the making of the “Temporary” music video
”I keep hoping that this is just temporary….”
So after an impromptu writing session, I found out what I was hoping to be “Temporary”. Moments where I dig myself into dark corners. Moments where I fill my head with lies.
Those moments don’t have power over me. Those moments are temporary.