One of my favorite podcasts is This American Life

They tell interesting stories about everything, and it's just this cool radio show that I can't get enough of. 

Their trick is that each show is unique. They just have this well of stories taken from daily life that's both relatable, informative and above all, entertaining.

Like the show's host, Ira Glass, says,

Every time we pick a different theme and we tell you stories on that theme.

One time they can be talking about American expats going on TV in China and the next week they'll give you an hour long show about card-counting in Las Vegas.

It's successful because it's never the same. Just like songwriting, or production.

Every song you write has a different story. An epic concept album might have the same story throughout, like that four-note riff in The Wall by Pink Floyd.

And your breakup album might have the same theme of crushed love, but all the songs have different stories.

It's the variation that counts. It's the spice of life. It's what keeps you interested and entertained.

Think about doing something different whenever you're working on a song. Standard techniques are just starting points for your creativity. It's how you can make your song different that counts.

That's the thought process I want you to have from the start.

Even if you think you're uninspired by your song you should still try to take it all the through to the finish line because the more you work at it the more ideas you will come up with.

But just in case your well of ideas is completely dry, here are a few production ideas to get you started:

Percussion

An added percussion track in the chorus helps lift it up. I'm not talking about changing the drum beat, but adding an extra layer of percussion.

Add a tambourine track over the chorus, or insert various shaker patterns throughout the song to create a fluid rhythm track. This works exceptionally well when most of your rhythm tracks are beats and drum loops. Adding that layer of a human percussion performance helps humanize an otherwise robotic rhythm track.

Pads

You don't always have to add a lead instrument to create interest in your mixes. Adding a supporting instrument like an organ track underneath everything helps give the song a thicker foundation, and sometimes a very cool vibe. Imagine how empty many of Pink Floyd's songs would sound if they didn't have that thick layer of padded organs providing the harmonic content for Dave Gilmour's solo.

A pad is a really important production tool to create a more interesting mix. Call your keyboard player next time you feel like your solos and melodies need more soulfulness to them. Those underlying chords supplied by the organ pads can really help make your mix more interesting.

Unrelated Instruments

Think outside the box. Swap out the predictable guitar solo for a muted trumpet or a saxophone. Done right, it will sound cool and unpredictable at the same time. If you catch the listener off guard but still keep them interested, you've succeeded.

Backing vocals

Every melody is enhanced with a simple harmony. It's so simple to use, and it works every time. A doubled harmony backing up the main melody is the easiest and most effective way to create more interest for your vocals.

It doesn't have to be a difficult harmony, and it doesn't have to be constant either. Accenting a vocal phrase here and there goes a long way towards creating an interesting vocal production.

Conclusion

Next time you produce music that just doesn't sound cool enough, think about these four things. Add some percussion, swap out the standard instruments for something more interesting and use backing vocals and pads to create a cooler harmonic structure. These ideas are simple and easy to use, and can help a droll mix become cooler.

Get More Ideas as an Insider

As some of you already know, we talk about recording and production all the time in our Insiders coaching community so if you're producing your music in a vacuum and don't have an encouraging community to lean on for fresh ideas and inspiration, you're missing out.

We have community calls every week, regular music production sessions, as well as mix feedback and Q&A calls with me every month.

This Friday we're walking through a student mix to see how he got from rough recording to finished mix and I'm sure you'll get a lot out of being a fly on the wall in one of our sessions.

Best of all: you'll get access to the Audio Issues Academy when you sign up, which has over 100+ hours of content to help you make a bigger impact with your music.

Click this link to learn more about becoming an Insider

Cheers,

Björgvin