Why I Build Songs Around Vocals

Neon Notes — Week [9]

At first, I didn’t think I wanted vocals in my music.

The creative part of me had other plans.

I started experimenting with vocals just to see what would happen. I really had no idea what I was doing. Just dropping them into a track, messing around, chopping them. I didn’t really plan on using them much.

That didn’t last long.

The vocals quickly became more than just a layer. They started to become the foundation.

I’ve talked before about how I usually start a song. Sometimes it’s chords, sometimes vocals. But what I didn’t really get into is how different a song can be based on those early decisions, and why I build songs around vocals now.

When I start with chords, I’m really laying the foundation of what I hear in my head. It’s because I already have an idea going in.

But when I start with a vocal, I feel a bit more emotion in what I’m writing.

Sometimes I’ll leave the vocal as is, and other times I’ll chop it up, timestretch it, or completely change the tempo based on how the song evolves.

It’s less about the vocal deciding the direction, and more about seeing how I can turn it into something I want.

Instead of asking myself, “What kind of song do I want to make?”

It becomes, “What can I turn this into?”

Asking myself that question changes everything.

It puts me into an experimental mindset. I’m just moving with the music, letting my creativity take control.

Sometimes that means letting the vocal carry the emotion. Other times it means building something more nuanced around it, adding atmosphere and texture.

I’ll loop the vocal over and over and just listen. No writing, no sound design, just letting my mind figure out where the song is headed. I try to let the ideas form naturally and not force anything.

A melody or chord progression might come from the rhythm of the vocal. A bassline might pop into my head, or a drum beat might form.

Things start to connect.

And even if I decide to change the vocal completely, chopping it or stretching it, that original idea is what sparked everything.

That’s why I keep coming back to vocals.

Something about the human voice is so powerful, and it makes me approach music completely differently than before.

It's a different way of building a song from when I first started, but it feels more natural now.

The challenge of taking the vocals and changing them into something that's mine is so satisfying.

And that's what it's really all about.

Finding that spark, that idea, and following it wherever it takes you.

Now Creating

• Working on new music, and a new sound
• Still updating the website
• Almost done with Electric Skyline 2

Thanks for reading.
If you have thoughts about any of this, I’d love to hear them.

This post is part of my weekly Neon Notes series. New posts go live every Wednesday.