The Finish More Music Podcast

Whenever we try to create something original, to bring something new to the table, we put ourselves out there with all of our blood, sweat and tears laid bare.  It’s challenging, it can be uncomfortable, but it’s also one of the most rewarding things that we as human beings can ever experience. And part of the creative process is about absorbing and learning from those who came before us, and those around us, as artists throughout history have always done. But when does being influenced by one another cross the line into straight up stealing? In this episode, I share something that I’ve experienced very recently that’s got me thinking about the difference between being inspired and being a thief, and how dangerous blurring these lines can be for everybody involved. Copying might be quicker, copying might be easier, but copying is faking it.  And it only starves you and the world of the magic that comes from being truly creative. Do you want to experience the amazing accomplishment and validation that comes with creating something truly authentic, or do you want to pretend? Check out this week’s podcast to find out how to use other artists’ work the right way, and start making YOUR mark on the world.  

In any creative field, one thing that everybody deals with at some point or another is seeing other people succeed while you stay where you are. Maybe you started making music at the same time as somebody else, or maybe they started after you, and they’re suddenly achieving the things that you’ve not been able to. Seeing others accelerate further than you can easily lead to feelings of envy, jealousy, and resentment - but these are the exact kind of feelings that continue to hold you back, and can make the divide between you and them even greater. Essentially, how you deal with other people’s success is a choice. You can choose to be spiteful, you can choose to make comparisons (the bad kind), or you can choose to use other people’s achievements as an opportunity for growth and to accelerate your development towards YOUR version of success. In this episode, I discuss how you can move from a place of resentment to a place of inspiration, and show you how by being curious and celebrating others’ achievements, you can quickly find your way up the ladder with them. But no matter how successful you become, there’s always going to be someone who seems to be doing better. And if you don’t escape this trap you'll end up carrying it with you forever, unless you learn to change your perspective. And the time to do that is right now. Listen to the podcast to see how!

When it comes to getting down to writing music, I see a lot of people making the same mistakes.  And one of the biggest of them all is waiting around for motivation to come to you. “I’ll get started tomorrow”, “I’m not feeling it today”. We’re all guilty of saying these sorts of things. But motivation isn't something that magically appears and aligns perfectly with our calendar, it's something we need to generate, to build, to create on demand.  And the ability to do this is vital to success. Some people put off writing music out of fear of failure, others tend to avoid it by aimlessly watching tutorials, or messing around with loads of new gear. One thing is for sure: if you wait for motivation, you're going to be waiting a very long time. In this episode, I dive into the thinking behind motivation and explain how by being disciplined you can start to create it for yourself, and keep the momentum flowing so that it gets easier and more rewarding every time. It’s not a case of waiting, it's not a case of hoping for the best, it's a case of being in control to do what you want to do, not what you feel like.  So I’ve laid out some amazingly easy, tried-and-tested ways that you can short-circuit your mind to light the touchpaper on your motivation, and keep it lit until it goes ablaze. Check out the podcast to discover how!   Key takeaways: Objects in motion tend to stay in motion. Productive people tend to stay productive. You are the architect of your own motivation. Action is always within your reach. Quotes: “If you take action, if you're disciplined, and you get in the studio, and you continue to make that disciplined choice, then you're naturally going to build motivation. You are the architect of your own motivation.”  “Discipline is what gets you started, motivation is what keeps you going.” 

When we try new things, we imagine new ideas. And when we imagine new ideas, we try to make them a reality. And whenever we do that, failure is inevitable. If we’re going to succeed at anything that’s important to us, failure will be an inherent ingredient to that success. Yet so many people are terrified of making mistakes, of failing to get it right, of trying something new, of trying to write a piece of music. But if you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got. The key to doing something different is to learn. And the key to learning is to make mistakes and to reflect on them. You can either choose to keep feeling the same pain, the same failures again and again, or you can choose to reflect and to grow and to fail forwards towards success. In this episode, I set out three of the most effective ways that you can incorporate reflection into your daily routine so that YOU can be prepared to turn any failure from a problem, into an opportunity. In anything that you do, you will either get the outcome you want, or you will get the lesson you need, providing you reflect. And when you really think about that, there's no such thing as failure anymore.  That's how powerful it is. Key takeaways: Failure is essential to progress, but only if you learn from it The only time that you can truly fail when you're shooting for a big goal is when you give up. Pain + reflection = progress. You should be opportunity-focused, not problem-focused. Quotes “Failure is essential, utterly essential if you want to progress, but you're only going to progress if you learn from it. So you can either choose to keep feeling the same pain, the same failures again and again, or you can choose to reflect and to grow and to move towards success.” (14:12) “ ‘If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got.’ And the key to doing something different is to learn. And the key to learning is to make mistakes and to reflect on them.” (10:59)

As much as we’d all like to think so, you can’t win at music. You can’t win at art. And you can’t win at life. It just doesn’t work like that, so why do so many of us treat our music like it does? Treating every single track, label submission, or particular goal like it's the be-all and end-all of the world - "I have to win this" -  will only lead to the kind of relentless pressure which stifles and crushes creativity. Similarly, looking sideways and perceiving the success of others as your failure - “They’ve beaten me” - will only lead to frustration, a loss of motivation, and giving up. It doesn’t have to be this way. In this episode, I discuss the concept of finite and infinite games, and how seeing your creative journey through this lens will give you back control over your progress, and allow you to break free of the pressure of having to succeed at every moment. There are many things in life that we can’t control, and these often come in the form of small tasks, challenges, and games that we can never always win, no matter how hard we try. Understanding your journey as part of the long game, a game that you can never lose, allows you to create freely and stay focused on your overall vision, and have a lot more fun doing it. And this is the mindset that sets apart those who succeed from those who struggle. Get ready to open your mind and get locked in, this is essential.   Key takeaways: Realise that there is no end result, only you becoming a better artist Obsessing over finite games results in losing control. "Masters are not experts because they take a subject to its conceptual end. They are masters because they realize there isn't one."  Approach your music as a game that you cannot lose   Quotes: “There’s never an end to being a creative. There’s never an end to music” “If you view your tracks, your label submissions, your goals as part of an infinite game, then you're going to be able to create freely. You'll be focused on your overall vision, you'll give it your best. You'll stay motivated no matter the result of that track or that label submission or that particular goal.” 

Imposter syndrome - it’s not just a case of self-doubt.   It's that persistent, nagging feeling of being a fraud, or feeling like you don't belong, which makes you devalue your worth and undermines the things that you’ve achieved and what you’re capable of.   And despite all the evidence that’s there for you to dig up against it, it won't go away.    It doesn't matter where you are on your journey, it’s something which happens to the very best of us, and it floors creatives on a daily basis.    In this episode I show you some of the most powerful techniques that you can use as an antidote to the poison that is imposter syndrome, with real life examples from my own experience and those of top producers to back it up.   From taking back control of your emotions, to surrounding yourself within a supportive peer network, to regularly revisiting your ‘cookie jar’, there’s a number of ways that you can combat the poison when it creeps in, and I’ll show you how to do it.   Having the ability to defend yourself against imposter syndrome allows you to produce more and better music, grab more opportunities when they arise, and share your creativity with the world.    Don’t get stuck in the self-fulfilling prophecy of feeling like you’re not good enough, not qualified enough, not worthy enough, show up with the confidence of a champion. Key takeaways:   Objectively observe your thoughts and challenge them with evidence Confide in people who you can trust to give you open, honest and constructive feedback. “When you live into fear, you get the results of that fear.” You have a choice. Do you choose imposter syndrome or do you choose to believe in yourself?   Quotes:   “If you live into your vision, then you will take the action you need to make your vision a reality.” (15:08)   “You can choose to show up and encourage yourself and to believe in yourself and to acknowledge the amazing things that you've done and achieved in your life. Or you can choose to let imposter syndrome keep telling you you're no good...Your choice”

Nobody wants to be vanilla, boring, same old, same old, or to be a second version of somebody else.  We all want all our music to have a piece of ourselves in it, to be unique, and to be original in some way.  While originality is something that we all strive towards as artists, it’s important to realise that it’s also something that cannot, and should not, be forced.  If you try to force a sound, then it can’t be authentic, and it can’t be you. With examples direct from our FMM community and the wider electronic music world, I explain what the characteristics of an authentic producer are, and outline the ways that you can become one yourself. If you’re someone who’s struggling to cut through the noise and get your music heard, this one’s for you. Take note - it’s time to stand out! Key takeaways:  Quantity + authenticity = your sound Take inspiration from others to understand what makes your music, yours. “You don’t find your sound, your sound finds you.” It’s not a matter of trying to be original, it’s a matter of writing what excites you. Quotes:    “You don’t find your sound, your sound finds you.”   “If you're brave and you follow your heart and you explore and you experiment, the byproduct of this, the natural outcome, will be the discovery of your sound.”

I’ve noticed a growing trend popping up in many aspects of life, and that’s ENTITLEMENT.   “I DESERVE this”, “you MUST give me that”.   When demands get thrown around, more often than not this will be met by disappointment and resentment.   No more so does this occur than in the relationship between artists and record labels, where disagreements in the terms of a release can often lead to feelings of difficulty, frustration, and anger.    In this episode, I explain how shifting your perspective from a place of entitlement, to a place of choice, can empower you to take the right steps towards enhancing your career.   Nothing is perfect, and neither are many of the opportunities that await you, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still take them.    Taking the time to realise what’s important to you, and letting this inform your decision making, gives YOU back the control over your music, and your life.    Rigidity and narrow-mindedness is a fast track to negativity, and no way is that going to help you make your best music.   This simple shift in mindset that I discuss here won’t only positively affect how you go about your career, but will positively affect how you go about your everyday life.    Having the power to see truth through difficult situations allows YOU to be in control, anywhere, anytime. Key takeaways:   Demands are out of our control, choice gives us control Look at what labels CAN offer you, not what they can’t. How hard you worked on something does not make it more or less valuable to the end listener. Being unopen to compromise quickly leads to missed opportunities. Quotes:   “If you live from a place of entitlement, a place of demand for certain things, then you’ll also be living from a place of frustration and difficulty”   “If we stay open and we look at conditions and what's important to us... then what we're seeing is the real world. We're seeing the truth and it gives us choice and it gives us control.”

Rounding off our series of incredible interviews on the Finish More Music Podcast over the last four weeks is the one and only Dubfire!    After achieving global commercial success as one half of Grammy Award-winning duo Deep Dish, Ali Shirazinia’s move to the underground led to his phenomenal reinvention as Dubfire, and is now placed within the very top tier of electronic music’s underground.   Following the epic production masterclass that Ali graced our FMM members with last month, we’re reunited once again to discuss finding creative inspiration, being honest with yourself as an artist, plus some super interesting perspectives on what the future might hold for dance music in the ‘new normal’.   We also dive head first into the struggles that all producers face (which transcend ability and success), making peace with remixes that just don’t go your way, and the importance of not comparing yourself to others.   The conversation really could have gone on for HOURS, packed full of ideas that all creatives can resonate with.    This is one for the history books, strap in and prepare to be inspired - we go DEEP! Key takeaways:  Have a clear vision for what you want to achieve, and work towards it. Put yourself in situations where creative ideas can be tapped into. “Whatever it is you do, you have to try to be as honest with yourself and with your art as possible.” Be patient and don’t force anything. Quotes:   "At the end of the day, whatever it is you do, you have to try to be as honest with yourself and with your art as possible. And if you can manage that, the rest will fall into place quite nicely." "Don't be influenced by what you see and how you see people express themselves on social media, just focus on your art...if it's meant to be it'll happen.”

"I don't know how to be someone other than myself" This week on the Finish More Music Podcast we’re joined by Daniel Dubb!  Self-admitted house music purist, the Canadian virtuoso can count a who’s who of electronic music as his fans, with the likes of Steve Lawler, Joris Voorn, Danny Howells, Nic Fanciulli and Lee Burridge being noted supporters of his productions and DJ sets. Having released on labels such as Rejected, Saved, 8Bit, Viva, Plastic City, Toolroom, as well as his own label DV8, Daniel is well-versed in the inner workings of the music industry. In this episode Daniel imparts some valuable insider knowledge, and lends us a unique insight into both the light and the dark sides of the world of underground music.   From creating networks in the music industry, to reflections on the impact of social media, to things to watch out for as an up-and-coming artist, this week’s episode is packed full of useful tips to help you get ahead, and be prepared for some of the forks along the road. Not only is he a DJ, producer, and label owner, Daniel is also an accomplished mix engineer, and discusses some of his simple but highly effective mixdown hacks to give your tracks that added touch, plus some trusted methods for getting in the zone in the studio. Daniel’s chart-topping success and years of experience in the music industry, plus a tireless work ethic and deep commitment to his craft, make it no surprise that there’s a TON of great tips for you to takeaway inside this week’s podcast.  What will you take from it? Key takeaways: Be curious. Be studious. Support those around you who are supportive of you. Be wary of offering out your skills for exposure alone. Don’t rush to release your tracks - allow yourself the time to evaluate them. Quotes:  “When you finish a track, sit on it for a week or two...a week is not gonna kill your release schedule, or stop a label from signing it. The only thing it's going to do is benefit you in making sure that you are 100% satisfied with the product that you are about to send”  "I don't know how to be someone other than myself"