Making records should be fun.

I had a fun jam and recording session with a good friend the other night. As we collaborated and threw different musical ideas around my friend made a comment that stuck out to me:

"...this is so different from when we made our album. It wasn't fun."

He was referring to a record that he had made with his band recently. It was a fairly big budget project and most of the time was spent in bigger studios working with a producer. The formula for a great album was all there and the finished product actually sounds pretty good.

So why would he say that he preferred the recording process of a couple of guys in a small studio throwing ideas around and not really being all that finicky about sounds, perfect playing, etc.?

1. You need to have a good working relationship with your producer. sound's like my friend had a producer who, despite getting the sounds he wanted in the end, was not really easy to work with. Sometimes this is ok and necessary to keep a project moving forward, but it can also stifle creativity. My friend and I get along great and can take creative risks with each other while still being able to say when something is stupid. A good producer can hold those two elements in balance to keep a session creative and on track.

2. Big budgets can create big pressure. A good product cost money, but the decision to work entirely in large studios and by expensive hourly rates can be a massive wet blanket on the creativity and enjoyment of making music, especially for a struggling artist or band.

Making music, no matter the style or your goals in recording, should be fun. Creativity is often about taking risks. Record in an environment where you feel the most creatively free and with people who can both welcome your crazy ideas and call out the bad ones.