Fall Song Challenge is an annual songwriting challenge started on 424 Recording the first year I started making videos on YouTube. The idea was to inspire people to write and release music, as many people reached out and said they had a hard time knowing when a song was done and when to put it out.

The fall is always an inspirational time of the year for me and I thought it would be cool to share and document the creative process when it comes to writing a song. It was a special series that I hoped was also relevant to the channel, and maybe something people could work along with each week.

I've found that working in a completely different genre than the one I usually do yields the best results. FSC is all about rediscovering the fun of music-making, experimentation, and taking down the barriers that stand in the way of creativity. There's no stakes and no rules.

We use the Discord for all communcations regarding the challenge. This way, we can all check in and inspire each other and share and document our processes. If you're looking for a place to start, need some inspiration, or want to learn more about past years of the challenge, check out the videos and embeds below.

2020 was a rough year for many reasons but "the best way out is always through." I just noticed this quote is from a poem called, "Servant of Servants," which I find interesting given last year's cover inspiration. Anyway, I had a hard time working on stuff this year.

I don't know if it's writer's block or overthinking things or being too critical of my work, but it felt like an unproductive year musically compared to others in recent memory.

"Hideout" was the only track I worked on from September to December and in the end, I wound up with 3 different versions and a few mixes of each. Genre-wise, I went back to basics this year since this track was the only thing I could come up with.

Thanks to everyone who participated this year and special thanks again goes to Jason from Red Pants for collecting and organizing the compilation. He also once again created some killer artwork. Thanks, Jason!

In 2019, the challenge grew a lot. Friends and fans of the channel had been working concurrently on songs in previous years, but the Discord is what provided a new venue and collaborative element.

It feels like you work in an echo chamber on YouTube. I enjoyed making the videos documenting my process each fall, but what I found more exciting and fulfilling, was seeing everyone else's! Fostering people's creativity: that's what I've realized the channel is all about.

There's so many talented people out there who are relegated to the bedrooms, basements, and back rooms, niche outsiders with a genuine passion for their art. So with the help of Jason E. Lambeth, his awesome cover, and his time coordinating the tracks and info, we collected everyone's songs and released a free compilation on Bandcamp.

Last year, I'd been listening to a lot of New Wave and decided I wanted to do something in that genre. I think the track came out great (though maybe a bit more 2000's indie rock?) and marked my first collaboration with Jody and Guil.

In 2018, I started Trash or Fantastic, a series about the worst guitar pedals of all time. I kind of gave up on this series (which I'll probably write a post about on Patreon soon) but the important thing is, this is how I came across the Boss MT-2 Metal Zone.

I actually like this pedal a lot and used it as the main inspiration for this EP. I couldn't stop writing riffs with it. I don't think there's a guitar on the EP that is not played through the Metal Zone. I also love Black Sabbath so I couldn't resist tapping into the metal genre. I'm not sure why I never tried to before!

In 2017, I had rediscovered License to Ill by the Beastie Boys and was reflecting on how timeless that album sounds. Some of the songs and elements do sound dated but the genre bending was ahead of its time.

I was also dipping into the Spotify Top 50, to see what the kids listen to these days, and was surprised to hear a lot of lofi sounding tracks and use of vintage drum machines. I also wanted to use my 4-track and Minilogue, so I decided to make a hip hop track about my love of cheese and money.