Generally, I’ll start by having some type of chord and melody structure that I then use as a Madlibs style framework to hang my lyrics on. Once that part of the process is done, the pseudo-song is then put on an assembly line where factory workers, Mike (drums), Jonny (lead guitar) and Jon (bass) assess the product and consider their own parts. Together (at practice…or virtually), the RtS factory workers and I dissect, twist and mangle my original pseudo-song and Frankenstein it until it’s a MUCH better song. This process can take up to a month or more as the song in its neonatal stage looks cute at first, but in reality it’s a bit too premature to consider it a Rain the Shining hit.

“We should make this part longer…this part could be cut-out…why don’t we try a different instrument?”

“We should make this part longer…this part could be cut-out…why don’t we try a different instrument?” are some of the general post song-creation comments. I’m actually very inclined to completely scrap a song, or at least completely re-work it b/c I get bored (usually) by my parts. Maybe it’s just postpartum depression setting in. But, this of course is one way a new song is born. “Celebrate,” was actually made completely together without any “pseudo-song” involved. Jonny started playing some general chords that he pieced together, and the rest was RtS history.

This footage below is just a sampling of how an RtS practice takes place. In it you’ll see us loosely jamming on top of a structured bridge which happens twice in this song coincidentally named, “Newborn.”

Now compare that to my “pseudo-song” version:
( timecode :44 and 1:57 are the parts played in the practice footage above)