Why I’m only a writer and not a producer

(These words originated as two Facebook comments that I left on someone’s post.)

I made a decision early on to not try to be a producer too, and instead focus all of my attention on songwriting. That means I let producers handle the production side, since they focus on the details of the beat with as much care as I do the words. The production is everything. I go through hundreds of beats for each album, and picking the right one is always my biggest challenge.

Don’t settle for production, the words don’t mean anything without that.

If I produced my own music, they would all carry a similar sound. The biggest luxury I have is being able to recreate myself through whatever production I’m given. The music is proof: hundreds of songs there, and they all have a different sound to each of them.

I know how to produce, but I’m just ok at it. But I take serious pride in songwriting, and I feel like any time wasted producing could’ve went to writing words.

I wouldn’t dare settle for an ok beat that I made when there’s so many amazing producers out there that hear and create sounds that I could’ve never imagined.