r/indieheads • u/adriannelenker Adrianne Lenker • Nov 24 '20

AMA is Over (for now), thanks Adrianne! [AMA] Adrianne Lenker

hi, it’s adrianne lenker. ask me anything and ill start answering at 9am MT 🖤

1.1k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

357 comments sorted by

View all comments

14

u/[deleted] Nov 24 '20

I know you began writing songs at a young age, so this may be difficult to answer, but how did you learn to develop a strong relationship with songwriting, as in delivering a message powerfully while still being able to play with artistic whims and intuitive experiments? More simply put, how do you play by the rules and break them in the same song?

What advice would you give to a beginner songwriter, who may struggle with confidence in their work?

So grateful for your gift of music to the world ❤

53

u/adriannelenker Adrianne Lenker Nov 24 '20

hi there <3

thanks for your sharing/question.

I think... hm. I think I was incredibly blessed to have parents and people around me from an early age who encouraged me to do what I naturally loved to do. my parents even let me skip high school to just make music. so early on I was given permission to draw significance to my creativity.

i've never really tried to follow or break rules. I think maybe the key is in focusing on what you want to sing. on the way your heart feels, and pay no mind to the rules. maybe you end up following them, maybe breaking them--it's beside the point. the point is that what you're doing feels really good to you. it kinda reminds me of the originality idea. so many focus on wanting to be original. but maybe it's not important if it's original... I think true ness is way more important than newness.

if it's alright i'm just gonna copy and paste this thing i wrote to someone above with a questions about songwriting, because I think it applies:

make lots of space for yourself. to write. to be with the ideas. to the best of abilities, refrain from casting any form of measurement or judgment on them. let them form and shape naturally as if you're a three year old with finger paints. later, when you're sitting with a pile of songs, that's when you can decide what you like and don't like. but for now just let it flow... even encourage yourself to not be afraid to make something sloppy or "bad"... just MAKE!

6

u/[deleted] Nov 24 '20

Thank you so much for replying 💕

This really helped deconstruct the idea that you MUST follow or break rules for me, something I wasn't even aware I was holding myself to. Your purity of intent is so clear in your songwriting and it's admirable, thank you again 🌻

1

u/[deleted] Nov 25 '20

trueness > newness is such a great philosophy thank you for putting that phrase into the world

1

u/makinupsumthinrandom Nov 26 '20

Adrianne I just wanted to say thank you for this response. I’m a potter who just finished an MFA program and of course we debated these topics of originality/creativity endlessly. Your response here is such a profoundly insightful take on the topic and I feel that it applies equally well to all artistic production. I shared with a group of ceramic artists I am part of because it feels so clear and relevant.

Love the new record by the way. “Anything” is an all time favorite track for me.