One of my fellow classmates, Josh, wanted to develop his guitar ideas and turn them into fully realised songs that could be performed live. We decided to collaborate and see how far we could expand on his original concepts through a shared songwriting process.
Almost every day, Josh would come into M108 with a new audio recording on his phone containing a guitar riff or melodic idea that he had written. He would then hire a guitar from the university and walk me through the riff, explaining the mood and direction he wanted the song to take. From there, I would begin creating drum parts to accompany the guitar, experimenting with different rhythms and grooves that could support and develop the original idea.
To organise the songs, we used a whiteboard to map out the structure of each piece. As the writing process progressed, we would continuously add new sections, rhythms, and musical ideas. The collaboration became a back-and-forth exchange, with each of us contributing different influences and perspectives. This allowed the songs to evolve naturally rather than being driven by a single songwriter.
Josh was particularly interested in creating music inspired by shoegaze, focusing on texture, atmosphere, and layers of guitar effects. In contrast, my background and interests led me towards more math rock-inspired ideas, with an emphasis on unusual rhythms, changing time signatures, and intricate drum patterns. Rather than seeing these influences as conflicting, we used them as an opportunity to experiment. We explored different tempos, dynamic changes, and polyrhythms, combining elements from both genres to create something that felt unique and unpredictable.
As the project developed, we invited Josh’s friend Gill to join the sessions. Gill brought another perspective to the music, contributing detailed lead guitar parts and melodic ideas that added depth to the arrangements. His playing complemented the foundations that Josh and I had already developed, helping to transform simple riffs into more complete compositions.
One of the most rewarding aspects of this collaboration was working with people who approached music differently from those I usually play with. Much of the music scene that I am involved in around London is heavily focused on post-punk and noise rock. While I enjoy these genres, spending time writing shoegaze and math rock-influenced material encouraged me to step outside of my comfort zone and engage with new musical ideas.
The project made me think more critically about how different genres are written and arranged. It encouraged me to analyse the techniques used in shoegaze, such as layering effects, creating atmosphere, and building texture, while also exploring how these ideas could interact with more rhythmically complex approaches. Through this process, I gained a better understanding of both genres and developed new songwriting skills.
Collaborating with Josh and Gill felt like starting from scratch in many ways. It challenged my usual habits as a musician and encouraged me to experiment with new approaches to composition, arrangement, and performance. The experience reminded me that learning music is an ongoing process and that working with people from different backgrounds can often lead to the most interesting and unexpected creative outcomes.
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