Daring to Suck: A Grace Askew Podcast
Host Grace Askew dives into the life of a veteran artist. Her 15+ years of living and breathing music have left her with plenty triumphs and disasters and lessons (mostly learned the hard way) to share for all levels of creatives. From the songwriting process, to life on the road, to stories-behind-the songs, to interviews with fellow creatives on their own journey to finishing (or not finishing) songs, "Daring to Suck" is a place for musicians/artists to glean some guidance for their own path.
Daring to Suck: A Grace Askew Podcast
S2E5: 365 Days of Creativity - A Songwriter's Journey with Devan Yanik
What happens when you immerse yourself in creativity for 365 days straight? Join us as we navigate the inspiring journey of Devan Yanik, a pro tunesmith who set himself the audacious task of crafting an original song every day for a whole year. There's something to be said about the power of discipline, as Devan's commitment resulted in a stunning collection of melodies that not only improved his songwriting skills but also provided a fresh perspective on the creative process.
Get ready to delve into the nuances of songwriting, as Devan shares his insightful experiences of cultivating a daily creative routine, and how it helped him to trust his voice and ditch the pursuit of perfection. We also discuss how regular practice builds resilience and adaptability, essential traits for any artist. Devan poignantly likens songwriting to a gym workout, emphasizing the importance of patience, determination, and dedication in sculpting the best compositions.
Finally, we look to the future, as Devan contemplates his plans post-challenge. From sifting through his melodic treasure trove to making waves in the vibrant Nashville music scene, his ambition is as potent as ever. Whether you're a songwriter seeking inspiration or a music enthusiast interested in the behind-the-scenes process, this episode offers intriguing stories, practical advice, and a peek into the life of an artist committed to his craft. This is a conversation that will inspire you to take your own creative endeavors to the next level.
Outside of these inspiring interviews, Grace offers further artistic growth opportunities through semi-annual songwriting retreats held in Memphis, TN and 1:1 Zoom coaching! All details can be found at her website: GraceAskew.com
All right, y'all, welcome back to Daring to Suck. This is season two, episode five, and I know I've been saying that the whole theme of season two has become the road to Nashville where I'm interviewing these Nashville veteran publishing house writers. But I wanted to make a very special exception for this very special guest, mr Devin Yannick, today, because am I saying your last name right? Is that Yannick Organic?
Speaker 2:Yannick Organic, either one. You can go southern.
Speaker 1:Okay, well go, which one's southern Is?
Speaker 2:it Yannick, or is it not Yannick?
Speaker 1:Yeah, anyway y'all, this is a very special guest today because not only do I consider him a dear friend, but he is a fantastic, committed songwriter And I've gotten the pleasure of knowing him through the retreats but also outside of the retreats, at gigs together and just hanging out together. So thank you so much, devin.
Speaker 2:Thank you, it's been fun. Yeah, i can't believe it was a. You know it's been a year, so I mean for me.
Speaker 1:I didn't preface it, so today's episode I wanted to do, because he just came off of a year long daily song writing challenge where he posted a brand new original song every single day to social media for 365 days straight. And he just what? so what day of the week did you finish? Oh gosh, was that too late?
Speaker 2:No, i don't remember, it was just a few days ago. Well wait. Well I'm, it's funny, i'm still going I, i I'm on 370 today. I mean I'm not posting them or anything, but I can't stop So okay, so, yeah, so what that brings us to how?
Speaker 1:how are you feeling now that you're not officially like doing it?
Speaker 2:It's just, it's a part of my day, it's. It's. I mean, i think that's what you were talking about at the retreat. It's like you got to have that Um, what I forgot that all you had said there was just that, the part of your day, you know. It's like you got to make time And I chose kind of early as my time. Um, i get to work a little bit early, um, so I can have a little bit of quiet time, basically, and I have this crappy little uh, what is it called? a? uh, i can't think of the name of the guitar. It's, it's, it's the guitars that kids have, um, it's, it's a. It's a miniature black guitar And I probably wrote 200 or something of the songs on that guitar. You know, $30 or whatever.
Speaker 1:You know if you get the job done.
Speaker 2:No judge you know and and then later on, either during lunch or during um, i'd come home and then I would record it um and post it.
Speaker 1:Gotcha. Okay Interesting. That's interesting how you kind of made it fit to your own, your own life and your own schedule, and we'll get into that There's a question about that later. But, um, I wanted to kind of give our listeners more of an insight into where you were coming from before this started and then lead us to what sparked it.
Speaker 2:Sure, i mean, i've been a. I've been a professional musician since I was 18. Um, i went to high school in Tulsa, oklahoma. Um, i had an acoustic duo with a buddy of mine. His name is Greg Hosterman. We were called November and we were kind of the Simon and Garfunkel of of, uh, kids, you know, um, the joke was we were called Simon and Hosterfunkel, um, and we, we were good. I mean, it was fun. We have great harmonies. We harmonized well together. You couldn't tell when we would switch high and low It was. It was one of those things that that, um, you know, it's just, it was, it was fun, but anyway, um, so you know, he and I had several albums.
Speaker 2:Um, i mean, i've I've done some solo stuff, so I've written and actually put out, you know, a hundred and something songs over the course of 30 years and, um, but, um, each one of those songs took time. You know, i never realized that I really depended on that divine inspiration to get the song out. I'm one of those guys that would noodle, i noodle on the guitar and then I'll come up with a riff and then I'll sit on it and then maybe a line will pop in and over the course of a week or whatever. Then the plot finally hits. It's like that's where I wanna go. But I always had the problem and I think you were teaching this is you get that inspiration and then you lose it, just like that, And you know what the song is supposed to be and you lose it. And that was my curse for years is that I would have to work my way back or it would take weeks to get back to where I could finish that song.
Speaker 2:And when I finally took your course, it was a little bit different, because you're like, hey, don't worry about the perfection of it, just get the idea down and move on. And I'm like, how can I do that? Because I didn't wanna put out something that sucks. But what happened through this process was that okay, well, maybe five to six songs kind of sucked. I mean it's just, you just don't feel it. I mean not that I'm going through the motions, but I'm literally squeezing my muse and trying to push that stuff out. And then all of a sudden, one day a really good one would come out, and it was fast. And then the next few days sucked again. I was like gosh, it's like man, because when you do a good one, you think you've got it and you think you figured it out, and then it sucks again. And then all of a sudden another good one comes like yes.
Speaker 2:Anyway, and then you have strings. I mean, it's almost like a basketball game. They say it's a game of runs, where one team will score a bunch and then it'll dry spell And then, anyway, that's kind of the way it was with me with this is I would have these spurts of some good songs. Hey, these are good ideas. None of them were like well, I can't say none of them. Several of them actually came out where I think they're finished Right right.
Speaker 2:You hear a sting And that's actually what happened right, Yeah, Yeah, I mean what Sting wrote Every Breath You Take, he said in 15 minutes, or whatever I mean it happens. I'm not saying these are hit songs, but they felt good and they felt complete Right, Whereas most of the other ones. I have some really good ideas in there. I gotta find them again, But I've got some really good ideas that all I have to do is, you know, write a better verse or maybe just tighten things up, get a few better descriptions and then put them.
Speaker 1:I love that you clearly completely understood the job of a true artist, which is to just sit down and do the work. It's not about you being thinking this is a hit song or if it's crap, that's not even on the table when you're writing a song to completion every day, like you were. It's just about focusing on doing the job of being an artist. And it's like plumbers don't show up to a job and say I've got plumbing block, they just do their job. And I know a lot of people like to see songwriting and it is. songwriting is a very sacred experience, right It's. you're creating something from nothing but at the same time, taking your process, that whole thought process of being like kind of blue collar almost about it, and just doing what you're supposed to do and doing it every day consistently. that will lead to those sacred, unbelievable days where you're like it flows through you and you write it really fast, and I love that you just hopped on board and you did it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and you know, not gonna give away your method, you know that people have to sign up and learn it, but using your method, i would say the first 100 songs, definitely I stuck to it. And then after a while I started testing myself. I was like, well, can I just come up with any subject and write about it? Well, yeah, i sure can. And what I've also learned is that I mean, just I can write a song faster now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, i love to hear that. That's awesome.
Speaker 2:You know, that's the thing is what took me weeks I can now do in a couple of hours. Now, obviously, when I really wanna make it fine tuned, well, then that takes a little time because then you know I'm researching stuff and you're trying to find that right description and the right phrase to say, and you know it just doesn't. a lot of that doesn't come to you, but the general idea does. So then you can go back and fix it. But that's the point. I remember I think it was in your second retreat that we were in and I was working with I'm sorry, with a couple of the girls and One of them kept hanging on to a line.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I was like I gotta find that rhyme, i gotta get it, and I'm like no move, move.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if it's getting you stuck, yeah, move on.
Speaker 2:Yeah, just here's the point. Okay, cool, we know it has to rhyme with I. Yeah, so it's okay. But go to the next line. Keep moving the plot forward until we get to the chorus, because at that time, using the method, a lot of times you don't know where the song is going, right at the beginning, exactly. It takes a second to come up with that plot and then you're like, ooh, the payoff is this Yeah, let's try this.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but anyway, it was funny how they were getting stuck And because I think it was about 70 songs in, i was like I was starting to feel my oats a little bit like hey, you know? Yeah, do this.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so sometimes. just last week you reminded me I had a write with some younger writers and their 20s in Nashville and they were like asking me about this idea And I said I don't have it all figured out just yet, but I think if we just start writing we'll get there. And that just was like what you know to them. they I don't think it was plausible to have that. they wanted the hook or they wanted to know the title right off the bat And I said it doesn't always work that way.
Speaker 1:I think you just have to let the song lead you to where it wants to go, you know, So many times, yeah, where I knew I didn't have a hook. Yeah.
Speaker 2:And and I, you know, you just keep singing and singing and then maybe I'll get up and walk around and all of a sudden something will hit. You know it's like, oh, let me take it there. Yes, It takes a few minutes, you know, just to kind of reset and regroup and and play around with some melodies and then all of a sudden, boot, Yeah, And it comes out. But I just, I love the fast, I love the fact that, like I said, it's faster now. I mean, I wrote a song with you, I think it was.
Speaker 2:It was in somewhere in the 70s, because I think it was right before, Yeah, Retreat, And at first I was nervous, Of course, you know, you know great, And I knew from Steven that. You know he said she's really fast And and I don't know if you remember, I mean I, I felt like I kept up with you, I felt like I was able to throw some lines in there and and and we had the plot and we were able to kind of finish it And I mean, shoot, it happened in 40 minutes or so. We were able, we were able to chat for a little bit After that is just.
Speaker 1:I love what you just said, like if there's one big takeaway from this whole experience that you've had and from for our listeners, if you want to also do this challenge, i feel like if you can learn how to trust your voice as a writer more, that is the ultimate goal. Right, because you get faster at writing. But it's not about the speed, it's not about the time, it's just about trusting what you have to say more. That's really what this boils down to is like the more you write, the more you understand who you are as a writer.
Speaker 2:Yeah, And I've also. I also learned that lesson. I heard how to remember who said it, but they were saying that sometimes you have to be willing to throw out your, your baby, you know. I mean it's like okay these lines I'm really.
Speaker 2:These lines are really good, but what if something changes in the plot that makes it even better? Well then, you got to be willing to throw that out. Yeah, and that was kind of hard, because I thought there were many songs where I thought this is what I'm going to say, this is, this is where it's going, and then brick wall, nope, i got to change it. So I did change the whole thing.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:And so you just shift directions and it didn't take that long to do. You know, and also by doing this every day, that I think some people might miss the point. It's almost like working out. You know, whenever, whenever you're at the gym, I mean, you don't just go from doing 20 pounds to a hundred the next day.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:So, in in this songwriting process, I learned, i learned different rhymes, i learned different phrases, i learned there's all these little things that just kind of happen, yeah, and I mean, not to mention, I'm also studying, i mean I'm reading the books, i'm listening to the music and you see what the professionals are doing, yeah, and it starts to click And so you start to put some of those, i start to put some of those in the songs, the, the, the rhymes, you know what I'm saying, the rhyme schemes and and I'm testing, i'm testing things out And over time those then build inside and now it's a muscle and and I can really quick at throwing them out now, not like I'm not saying that I'm like really good at it, but Yes, easier than it was.
Speaker 1:The gym is the perfect analogy. It is just building that muscle towards the greatest songs you will ever write in your life, Because every day is just getting a little bit closer to the best version of who you are as an artist And you cannot put that pressure on yourself to sit down every day during this challenge. First of all, you can't put that pressure on yourself on a daily basis to this is it. This is going to be the song Like it's. It's never about that. It's just about showing up as consistently as you can to get to those wonderful moments where it's like there is God.
Speaker 1:there is something involved here, because that was amazing, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, i need. I need to reach out. You know I've signed up for NSAI and stuff and I'd like to reach out to some people and see if I can. I mean I'll be able to take some Nashville trips, you know, every once in a while. But you know the zoom thing has been pretty good And I definitely want to try to write with some strangers and see what that feels like to write a song that that I need to not be afraid that it's not gonna be my song. Yeah, because I've always written for me and I write what feels comfortable to me, what maybe is in my range, something that I might wanna do on stage. So when you always have that in mind, if somebody throws something out there that is different from what is my comfort zone, it's learning how to let go of that and be like, hey, just like Joe says, let the song win.
Speaker 1:Let the song win.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Let it finish it, you know. So it's okay if it's not yours, it's. You know you wrote a song, it's cool.
Speaker 1:Yeah, on those days when you were just not in the mood to write, you were not inspired at all. You were, like I remember, saying to myself I don't have anything to say, like I'm dried out, i'm empty. But then you realize you finished the song. You're like oh, that's what I wanted to say, you know. So on those days when you did wanna quit, perhaps what kept you going?
Speaker 2:Okay. So it wasn't that I ever wanted to quit, i never had that. It's that your method, your method lights the fuse and lights the muse. So grabbing a picture or whatever and then doing through the process, i mean something out of nothing every single time. I mean those days when I didn't have a phrase or I didn't have you know, because I've got a little cliche book I was talking to you about that. It's kind of fun looking through that and seeing if you can take an old cliche and make it new or reword it or you know. Just it's fun. And also just from listening to conversations and trying to pay attention and coming up with an idea from that, just out of everyday life. But when you have nothing, there's zero on the table. Your method can get a song in an hour, yeah.
Speaker 1:So there it is, yeah, and just to give our listeners a quick elevator pitch of what the method is. I don't mind talking about it. It's just you pick out a picture out of a magazine or on the internet whatever photo you like and you pick out 10 random words inspired by that photograph and you have to incorporate those 10 random words into the song. It's really simple.
Speaker 1:So, those form 10 constraints. And then on top of that I would even say, and this is more the extreme, advanced version maybe, but you give yourself a one hour time cap to complete the song. So time constraints are also super powerful. Working under pressure is super powerful.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so you know, cause there were days where I would have a guitar riff or something you know, but those days, like you were talking about, where there was nothing, it was just a blank slate, you know. I could write a song and do it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that.
Speaker 2:I mean, i was like it was really exciting because, even though I didn't have anything, I didn't feel scared. I knew that. I knew that I could do it. So now you know, there were those days where you know outside forces you know just daily life got in the way and called me away whatever, but then I would come back to it and then I could finish it.
Speaker 1:So, yeah. Well, you're a badass And I wanted to kind of touched on this a little bit, but I wanted you to maybe talk on it a little bit more. How has your process changed from who you were as an artist before to the completion of this challenge?
Speaker 2:I don't know. I've always felt I was a good songwriter, but I was one of those guys again that was afraid to put something out until it was perfect.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, i wouldn't let anybody in, i wouldn't let you know, unless it was the, you know, greg or Stephen or someone I was writing with never showed it to anybody until it was recorded and put out. But now, it's not that it's I'm kind of getting ahead of myself. It's just that I'm more confident now that I can write a really good song and I can probably edit it pretty fast And then I'll be able to record it and then put it out there. So I'm really excited.
Speaker 2:I haven't sifted through the songs yet, i'm I'm there's still some things going on, but I'll be able to do my little morning ritual where I'll I'll, you know, write a song or at least an idea. You know now, now that the as far as the pressure goes of, you know, finishing it and posting it, that type of thing, yeah. So now it's kind of like, hey, i'm just going to come up with a fun idea and then I'm going to put it away. Okay, now I need to go to the next thing, which is I want to go back and sift through, i'm going to find the good ones, i'm going to record them and I'm going to put them out there.
Speaker 1:That's great. I was going to ask you about that actually sifting back through the old ones, The best process that I can come up with, and maybe this is not that great, but like I sifted through days one through 90. So it's basically breaking up the year into four parts through 90. And then I picked the top 12 and those became my denim and diesel record that I dropped in like 2019 or something. But so, like 12 songs that I'm 90s, like a very that's the decent ratio of songs to pick from. So I don't know if that would be helpful at all, but you know, just take it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, i'm not. I'm not sure, my, i'm curious. I'm curious, i'm going to start sifting through them. I think what I wanted to do was put them into categories and see if I can't put them into these. You know, ballads, fast songs, medium paced. You know sad, happy. You know, try to find as many categories as I can. To where I can. I can find them again. But I mean, you might be able to help me with this. As far as just how things are going, it seems like people are kind of putting out singles, and that's been going on for a while now. But I'm curious if I'm going to take that route and just kind of just do one at a time, whatever, whatever hits, i'll throw it because I would hate to go through the 90 songs And then, you know, pick out some and then go the next time you go. Oh man, i wish that one should have been on, you know. So I'm not sure if I'm going to agree It might change.
Speaker 2:I don't have a plan. I just I just want to. I want to listen to them and and figure out which ones I can fix or which ones are really good, and go from there. But I'm excited to do it. I just it's funny. I mean I can't remember. I know how some of those Nashville guys who've written thousands right. You know, I mean, they couldn't remember. They can't remember them all. There's no way.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I can't remember.
Speaker 2:I can't remember but a handful Right, so I. That's why I can't wait to go back and go. Oh, i did that Hey.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Yeah, it's funny, I think out of like the maybe the first year of it, I maybe had two that I like. I was like I'm totally touring with this song. I want this on my setlist every night. There were two, Wow, And then, just having not gone through them, but there were just two that are like oh my, you know what I mean, And one of those was was Cactus Lady, And it's one of those days where I'd written a lot of crappy songs. I was getting a little discouraged in the daily songwriting challenge And it had maybe been two weeks of like you know, but then Cactus Lady happened and it's what it makes it so worth all that effort.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I did feel those I had. I had many of those. I just forgot to either put a checkmark or you know. I mean I didn't, i did not categorize these as I was going along, which is probably really stupid, but you know it's going to make it a little harder to sift through them, but it still was fun. And it's really fun The fact that you know, in 30 years I've written 120 or something like that, and now in one year I did 365. What the heck.
Speaker 1:It's amazing, it's such an amazing story. It's really inspiring. I know you're going to inspire our listeners for sure. And what's next for you?
Speaker 2:Well, like I said, i've joined the NSAI and I'm going to try to meet some people in Nashville. I don't know, i think I can do it, but it's just a matter of getting the connections and getting the good songs. First and foremost, the songs have to be good and people have to know that I'm good. And if I can make somebody a believer, that if they believe in what I'm doing, i think I'll be able to catch somebody's eye. But I just have to prove it.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and I'm sure you experienced this feeling as well. Just to give our listeners who are going to go about this daily songwriting challenge, posting on social media can be a bitch And it is part of, i would say, the hardest part of the challenge, not actually the songwriting itself, it's the posting of social media. And having to be on social media every day for a year straight was probably my hardest part of the journey. For me, and mostly because I would get caught up in the numbers. The metrics would bother me. You know I would post a song and think, oh my God, this is. I love this song, people are going to comment and love it, and then it would be one of the ones that would fizzle out. Nothing would happen. But then I would post this throw up a song that I was like, okay, whatever, there's day 173, and then people would love it. So that gives you an example right there of getting detached from the outcome of everything that you create.
Speaker 1:It's all about the outcome. It is about focusing in on your process itself.
Speaker 2:So if someone goes to my Instagram, they'll notice that the first 50 songs are missing, and that's because I posted personally on the grit and grace site. I was afraid of being judged and afraid of, you know, learning to suck, basically. You know, i just I didn't. I didn't want to be bad at what I'm doing And so, thanks to your site, at least I was able to kind of dip my feet in And I think I'm somewhere in the 40s. You were like Devin. You kind of have to let go, yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:I'll do it. I'll do it at 50.
Speaker 1:So awesome.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, yeah, that was. That was a pretty big deal And I gained a few followers. There were a lot of people that followed me through the whole thing. You know most people didn't care, but they were. The comments were nice And again it was me that didn't care, so I didn't care what they thought. I knew that. I know that all these songs are skeletons. You know they are simply a building block to what could be a really good song. It's a while a good one pops out, but for the most part it's like Hey, you know, these songs are malleable. It is a piece of paper with pencil on it. I can change anything I want. So don't don't go judging me on this because it ain't done.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:So that's, that's how I, that's how I was taking it.
Speaker 1:Right, and it's the critics who aren't going to count. as you know, fdr said it. I guess it's the guys that are the people who judge you. they're not down in the same arena. putting in the hard work of being vulnerable on social media and just being brave to share what you have created, that is a truly brave work, and most human beings aren't willing to do what artists like you are willing to do. They are not comfortable with sharing a creation. That is just a fact. And for you to put yourself out there on a daily basis with a brand new song you wrote that day is really truly brave, so we really appreciate you doing that.
Speaker 2:Well, i appreciate it too, Appreciate you teaching the method Smackdown man, boom, yeah, i mean it, freaking worked, i mean it. Just it woke something up inside of me And you know I've always had the talent. I just didn't know how to control the muse, and you know I'm definitely getting better at that.
Speaker 1:Cool. Well, where can our listeners follow you? I want them to, for sure, follow the Instagram page. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Instagram at Memphis Devon. So that's Memphis D, e V A and and you'll, you'll find me. You know, it's not that I have a ton of followers, it didn't really matter, i mean, it's just I'm just trying to put my stuff out there And when you know when, when something big comes out, i'll put something out on Facebook to. I think the Facebook is Memphis Dev.
Speaker 1:Okay, i'm looking forward to the album that comes out of this product, or maybe several albums, i would think.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's, there's got to be. I'm really it's funny. I'm actually really hoping that there's some good stuff in there. I mean, I do remember some of it. I remember the other days where it felt really good, I just moved on and then you forget about it.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:But so, yes, i'm very curious what they're going to sound like, and kind of crossing my fingers that that there's some really good nuggets in there that I can turn into a song.
Speaker 1:Well, you've imparted so much wisdom and just this very short time with you. And if there's one more little bit of advice, that for our listeners who are wanting to tackle this challenge, what would you say to them?
Speaker 2:I would say don't stop. I mean, you know you're going to have those bad days, but but you have to. Every day you have to do something. You know what is it? Lady Gaga, every day she sings. She keeps that. She keeps the muscle going, yeah, and so with us, with a songwriter, your muscle is your mind, so you have to use it every single day. So just find the time. You got the time. Five minutes, 10 minutes. I didn't think I had the time. I'm like no, i got to have my coffee. No, i got to do this. Oh, no, you can, you can have both, you will. You will have the time. Just do it. And over a few you know, weeks, whatever, you're going to notice things get not just easier, but lines are going to get better, things are going to get better. Keep going, keep going. Well then, it's going to keep getting better. Keep going, keep going, so keep going.
Speaker 1:I love it. Thank you so so much, Devin. You're truly inspiring and we appreciate you sharing your gifts with all of us and hope to see you soon.
Speaker 2:Thank you, you too.
Speaker 1:You too Bye.
