Songwriting Track Breakdown: "Rainy day friction" Ardour/Github Recording Sessions

Listen to the song "Rainy day friction" here.

In this video, we take you behind the scenes of creating our song "Rainy Day Friction".

The song began as a simple piano riff, a variation of the song "Slippery Friction," which is part of a larger movie soundtrack project. We walk you through the song's evolution, showing how a piece of music can develop and change over time.

Using GitHub as an unconventional tool for musical collaboration, we were able to create and store different iterations of the song, allowing us to track its progression and refine each part. From the original piano track laid down in Ardour, a digital audio workstation, to the addition of a breathy saxophone line and a simple bass guitar, each element fits the mood of the movie scene.

The turning point came when our bass player, Cliff, questioned what vocals could be added. This sparked a new branch of creativity, leading to the development of a vocal line that would become the heart of the song. 

The video goes through this creative process, showing how the initial loop was expanded into a full arrangement with a chorus, a contrabassoon part, and a violin melody.

But what really brought "Rainy Day Friction" to life was the inclusion of a saxophone part. We describe how we recorded multiple sessions with the saxophonist, Bryan, allowing him to freestyle and explore different riffs. These sessions were then meticulously chopped up and arranged to fit the song.