Making a Soft Indie Song (Mitski, Lord Huron, Wave to Earth) | A Day of Creativity

👉 Subscribe: / trevbarnes
👉 Coaching Consultation: calendly.com/t...
👉 My Website: trevbarnes.com
👉 Check Out the ID14: audient.com/pr...
Keep learning. Keep creating. Stay inspired.
Other Links:
📸 Instagram: / trevwbarnes
🎵 Our Production Company: tommyzee.co
👉 Free Training: www.makingmusic...

[@joelaumedesserrano7994]

Cooked so hard with that distorted electric piano

[@proofalleyeson4889]

but still, calling King Krule soft indie must be a crime

[@TrevBarnes]

@@proofalleyeson4889 you're right, I got Lord Huron and King Krule when I titled it. I should probably change the title lmfao. Please let me off for my crimes

[@manthangehlot2234]

youre one of the best producers here on youtube

[@TrevBarnes]

Far from the best, but thank you ❤️

[@246johnsonavenue]

I just noticed the date on your menu bar. You did this all yesterday and uploaded it within 24 hours. One thing I enjoy about your videos is you lead by example on making something good and not taking a long time to share it. You still experiment and get surprised because you’re not holding on to some rigid vision, which makes the process of music creation seem actually enjoyable? 🧐. This is something I’m looking to get better at. I appreciate your work!

[@TrevBarnes]

I never thought someone would notice that haha. I was super excited to work on this, appreciate you getting it!

[@MakePopMusic]

this is gas

[@TrevBarnes]

Holy shit...Austin, you are literally one of the reasons I do these. Thank you so much for stopping by!

[@deyvidpetromusic]

Crazy isn't it, the endorphin rush you get when you create something that really gets you ticking. It such a simple thing but so pleasing you suddenly resort to having the excitement of a child hahah. I would not exchange that feeling alone for the world. That endorphin rush is what makes being creative worth it. That moment of release makes you realise that perhaps your problems and burdens are not quite as bad you think.

[@OklaCaliT]

I just clicked through the video and was fully expecting this to have taken a week, then to find out this is ONE DAY melted my brain.

[@TrevBarnes]

That's too kind of you to say, thank you!

[@Kyle_Noonan]

Love how this turned out. Kinda reminds me of earlier Father John Misty.

[@alllx49]

This song sounds quite like some old pink floyd! I love that vibe! Good job man, this is inspiring!

[@gianlucaschroeder2945]

I can relate with the whole coming up with lyrics. I got the same problems. It was way easier for me to write about my mental health or ex girlfriends. But now I’m in a point of life where I’m very happy and I just don’t know what to write anymore. I thought I was the only one. Love your videos!❤

[@philipalmen5116]

I can relate. So much easier to write lyrics or create art in general when you're going through things.

[@TrevBarnes]

Glad to know that I’m not the only one as well. Appreciate you watching and sharing your perspective. We’ll just have to keep writing and searching for what resonated with us, I’m definitely documenting the journey on that for a future video as well

[@gianlucaschroeder2945]

@@TrevBarnes thanks so much for sharing your experience. I’m not that brave to document and upload my process.

[@FelixJepson]

I think you guys should try and write about more abstract things/try and make things that are seemingly not abstract at all e.g going for a walk in the park into something very abstract and psychedelic, because then it’s relatable and it also can make you think more deeply into the things you do on a day yo day basis

[@TrevBarnes]

@@FelixJepson that's exactly what I've been doing and it just flows!

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

I think that production youtube needs to get more focused on showing the process of actually making music like this (and what I've been aiming more towards lately, as well) instead of tutorials. This was great. Well done. Keep it up!

[@TrevBarnes]

Hearing that from you means the world! I've learned so much from your channel, especially the concept of "Produce as if mixing weren't a thing". Truly life changing, means a ton that one of my videos made it your way. Much love brother!

[@NathanJamesLarsen]

@@TrevBarnes Heck yeah man!! Love to hear that. Kinda funny how that concept and those videos have gotten a lot of people mad at me when it's one of those things that can actually truly help make better music! Keep going brother!

[@adjiiu]

Love the longer videos

[@escapee23]

Man, you're so inspiring and inspired, keep posting, we love it!

[@TrevBarnes]

I appreciate that!

[@tabbyisobel75878]

kinda feels like a marias song sound great ! love the longer videos 💜

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you!

[@sanchez_demo]

Instant Pink Floyd vibe bruh, so awesome!

[@LuisGaray]

Agreed.

[@ECoRubik]

I'm loving this very personal and detailed videos about the creating process, not just the producing (which is also very cool). Please keep it on!!

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you!

[@robykalilla553]

Honestly, more than a John Lennon vibe like you said, I hear a lot of early 1970s Pink Floyd, especially in the instrumental

[@AdilConstantineMusic]

Absolutely amazing! Well done with this song man and I love the authenticity with your excitement as you record the different layers. Keep it up 🧡

[@TrevBarnes]

You're too kind maestro! I really appreciate it. Welcome to the masterclass btw ;)

[@tristancoleboltman9251]

Loved this soo MUCH! New to Logic and I learned soo much from just this one video. Can't wait to binge your channel now. Lots of love from South Africa 🇿🇦❤

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you so much!

[@jessertoto]

watching and listening the song you've finished at 20:58, it's like a movie credit T_T i like it, and it's giving me sad nostalgic vibe at the moment. well done Trev! i like the way you make this video, right after i watch you video, i became your new subscriber.

[@TrevBarnes]

Wow, thank you!

[@MafyaOfficial]

when that solo came in i had to turn the headphones up, sounds great man!

[@nina.sauvage]

This was so good and incredibly inspiring. Thank you !

[@lukebaldwin3905]

One of the best in the series, love love these!! So inspiring!!!

[@kain9491]

This is incredible man, thank you. Your sound selection is great, I would have never guessed in a million years “this needs church bells” would have been next.

[@TrevBarnes]

You’re too kind, thank you

[@peanutbuttersniffler]

dude i’d listen to this on the daily. please tell me you put your music out on spotify☹️☹️

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you for checking it out. I don't really have plans to release this, here's what i left in another comment: These videos are mainly about the creative process versus the final result. Now with that being said, if I do feel the song I make in these videos represents my artistry, there could be a spot for it on platforms in the future. Only time will tell.

[@peanutbuttersniffler]

@@TrevBarnes it is a little disappointing because i love listening to indie artists with the backstory of the song in mind too, but i totally respect the creativity and i love the process in every video. i do hope you release something eventually though! still love the videos:)

[@sergio_grez]

Yes! It IS perfect. It's perfect as it is. What a beautiful song.

[@JohnnyAllan-vj7sj]

Soft indie song? Dude you made a Beatles song All it's missing are some doubled "Ahhh-ahhhh"s in the background lol

[@FluidBlow]

Why do I feel like I know this instrumental already? Like Radiohead x Foo fighters

[@Tea-talk88]

You’re so adorbs, I love the lyric “we’ve now got a wife, a dog, a home.” 🏠❤️

[@The_SpaceHouse]

love this, and I love the small break with your dog's food part!

[@thenumberIX]

Had to sub after hearing those vocals. Holy hell!

[@jacklacomme4354]

Omg thats so inspiring i'm trying hard to make music for a living and make tracks as good as you and become a better man

[@grandpaneg6959]

Your passion is so inspiring man. Every time one of your videos pop up on my feed I want to write another indie song

[@premium670]

I’m gonna need you to drop the track, bro. Ting is fire

[@andrewjones_fitness]

can you a DIIV style song with MIDI drums?

[@HalcyonGuitars]

Pretty impressive to write and knock out a song in six hours…

[@Hicci]

this video is so relaxing and so relatable. i love it

[@daviddammusic]

Wow you gave me a real good feeling for creating again! And than u started the first phrase of your song and I was like, DUDE!🙌 thanks for making this and inspire!

[@TrevBarnes]

That means the world to hear!

[@joaluh]

what chords were these i kinda wanna try them out it sounds so intimate

[@TrevBarnes]

Verse: Dmaj7 - Dmin - Amaj7 - Amaj5 Chorus: Dmaj - Dmin - Amaj7 - F#min

[@nickschott]

​@@TrevBarnes What's an Amaj5?

[@Jangoora]

Really cool!

[@pridealmighty]

I named my daughter after this genre❤️‍🔥

[@DigiHeartz]

its kind of giving me vibes of the greatest or happier than ever by Billie Eilish but more mellow. love it!

[@lilhamu]

REALLY BRO YOU MAKE SO BANGER☺

[@seth_andal]

This is such awesome content. How do you make money? I'm a bio major wanting to move into creative stuff like this but don't know how to transition and support myself at the same time.

[@TrevBarnes]

These are all of the avenues I make money: 1. I have a full time job that supports my creative endeavors. 2. I make a little bit from KZbin AdSense, not much but enough to cover one or two bills. 3. I am a producer at a production company that makes ads specifically for brands (studiozee.co). I'm also a mentor at an academy we've created to teach musicians how to make music for brands (makingmusicforbrands.com). I will also occasionally compose for these jobs as well. 4. I offer coaching, however the program is being changed to be more structured and a better use of my time. 5. I get paid sponsorships on occasion for my content. I'm very selective on who I work with so these aren't as frequent as other creators. I have both "gone all in" and not had a job to pursue my creative endeavors as well as had a job to pursue my creative endeavors. If you're looking for advice, here is what I highly recommend from my personal experience. If your basic needs aren't covered, you will sacrifice a huge part of your creative potential and there is a major risk for burnout beyond repair. It's important to have some sort of full-time (or part-time if you have the luxury) job to make sure your basic needs are met. It's never about how much time you get, it's about how you use the time you get. I probably have a solid hour to two hours a day to work on my active projects and my craft. That's not a whole lot of time, but it's about being purposeful with that time. And in my experience, this year especially, I've found that I have hit more goals and have built way more business by having limited time than if I had hours upon end to pursue. If you're wanting to pursue a creative passion full time, it's imperative that you have something to support yourself while you work on your craft. It sucks, but through discipline, patience, and a solid purpose for your craft is the pathway to living off of your art.

[@Tosoruth]

Reminds me of Grandaddy. Love it. 👌

[@DaanSkatesYT]

21:21 you should've edited the lyrics in that would look really cool

[@ERIKwTheK]

New Subscriber. Thanks 😊

[@TrevBarnes]

Welcome!

[@eualbus]

this song sounds totally like a beatle song!!

[@shaydockmusic]

I've been so lost musically from overthinking and always trying to make the perfect session or the perfect mix. This video really got to me and flipped a switch back to "just make music". Sounds amazing man!

[@TrevBarnes]

Just make music, best words to live by. Cheers

[@bilacb1761]

I love the way you make everything seems easy ❤❤

[@thespartanproductions126]

Very great and inspiring work!

[@robertcreek7548]

Man your joy is infectious!

[@mitchellgdyer]

This has been one of my favorite videos on production in a while. I love making Indie Music. How do you get your voice to have that double effect?

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you so much! And it's a true double, I record multiple takes of the same line.

[@ИванСтругацкий-ь2к]

Congratulations, you've gone international! I'm a sound producer from Russia, and today KZbin recommended your video to me. Great job, subscribe to you, and a big hello from Moscow!

[@simonsmith2642]

More treble in your vox please, Im a musician IM DEAF! But seriously its very bassy

[@TrevBarnes]

Nah

[@alexcarter165]

You have got to put this on spotify

[@JohnPaul-fc7lu]

Perfectly Cooked ❤‍🔥

[@IDontKnow-vd4vl]

Hey man great video, would you be able to do a video on how you record your vocals? maybe what goes into it w/ layers, panning vocal chain etc.

[@TrevBarnes]

Thanks! So it really depends on the project, for example in this video it's an extremely non traditional way to record and layer vocals, the chain is super minimal as well, only two plugins were on the vocals. But, moving forward in future videos I can cover that topic more specifically

[@amirbarness2669]

Damn bro we have the same second name

[@xole]

you've been killing it bro! keep it up 🌱

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you brotato chip!

[@production3934]

Fire song but idk how you listen to the metronome for the whole process. I immediately turn mine off after drums are there

[@TrevBarnes]

I honestly think I just become numb to it lmfao

[@alyssadriscoll7181]

crazy how this was in a day

[@HenkaReadsBooks]

I think e all related to the wrong chords moment

[@tomfoolery4077]

Do you multi-track with EZdrummer, or just a stereo track

[@TrevBarnes]

I do multi-track so I can have more control

[@ajabdullah]

love it!! got a very matt maltese vibe

[@trapmonstah6749]

I’m interested in pursuing music production and songwriting. Thank you for sharing the process!

[@TrevBarnes]

Do it!

[@zmbno]

Was just watching Mr Corman and i swear this is the same chord progression lmao

[@TrevBarnes]

ive never seen it but it very well could be lol

[@RodieBeats]

You're fkn brilliant, my friend. Brilliant.

[@TrevBarnes]

Much love, thank you

[@ramykhelladi]

Feels like a Peach Pit song

[@owoleaderofdoomguyarmy7466]

The guitar has some Duster vibes going on it! Check out Inside Out. Nice video! The distorted piano was soooo cool!

[@Ken-Sho]

Great song. How much do you charge for coaching on calendy?

[@TrevBarnes]

Hey there! Rates change based on availability but it's typically $65/hr. Coaching isn't always a one size fits all solution, so in order to make sure we are a good fit I recommend setting up a consultation first :) calendly.com/trevbarnes/coaching-consultation

[@IntoTheWeeds71]

this is a damn vibe.

[@soundaroundmusic]

Thank you, but your final mix sounds completely different. You didn't show the most important knowledge which relate to mixing and mastering. Anyone can record several instrumental tracks. But achieving such a sound is difficult. And this will take more time.

[@TrevBarnes]

I feel you. I didn't think the segment I recorded on mixing/mastering was interesting enough. There wasn't really much I did to mix and master, it was just very general leveling, tape saturation, and Branworx Mixbus. In the next video I'll go a little more in depth. I tend to have the same philosophy on mixing and mastering in every video I do, so if you want to learn more about it from my perspective, I'd check out other videos of mine that cover the process.

[@soundaroundmusic]

@@TrevBarnes Thank you!

[@eessppiii]

This is incredible

[@deni1470]

this is great man! one of my favourites of yours so far! i'd love to hear you do a take on like a funky lofi jam like jai paul! that would be sickkkkk!!!

[@musick8469]

like from China

[@nicok5630]

I think the song is in 60bpm rather than 120? Not a problem in the DAW but would be if other musicians get a chord sheet to play? Great job in any case!

[@TrevBarnes]

It's a personal preference, it's easier for me to keep my time with a click at 120bpm than it is at 60bpm. If I'm working with others on a project, then yes, it makes more sense to put in 60bpm, but it's just me on these.

[@nicok5630]

@@TrevBarnes yep same for me, but what trips it up then sometimes when you quantize and it's all in 1/8 rather than 1/16 🙂 so I always switch it to the "correct" BPM (Cubase user).

[@mithunsimonis]

Bro checked out your whole channel and i am glad this video is churning those numbers for you. Just to know (I aspire to be a full time musician) what do you do for work to support this lifestyle ? hope the bestest of best for you !!!!

[@TrevBarnes]

Hey there! Thank you for stopping by and checking my work out. There's quite a few things that I do. Right now, I still have a full-time 8-5 office job, so when I make these videos I have to be very purposeful with my time and focus. Outside of KZbin and my job, I recently started to run operations at an academy that teaches musicians how to pursue a full-time living from making music for big brand campaigns. We're nearing 1000 students so things are going very well there! Balancing my time is extremely challenging, but within the next year, we'll see where I end up.

[@mithunsimonis]

@@TrevBarnes bruh respect . You are where I wanna be ! I appreciate so much being transparent !

[@diogodores1423]

Hey dude, I’m not sure if you did this before but would love a video on how you build your fx chains on Logic to get those guitar sounds. The guitar sound you used for the solo for example sounds super cool.

[@benilyadovein2434]

Drop songs in mono

[@gustavlutz6725]

Dude your insane! Keep up the good work🎉

[@TrevBarnes]

Too kind, thank you

[@yosefathh]

Man, I have been such a hole the last week, this is exactly what I needed to pick up the pen again. Thanks man!

[@greenwellandrew]

i desperately need to understand how to solidly record acoustic guitar

[@TrevBarnes]

Just make sure not to overcomplicate, just move the microphone around until it sounds the way you want it to :)

[@abimaelmartell]

i guess its your style, but i keep trying to clean my screen haha, nice job!!

[@TrevBarnes]

lmfao, good! I'm actually just tricking people into doing chores

[@juansteel100]

great video, but the instagram filter is a little bit annoying

[@TrevBarnes]

Sorry you feel that way, I personally like the style so I'm not really intending on changing it

[@jupitertheplanet2030]

Thank you for the video, that was a magical experience.

[@TrevBarnes]

this means alot coming from the planet Jupiter. much love

[@jupitertheplanet2030]

@@TrevBarnes And a lightning fast response as well :) Love from all Jupiterians

[@szmr]

This video popped into my recommended and it’s a cool video - just left this on while working and it was really cool to listen to the process. I’ll definitely be checking this channel out more!

[@closer2gsus]

Awesome song ❤ thanks for sharing all the steps you where going through to create this song 💪

[@gabgabgabg]

oh wow.......

[@tanishqkapilOfficial]

Bro what's your comp. spec ?

[@TrevBarnes]

Can you elaborate?

[@zacharieschlouch7171]

I rarely comment but this is straight fire

[@TrevBarnes]

Thank you!

[@Agilebeast101alf]

reminds me of the newest arctic monkeys album, lovely stuff

[@VigneshSuresh239]

Too good ❤

[@mitchurd9637]

18:22 gotta be the most relatable thing on all of the internet

[@TrevBarnes]

Haha glad I could relate

[@mykar.418]

Lovely!

[@charliedalsass8827]

The whole vibe of this video is awesome. Love the laid back creative process. Keep it up!

[@harrythompsoncook]

I agree it's got that John Lennon sound to it! I feel like it wouldn't be out of place on a Harry Styles album either! Love it!

[@KelionPuritan]

Could you make a bon iver esque song?

[@TrevBarnes]

Hey there! I actually covered an ambient-indie Novo Amor/Bon Iver style song in a previous video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nHyneIx3oNVja7s I'm 100% open to doing another one of these

[@Grantborland]

Great song dude, very cool vibe to the track - feels really warm! Enjoyed watching your process as well!

[@joeldoesdesign]

Can you do a short tutorial on how you record these videos? (How you get the screen to appear like that with rounded edges and how you get your computer audio to record while also coming out of your speakers)

[@TrevBarnes]

It would be a good video to do in the future! Basically I use OBS for everything, it's a streaming setup that I just use to record. I'll do a breakdown in a future video

[@joeldoesdesign]

@@TrevBarnes Thank you! I really appreciate it.

[@buyingdrop0127]

Love this, new subscriber

[@TrevBarnes]

Thanks for subbing!