​I get asked all the time: “What’s your songwriting process?”

​The truth is, there’s no simple formula. It can be a slightly different process every time, but there’s one thing that’s always the same: it always starts with a deep emotion and a need to express it.

​A song is never "just a song" for me. It’s a feeling I have to get out of my system. Once that emotion is there, it usually takes one of three paths to become a finished track.

​Path 1: The Lyrics Come First

​Sometimes, the words just hit me. I'll have a full concept, a line, or a verse, and the lyrics are so specific that I have to build a beat from scratch to match that exact mood. This is like having a story and then scoring the movie for it.

​Path 2: The Beat Comes First

​Then there are the other times. I'll be producing, messing around with a melody or a drum pattern, and the beat itself will give me the idea for the lyrics. The sound of the track will spark a feeling or a memory, and I’ll build the song around that.

​Path 3: The “Hum”

​And honestly, sometimes I don’t have either. I’ll just sit at the microphone and hum a melody. No words, no beat. Just a feeling. I'll keep humming until the right words start to form and what needs to be said just... comes to me.

​The 3 AM Creative Episode

​So, how do I capture all this?

​I'm not precious about it. I can write anywhere. My Notes app on my phone is filled with half-finished ideas and one-liners that I've had to pull over and write down.

​But most of the real work… most of the breakthroughs… happen when the world is asleep.

​A lot of my best material comes from this one specific pattern: I’ll wake up at 2 or 3 in the morning. It’s not insomnia; it’s like my brain is telling me it’s time to work. I'll have an intensive creative episode of writing and producing that can last a couple of hours. It’s quiet, there are no distractions, and I can just lock in.

​After that, my brain needs time to reboot. It’s intense, but that’s usually when the most honest material comes out.

​My Setup: Keeping it Raw

​When it's time to record, I do it all right at home. My setup isn't about thousands of dollars in gear; it's about capturing that raw idea in the moment. I actually use a stage mic, not a fancy studio mic, but it has a great quality that fits the sound. It proves you don't need a million-dollar studio, you just need the idea.

​How I Know When It's “Done”

​This is the hardest part. How do I know when a song is finished?

​I’ll be honest: I never really know if it’s "ready." It's not a magic feeling.

​I just get to a point where I can't think of anything else to add to make it better.

​It's a gut feeling. It’s that moment where you listen back, and you can finally just let it go. It’s said what it needed to say.

​It’s not a clean 9-to-5 process. It’s a bit chaotic, it’s emotional, and it doesn't really keep a normal schedule. But it's my process, and it's honest.

​For all the other creatives out there, how do you know when your work is finished? Let me know in the comments.