TWENTYTWENTYSIX
Q: Can you tell us about the inspiration behind “Fake It Till You Make It”?
FITYMI (or fitme, as we called it during production) was such an important song for me lyrically. At the start of the writing process for the album, thoughts, memories and emotions tended towards the melancholy and reminiscent — unrequited love, past failures and so on. Yes, I was wallowing a bit! But literally, I work up one day thinking, do you know what? I’m done with that, it’s time to move on! The second line, “I saw it in a dream,” was quite literally what happened — I almost jumped out of bed to capture the moment.
Q: The lyrics in “Fake It Till You Make It” are quite introspective. How did you approach writing such reflective content?
I approached it in much the same way as other lyrics, and indeed other things I write: first thing in the morning, sitting with a cup of coffee, a blank sheet of paper and no distractions, and seeing what comes out. Something I’ve learned is never to force words out, but to let them emerge. Even the rhymes and rhythms seem to happen quite naturally if they’re allowed to. They can be adjusted and rearranged later if necessary.
It became a duet with myself, in part reflecting my epiphany, and in part, a communication to my former self. “You’re passing under bridges that reach into the sky” — so often we can fail to look up, or reach up, or rise up, as we are too stuck in our existential crises. Or is that just me!
Q: What message do you hope listeners take away from the song?
Be yourself, above all. Be joyful that you are unique, and that your life is worth living.
Q: In the song, you mention realizing what it means to be alive. Can you elaborate on that realization?
Our existence is so very improbable, in universal terms the collection of physical laws and chemical processes that went into creating a planet that could sustain life in the first place; the emergence of humanity over millennia, across ice ages and into civilization; the happenstances of social interactions and biology, that somehow led to our individual DNA being manifested. And then, the physical, mental and societal challenges we all face, and overcome if we can. The fact that I exist and am able to function is infinitesimally improbable, and I want to make the most of every second that I’ve been given.
Q: The phrase “fake it till you make it” is central to the song. What does this phrase mean to you personally?
“Fake it till you make it, there’s no try” is an amalgam of popular cliches across Instagram influence and sport-speak. As a society we’re encouraged to think that how we represent ourselves online is somehow us — we need to pretend we are what we want to be, so we are told. But the later line, “You never wanted it this way,” is as important: if we do create online versions of ourselves that are fake, we are forced to maintain the illusion; we might even start believing it to be true.
Q: The song talks about the passage of time and aligning with the stars. How do you stay present and mindful in your creative process?
I would turn that around and say that the creative process starts from being present and mindful. The more baggage you can drop, the more the real you can get out. From a writing perspective I largely knew this already — I’ve authored several books and have learned how much more efficient it is to start with a clear head. Whilst making the album, I learned how true it was for singing as well — makes sense in hindsight, it’s all communication!
Q: The chorus includes “each day tumbles by.” How do you deal with the passage of time in your personal and professional life?
I fundamentally believe we overestimate how much time there is in a day, a week, a year. That’s why we always seem to be astonished how another time period has passed — “I can’t believe it’s August already!” etc etc. I’m as guilty of this as anyone, but there’s something about getting older that makes each day become more important. Time is one of the most valuable resources we can access, it is free to use, but it cannot be replaced when gone.
Q: Can you share any personal experiences that influenced the writing of this song?
How long have you got? Many of the lyrics I write are based on lessons I have learned. My personality type is such that I need to understand things in detail before I can engage with them, this has led to a tendency towards what I once thought was depression, but I realised was more to do with processing. But guess what? Sometimes in life — most times in life — you can just enjoy the moment, or shrug off the bad experience, and don’t feel you have to “get” it all there and then before moving on.
Q: What was the recording process like for “Fake It Till You Make It”?
Dom had written a guitar demo for what become FITYMI, so I had already let that wash over me a few times before the lyric came to mind. When I first heard the demo I thought it needed to start with “Heeeeey,” then there were some quieter moments which gave me the idea for the duet approach. It became a fun puzzle to solve — how can I create something compelling that fits with what Dom has done? I repeated one section I think, then sang over it to send something back to Dom, who then chose instrumentation to fit the vibe I’d heard in his music.
We then both largely worked separately in Logic Pro, sending projects or tracks back and forth. I honestly don’t know how but with very little conversation Dom seems to get what I’m trying to get across, and I think I get what he’s trying to communicate as well. Some tracks, we played with different arrangements before settling but this one emerged quite naturally.
Q: How do you feel this song fits into your overall body of work?
It’s certainly an important juncture lyrically, a point where I found I’d said all I wanted to say about being introspective. I’ve got various demo songs which I now realise I will never finish, I’ve made that point and don’t need to make it again. Onward and upward!
Q: Were there any particular challenges you faced while writing or recording this track?
The song itself came together pretty smoothly. Separating the two vocal themes was a mite tricky, maybe we didn’t fully land that concept but it works as well as it can!
Q: The song has a mix of hopeful and cautionary tones. How do you balance these emotions in your music?
Good question, as it risks becoming a bit preachy if you get it wrong. I think the key was to max out on the joy, and let that drive things — “Life’s a rocket launcher, so aim it at the sky!” So it’s less about stopping things, and more about freeing your mind and soul. Why am I thinking about Keanu Reeves’ Neo when I write that!
Q: How do you stay motivated when dealing with the challenges described in the song?
Personally, I have come to realise that everything happens for a reason, but that the rest is up to you. If you’re stuck in a rut, that’s OK, it’s OK to be imperfect, to be struggling. So often we feel inadequate, society makes us think that we are failures for not being able to cope, it’s not true. But sooner or later, we have to nurture our own baby souls, put on our own oxygen masks, find ourselves, and allow ourselves out of the dark places we find ourselves in. So easy to say, so hard to do sometimes, but we have to give ourselves the opportunity.
Q: Can you talk about any other songs or artists that influenced “Fake It Till You Make It”?
Difficult to say specifically, but it definitely harks back to times when it was all about the song — I’m thinking about songwriters in the 70s period such as Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen. This might not share the same vibe but it taps a desire to tell stories through song.
Q: How has your approach to songwriting evolved over time?
I have always loved playing with words, be it a line of text, a poem or a lyric. When I started, if I’m honest, I would see each piece as something to be captured and preserved like butterflies on a board. Now I see it more like cooking — a set of ingredients that creates something that works at that point in time. It’s less about taking the perfect photo, more about snapshots and the journey they represent.
Q: What do you find most rewarding about sharing such personal and introspective lyrics with your audience?
Oh my. Just the sharing. Some emotions and concepts are so hard to articulate, we can dig holes or mis-speak. But a lyric can carry so much, creating a conduit from one soul to another. Some say it can be scary to share so much but I find it immensely freeing, particularly as it needs to be succinct. Not everything is revealed in terms of what led to something being expressed, but its expression can move people more deeply than a mere conversation. Of course, a song can also be a bit of whimsy, that’s fine too!
Q: How do you handle feedback and criticism about your work?
If each song was put on a pedestal, it would be upsetting if people threw eggs at it for sure — but that’s the wrong approach. Better is to express what is in yourself, to put it out there, to see if it triggers similar thoughts in others. Coupled with that, there’s an alchemy in making music. Some songs capture the spark you had at the start, and some less so — the emotions or themes can get lost in the mix, or with an inadequate turn of phrase, or if it’s in the wrong key to express that thought vocally. Criticism often relates to where this alchemy hasn’t quite worked, and it’s so helpful to hear what that is, so you can learn. “Oh that’s great,” doesn’t tell you anything!
Q: What’s next for you? Are there any upcoming projects or themes you’re excited to explore?
This isn’t over – Dom and I already been collating materials for a follow-up. In parallel, I do suffer from having started too many projects in the past, it would be great to finish the musical or one of several novels! Most importantly, I think, is just to carry on creating, getting stuff out there, and hoping that others might get something out of it. All art is ultimately a dialog, which starts with having something to say and then saying it in a way which potentially resonates — that spark is in all of us and should be allowed to emerge. Onward and upward, indeed.
