Behind the Song: “No Sleep (Revamped)”
Let’s take a deeper look at “No Sleep (Revamped)” and the musical evolution from acoustic to rock band. Back in NYU around 2016 or so, I was introduced to Yasmin Williams through our composition teacher, Youngmi Ha. Yasmin was an amazing guitarist who is now renowned for her unique finger-picking style. At the time, what I needed was someone who could add rhythms that a piano could not produce. So when I heard her play, it helped unlock different sounds and rhythms. Eventually, it opened up my eyes to new songs.
I remember sitting in practice rooms collaborating with her. It was the first time I worked closely with someone who could give immediate feedback on what was playable. I remember that opening melody and how I wanted to have her play the last note with a wobbling twang from pulling the string. It was one of the first times I was able to mold a sound in real time. I was very lucky and thankful. The acoustic version, which I may or may not re-release, was initially the very first song I ever showed the world. I uploaded it on SoundCloud along with a couple of other songs we worked on and recorded. It was fun! Yasmin added a beat by tapping and palming her guitar, and it was an amazing first start.
When I had aspirations to make the song more of a rock song, I then met my drummer TJ Maistros and bass player Jimmy Kavetas. We worked out the syncopated chord progression for the opening - the chord change occurs on the 4th beat of the measure (4th quarter note or 4th eighth - to each their own, pick and choose) to extend the melody and lengthen the phrase. It showed movement and longer lines which became a signature composing style of mine. I feel it comes from the remnants of my classical music training, complete with plagal and deceptive cadences. (IV-I and V-vi respectively). With “No Sleep” though, I specifically wanted to keep it as commercial as possible. I, of course, wanted to be in the ‘Pop’ genre. Hence, why the chord progression repeats so often. It only sounds different in the verses than in the choruses because the chords in the verses are the whole measure and the choruses basically are in double-time, half as long. This gives the chorus a faster, more upbeat feeling while staying in the same tempo. The correct compositional term is diminution/augmentation, for those of you out there who are taking notes. I also start the chorus on a different chord in the progression. Rather than start on the D (I) in the bass, I start on the B (vi). This is something I do in most of my songs. I find that there is more feeling and emotion behind a D/B chord rather than a simple D chord. I love keeping the chords the same, but only moving the bass line. *insert analysis about how one note can change the whole meaning, sound, and feeling of a chord… <here>*
The lyrics were always meant to be more fun than thought-provoking. At the time, I really liked the sound of alliterative phrases (“tossing and turning, our bodies burning”). I thought that was such a fun sound. Adding the accents on top of those lyrics also supported the chord progression’s syncopation. There was always movement, but it could be felt in a relaxed halftime feeling as well. It was all just a fun way to give the song a fun time to the listener.
Skipping ahead now to 2024, I wanted to restart my music career with an even more professional and polished sound. The one thing holding me back was my first EP. These songs were (don’t get me wrong, I love them) intimate, thin, and sonically outdated. As the first songs anyone has heard me write and record, they got the job done. I’m very proud of them. When I looked back, though, I saw an opportunity. Before moving forward with new music, I needed to go back to the beginning to remind myself why I love music. I also wanted to reimagine these songs to their fullest and most complete sound. So it was only natural to work with Chad Martin, my recording guitarist, and TJ again. Instead of one guitar, there are 3. Instead of one vocal lead and sparse harmonic parts, there are vocal doubles and full phrase harmonies. Irving Gadoury helped engineer and mix all of my recent songs and has also helped me bring the ideas out of my head to the recording studio. I made sure not to change anything that would make the song sound completely different. I just wanted to give it a glow-up that enhanced the composition underneath. I couldn’t have asked for a better team to make that happen.
“No Sleep (Revamped)” is out on all streaming services.
