Feed My Soul: Writing & Production
From a production standpoint, I intentionally returned to recording live instruments for Feed My Soul. I wanted the track to carry texture, imperfection, and physical presence. There is a difference between sound that is assembled and sound that is performed.
That decision became part of a larger conversation within Unearthly Delights about authorship and agency. In a time when it is possible to generate entire sonic landscapes with minimal physical input, I felt compelled to move in the opposite direction with intention. Frictionless creation can be efficient, but it can also distance you from the act itself. Recording live instruments slowed me down. It required being present in the moment.
When I first sent the demo of Feed My Soul to Chris, I was nervous. I had been living with the song for months. I experimented with different ways of singing it. Some days it felt clear and grounded. Other days it felt like an absolute mess. There were stretches where I would not work on it for weeks because I could not hear it objectively anymore. Taking breaks gave me fresh ways to approach it.
By the time I sent it out, I was not sure if I was sharing something good or just ridiculous.
Chris’s additional production and mixing elevated the track in ways I could not have reached alone. What meant the most was that he understood the emotional center of the song. He did not polish away its character. He helped clarify it without stripping it of its rawness.
Andrew had been listening to the song from much earlier on, while I was recording it and while it was still shifting through different phases. His ears have always been a grounding presence in my process. There is something reassuring about someone who can hear the throughline even when you cannot.
That, too, is part of authorship. Knowing when to protect a vision, and knowing when to invite trusted collaborators into it.
If the song is about feeding the soul, then the way it is made should reflect care, embodiment, uncertainty, and shared craft.
Credits
Audio Credits
- Written, Composed & Produced by: Junkerri
- Additional Production & Mixed by: Chris Cabaniss
- Mastered by: Andrew Rief
- Recorded at: Rief Productions, Austin, TX
- Album Art & Video by: Junkerri
Performing Credits
- Junkerri - Guitars, Vocals, Bass, Synth, String Arrangement, Percussion
- Chris Cabaniss - Baritone Guitar, Percussion
- Nicola D’Adamo - Drums
- Alexey Zavgorodniy - Violin, Viola
- Kateryna Mytrofanova - Cello
Watch & Listen
Feed My Soul is out now.
- Watch: Feed My Soul - Visualizer
- Listen: Feed My Soul on Spotify