After more than 10 years of making music together, OneRepublic has managed to consistently switch up their sound throughout their four (they’re currently recording the fourth one) albums. From bluesy songs like “Apologize,” to upbeat ones like “Good Life,” you have to wonder how they keep their creativity and ideas up.
We asked this question before they took the stage at the MTV Music Evolution and here are x tips for any writer or artist who often experience creative burnout.
#1 Always try something new
As mentioned, the band has delved in different musical styles to create their songs. Frontman Ryan Tedder says, “If you tour long enough with the same album, you get tired. So we have to try something different every time.” When asked on constantly experimenting with different genres, Ryan answers, “Music is like when you haven’t gotten a taste of, let’s say, Filipino food. You’ll never know unless you try it. And when you do, it’s the most amazing thing.”
#2 Be diverse
In relation to the previous one, Ryan furthers that sticking to one style for too long will affect the way you create. “Some people don’t evolve and don’t change their music. If you do that asw an artist, you die. Your creativity dies,” he tells us.
#3 Get a change in scenery
Being on tour all the time, Ryan says that traveling to different countries helps refresh their minds. “As much as possible, we always make it a point to explore the country performing in,” he explains. Their guitarist Drew Brown adds, “All this travel we do is good for us so we can get rid of creative burnout and think of new material.”
#4 Work on something else
It’s always important to take a breather from whatever you’re working on. For Ryan, he works on another artist’s album. In case you didn’t know, he’s also a music producer and has worked with Adele, Kelly Clarkson, Beyoncé, and much more. “When I have creative burnout with OneRepublic, I go spend a week listening to other music and work with other artists. I just take a break from OneRepublic for a while then go back with fresh ideas,” he explains.
#5 Do a collab
Sometimes, you need to work with someone to get your creative juices flowing. The band shares that they are doing new collaborations to get the latest album going. “My dream collaboration is with Peter Gabriel, and we’re working with him now which is cool. We’re also collaborating with Pharell and we might get a female artist for one track,” Ryan reveals.
Photo by Paolo Tabuena