The Writer’s Block: Kid Koala on Putting the Puzzle Pieces Together in a Song

On April 14, Canadian-born DJ and songwriter Kid Koala (born Eric San) will release his latest album, Creatures of the Late Afternoon, a lively, eclectic offering that’s sure to get fans out of their seats and moving.

Ahead of the release, American Songwriter caught up with the 48-year-old artist, who is known as a live performer, film composer, theatre producer, and visual artist, to ask him about his writing process—Does he ever experience writer’s block? How does he put together a song? Is it hard to let a song go?

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Throughout his career, Kid Koala has contributed to scores for films like The Great Gatsby, Baby Driver, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, and many more He has also composed music for Cartoon Network, Sesame Street, and Adult Swim. For the hip-hop composer, there is often a lot of history and emotion in his work.

Here, we take a look at how Kid Koala goes about his creative process. He let us in without reservation.

American Songwriter: Your style of songwriting is unique—you’re not, say, picking up an acoustic guitar and writing lyrics on a pad of paper. So, how does it begin with you, how do you flesh out and complete a song?

Kid Koala: It depends on the project. If it’s for a film score, I’ll often start with just writing music to the scene, cycling some chords, or a melody line on the piano. Although I’m most known for my work on turntables. Most of the songs (as opposed to the instrumental tracks) will start on the piano which is actually my first instrument. For the more soundtrack-y instrumental cues, it would depend on what type of energy the scene is calling for, but in some instances, it could start with the drum part or a bassline and build up from there. 

AS: When do you feel most satisfied during the process of writing a song, especially one you enjoy?

KK: I’m most excited when something slightly surprising happens in the studio. Each instrument layer is like a little puzzle piece. Sometimes it’s an unexpected combination of sounds that really brings up the energy or creates a perfect mood. When those little moments start falling into place and balancing, that’s the most exciting part for me. It’s like an audio version of seeing a shooting star or something. I love to try and capture those moments on tape. 

AS: Have you ever experienced writer’s block and how did you get past it?  

KK: If I feel stuck working on something it’s usually because I’m putting too much pressure on the process. Or perhaps being too focused on the deadline as opposed to the process. Nowadays I have several projects in progress including composing music for a film, working on songs for a new theatre piece, and sound design for a video game. So if I feel stuck on any one thing, I just jump over to one of the other projects for a little while. Sometimes, just even an hour away from something will let me hear it clearer when I return to it. Once I can hear it with a refreshed perspective, it’s easier to let the muses guide me. 

AS: Is it hard to let a song go—any examples of this from your current record? 

KK: One of the songs from Creatures of the Late Afternoon did take its own sweet time to evolve. It was a song called “When U Say Love.” It was my attempt at creating a turntable version of a ’50s/’60s jukebox song. I was helping my parents move some stuff they had in storage and found a huge suitcase of letters. My parents first met each other in high school, just before my father graduated. It was a love-at-first-sight kind of thing. But just weeks later he moved to Canada to go to college. On his student budget, he was unable to visit my mom. He would take odd jobs when he wasn’t in class and made just enough to pay for his studies.

Back then, long-distance phone calls were very expensive, so they kept in touch by writing two letters a week to each other. They did this for seven years until they were reunited. He would also tape the ’60s pop songs off the radio onto a reel-to-reel recorder. He would send the reels to my mom so she could listen to the songs. He would also transcribe the lyrics so she could learn and sing the words. That’s how my mom learned English. When they told me this story I was really moved by it. For their wedding anniversary two years ago, I decided to write a “turntable” love song in the style of those ’60s tunes that they loved. I was going for that “Be My Baby” vibe but made using scratched turntable parts etcetera.

I wanted to celebrate my parents’ story and the love they have for each other til this day. So I wrote that song for them. That track was the one song on this album that took the longest to complete. I wanted it to have that mood and nostalgic 60s vibe. 

AS: What is the hardest part for you when it comes to staying motivated to keep practicing songwriting—do you ever work with other musicians?

KK: I’m always learning new things in the studio with every session and every show which is fun so it’s pretty easy to stay motivated if there’s that sense of play involved! I also enjoy collaboration and playing in different contexts and with other musicians. I’ve done tours with rock bands, hip-hop groups, brass bands, string ensembles, and contemporary dance companies, every group helps me to approach playing the turntables differently! 

[RELATED: The Writer’s Block: Rob Thomas Still Asks “Is This Any Good?”]

AS: What advice would you share with songwriters who are just getting into the art form?

KK: Whether it’s writing or picking up a new instrument, I would say just try to enjoy the process as much as possible. Have fun. Keep doing it. Write silly songs, sad songs, dance songs, heavy songs, and anything that will challenge you to try something new. Every song or project can teach you something… and the learning part is the most rewarding part of it in my opinion. Tap into that energy and lean into it. In my experience, it doesn’t matter if you’re feeling happy, sad, agitated, or calm, there’s always a way to let it out through music and art. 

AS: What do you appreciate about composing songs as a DJ, in the hip-hop tradition?

KK: I worked on the score for the Floor Kids video game. The game was a hand-drawn animated freestyle breakdance battle game. Musically, I just wanted to create that energy that I’ve experienced from deejaying at breakdance battles and b-boy/b-girl jams over the years. At those events, the DJ’s job is to keep it really peak energy and throw little audio stabs and things into the groove that the breakers can react to in their performance. The 2D animation from JonJon was amazing and inherently funky, so it was fun to make music that could sync up with that.

AS: When you write, is it beginning to end, or do you pick up a song, put it down, go to another, and come back?

KK: Some songs seem to take a long time to develop, while other’s happen almost instantaneously. In the case of songs like “Adrift” or “All For You” on the  Music To Draw To albums, the lyrics came to me pretty quickly. When I was in the studio, I was in disbelief that two of my favorite singers in the world (Emiliana Torrini and Trixie Whitley) would want to record them. I remember being at the mixing console and monitoring on headphones while each of them sang those songs and I literally got chills listening to them in both instances. We kept those takes.

AS: What do you love most about songwriting?

KK: For me writing songs can be a very helpful and therapeutic way of processing the heavier events in life. On the flip side of that coin, it’s a great way to express and talk about wonderful and joyous times. Finally, it can be a fantastic portal to imaginary new worlds. I just love that every song ends up being its own adventure. 

Photo by CM / Girlie Action Media