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Over 20 years of participating in February Album Writing Month (FAWM), I’ve developed a workflow that allows me to quickly create a decent recording of a freshly written song. My process always starts with guitar chords and humming a melody.
Despite all the digital possibilities out there, I prefer to keep things pure by using real instruments. I print the lyrics in large text, hang them above a camera, and play the song several times in a row. Usually, the fourth or fifth take is good enough.
Thanks to FAWM, I’ve learned not to dwell too long on whether something is "perfect."
Next, I separate the one-take audio track from the video and load it into a mixing program. Most of the effects I use are already preset. Then I record additional vocal tracks and layer in more instruments like guitar, banjo, piano, and keyboard. Once the mix sounds decent, I sync it back with the video footage. Each year, I choose a different color theme for my two-tone videos.
If a song is recorded this way during FAWM, it’s done. After FAWM, I usually end up with three or four keepers, which I test live on stage. Songs often grow and evolve during live performances, but I never rerecord them. Around 90% of the songs I’ve written over the past 20 years were created during FAWM, simple and effective.
These days, I use ChatGPT to check my lyrics for grammar and spelling mistakes. In the past, I relied on native-speaking FAWMers for this. The audio mix I upload to Bandcamp is the same as the one in the videos. My style is defined by one-take #guywithguitar recordings with additional vocals and instruments.
The FAWM.ORG logo used is property of FAWM.ORG LLC, Pittsburgh PA, USA. #fawm
14 Songs 28 Days FAWM 2026
DEMORECORDINGSPRODUCED BY MAX VAN REMMERDEN. RECORDED AND MIXED AT STUDIO273AMSTERDAMVanremmerden music. Some rights reserved.FAWM.ORG 2026 FEBRUARY ALBUM WRITING MONTH.
MAX VANREMMERDEN
✯ The Puppet Master (𝕔𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕒𝕓@froggymagee)
✯ 25x25 𝘽𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝘽𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙎𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙨
✯ 𝘾𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙮𝙬𝙤𝙤𝙥 𝙏𝙪𝙡𝙮𝙩𝙖𝙥𝙨 (𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕘𝕖w1)
14 songs in 28 days February Album Writing Month 2025
DEMORECORDINGSPRODUCED BY MAX VAN REMMERDEN. RECORDED AND MIXED AT STUDIO273AMSTERDAM.Vanremmerden music. Some rights reserved.
FAWM.ORG 2025 FEBRUARY ALBUM WRITING MONTH
MAX VANREMMERDEN
✯ Twenty 20-Second Songs (20 𝕩 20)
✯ This morning I buried my cat (𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕘𝕖w4)
✯ Die Reise des Ballons (𝕤𝕜𝕚𝕣𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕙06)
✯ Yes Zelensky, that's his land now! (𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕘𝕖w3)
✯ -- ..- .-. .. . .-.. (𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕘𝕖w2)
✯ Here With Me (𝕔𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕒𝕓@srcoops)
DEMORECORDINGSPRODUCED BY MAX VAN REMMERDEN. RECORDED AND MIXED AT STUDIO273AMSTERDAM.Vanremmerden music. Some rights reserved.
FAWM.ORG 2024 FEBRUARY ALBUM WRITING MONTH
MAX VANREMMERDEN
✯ Give Me Back Myself (1hr skirmish)
✯ I Know You Love Me (hummingbirdcore)
✯ Just Glow (1hr skirmish)
✯ Solid Ground (1hr skirmish)
✯ Reverse Song ↔️ gnoS esreveR (1hr skirmish)
✯ A Leprechaun Friendship (1hr skirmish)
✯ Lucky 13 (1hr skirmish)
✯ We All Belong Here (1hr skirmish)
✯ Little Gadget (1hr skirmish)
✯ Paranormal Cyclone (1hr skirmish)
✯ Busy Life Break (Weekly Lyrical Challenge)
✯ And Pigs Might Fly (1hr skirmish)
✯ 10x10 On Banjo (10x10 Challenge)
✯ We've Only Just Begun (1hr skirmish)
DEMORECORDINGSPRODUCED BY MAX VAN REMMERDEN. RECORDED AND MIXED AT STUDIO273AMSTERDAM.Vanremmerden music. Some rights reserved.
FAWM.ORG 2023 FEBRUARY ALBUM WRITING MONTH
MAX VANREMMERDEN
Go!
Good Times
Holding Your Hands The Moment Life Ends
Take What I Can Get
You Heard Me
Eggshells
Stage Fright
Echoes Of A Memory
Make It Right
Weird
Blossom Time
Like This
Pie Chart
Less And Less
The Way You Are
Lie
Look At Me
Still Going Strong
Rules
Pump
The Worm
Real Soon
Thank You
DEMORECORDINGSPRODUCED BY MAX VAN REMMERDEN. RECORDED AND MIXED AT STUDIO273AMSTERDAM.Vanremmerden music. Some rights reserved.
FAWM.ORG 2022 FEBRUARY ALBUM WRITING MONTH
MAX VANREMMERDEN
Mayday
Downside
Running
Tree
Numb
Find Out
- intermaxo - (bonus)
Rock Bottom
Satisfied
Crisis
Something
Fears
Support
Massage
Sweet
Ball
Burnout Number Two
Behind
Worry-Free
Escapee
Stop
Make Up
Pointless
Monkey
Easy
Labyrinth
Freedom
Dust
Overboord
SrCoops / Max Vanremmerden - Falling (bonus)
A Good One (bonus)
The Haunted Banjo Head (bonus)
Mark L Berry / Max Vanremmerden - She's An Octopus (bonus)
Eunice (bonus)
Walk (bonus)
SueAwesome / Max Vanremmerden - the lost (bonus)
Life's A Ghost (bonus)
Mayday
Downside
Running
Tree
Numb
Find Out
- intermaxo - (bonus)
Rock Bottom
Satisfied
Crisis
Something
Fears
Support
Massage
Sweet
Ball
Burnout Number Two
Behind
Worry-Free
Escapee
Stop
Make Up
Pointless
Monkey
Easy
Labyrinth
Freedom
Dust
Overboord
SrCoops / Max Vanremmerden - Falling (bonus)
A Good One (bonus)
The Haunted Banjo Head (bonus)
Mark L Berry / Max Vanremmerden - She's An Octopus (bonus)
Eunice (bonus)
Walk (bonus)
SueAwesome / Max Vanremmerden - the lost (bonus)
Life's A Ghost (bonus)
DEMORECORDINGSPRODUCED BY MAX VAN REMMERDEN. RECORDED AND MIXED AT STUDIO273AMSTERDAM.Vanremmerden music. Some rights reserved.
FAWM.ORG 2019 FEBRUARY ALBUM WRITING MONTH
MAX VANREMMERDEN
Bet You Didn't Expect A Man Of My Age Doing All The Dances From Fortnite
Stop Doing Things From My Bucket List
SrCoops / MaxVanremmerden - Last Stop (bonus)
Sue Awesome / Max Vanremmerden - Paper Lanterns (bonus)
Cindy Prince / Max Vanremmerden - Keep On Movin' (bonus)
FAWM 14 songs in 28 days @FAWM
DEMORECORDINGSPRODUCED BY MAX VAN REMMERDEN. RECORDED AND MIXED AT STUDIO273AMSTERDAM.Vanremmerden music. Some rights reserved.
FAWM.ORG 2018 FEBRUARY ALBUM WRITING MONTH
MAX VANREMMERDEN
01. DANCE
02. MYSTERY
03. NOT GONNA
04. SWEET 'N' NEAT
05. SHE'S NOT LOVED
06. WHO WE ARE
07. EASY
08. WHAT IF
09. LONELY WITH YOU
10. BREAK UP
11. YOUR ROCK
12. GIVING UP
13. CAPTAIN
14. RAT ME OUT
15. BORED
16. FROM THE GET-GO
17. THE CITY
18. NAILED IT!
19. Collab1. TAKE ME with Sue Awesome
20. Collab2. WINTER IS A DREAM with river_patriot
21. Challenge1. UNITED - #InternationalClashDay challenge
22. Challenge2. BE HAPPY - #SappyHeart challenge
DEMORECORDINGSPRODUCED BY MAX VAN REMMERDEN. RECORDED AND MIXED AT STUDIO273AMSTERDAM.Vanremmerden music. Some rights reserved.
01. I MISUNDERSTOOD
02. F.I.G.H.T
04. NO NOT NOW NOT AGAIN
05. SIT BACK AND RELAX
03. Collab1. ODE TO THE RELIEF PILOT with Mark L. Berry
DEMORECORDINGSPRODUCED BY MAX VAN REMMERDEN. RECORDED AND MIXED AT STUDIO273AMSTERDAM.Vanremmerden music. Some rights reserved.
2013 VANREMMERDEN MUSIC
01. COME ON AND CREATE
02. TIME WILL TELL
03. I AMSTERDAM
04. WHAT'S GOING ON
05. I'M HERE FOR YOU
06. AIR RAID SIRENS! NOW WHAT?
07. MY WD-40
08. PUZZLE
09. PARTY GIRL
10. YOU KNOW ME
11. PLANTED IN YOUR HEAD
12. YOUR ENERGY
13. FRIDAY
14. YOU'VE BEEN SO GOOD
15. REUNION
16. CLOSING TIME
DEMORECORDINGSPRODUCED BY MAX VAN REMMERDEN. RECORDED AND MIXED AT STUDIO273AMSTERDAM.Vanremmerden music. Some rights reserved.
2012 VANREMMERDEN MUSIC
01. SHE'S RIGHT AGAIN
02. HAVEN'T BEEN THERE
03. Keep the Giant Emergency Life Raft Inflated with Mark L Berry
04. DO YOU DARE?
05. DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS
06. EXPÉRIENCE TRAGIQUE
07. VALENTIJNTJE
08. THE FINAL WORDS
09. BETTER BE GOOD
10. So Close with Thomas Aram
11. SLUMP SONG
12. Dog's Messin' With A Skunk Again with Duane Clancy
13. HE'S DOING SWELL NOW
14. POPULARITY
15. I WISH I COULD GIVE YOU A HUG
16. GOT TO LET IT GO
17. CUT, DRILLED AND CORNERED
18. Modern Love Song with Wayne Ofshell
DEMORECORDINGSPRODUCED BY MAX VAN REMMERDEN. RECORDED AND MIXED AT STUDIO273AMSTERDAM.Vanremmerden music. Some rights reserved.
2011 VANREMMERDEN MUSIC
01. HISTORY REPEATS
02. I FEEL YOUR LOVE
O3. THAT'S ALRIGHT
04. 50 EURO DOWN THE DRAIN
05. BUILD A WALL
06. PSYCHIC DRIVING
07. TIPTOE
08. TAKE THE HIGH NOTE ROAD
09. PERFECT VACUUM
10. SANDBAGS
11. ONE OF THOSE DAYS
12. CONFESSION HOUR
13. I HAVE TRIED
DEMORECORDINGSPRODUCED BY MAX VAN REMMERDEN. RECORDED AND MIXED AT STUDIO273AMSTERDAM.Vanremmerden music. Some rights reserved.
2010 VANREMMERDEN MUSIC
01. GOOD TO BE BACK
02. HEY THAT'S ME
03. THIS IS THE PLACE
04. CASUAL HERO
05. COUNTING SHEEP
06. TAKE YOU TO THE DANCE FLOOR
07. COTTON BUDS
08. GROW OLD WITH YOU
09. COMING HOME
10. DON'T WANT TO WAIT
11. FAN THE FLAME
12. WHATEVER YOU DO
13. MACHINES
14. YOUR WORLD
DEMORECORDINGSPRODUCED BY MAX VAN REMMERDEN. RECORDED AND MIXED AT STUDIO273AMSTERDAM.Vanremmerden music. Some rights reserved.
2009 VANREMMERDEN MUSIC
01. BELT TIGHTENING TIME
02. GONE
03. 20008
04. KNOW I KNOW
05. Vicious Fishes COVER
06. THE WHOLE SHEBANG
07. LET YOU GO
08. casiopunk LAST CALL
09. casiopunk DO NOT FEAR THE FEAR
10. I NEED A HUG
11. DJIDIDJIDI
12. TRASH TRAIN with Dusty Mason
13. CAT IN MY LAP
14. GADGET SONG
DEMORECORDINGSPRODUCED BY MAX VAN REMMERDEN. RECORDED AND MIXED AT STUDIO273AMSTERDAM.Vanremmerden music. Some rights reserved. All songs by Vanremmerden except song 5 Stob/Vanremmerden.
2008 VANREMMERDEN MUSIC
01. WAKE-UP CALL
02. JUST LET ME CRY
03. DANCE
04. GOOGLE ME
05. GOODBYE FOREVER
DEMORECORDINGSPRODUCED BY MAX VAN REMMERDEN. RECORDED AND MIXED AT STUDIO273AMSTERDAM.Vanremmerden music. Some rights reserved. Songs 1-10 by Vanremmerden. Song 11 Turner/Vanremmerden.
2007 VANREMMERDEN MUSIC
01. MR VAN DYCK BROWN
02. SOME MISTAKES
03. GAY BANDS
04. WEATHER SONG
05. CITY BIRDS
06. DON'T
07. THIS TOWN
08. VALENTINE EYEBALLS
09. MAKE UP YOUR MIND
10. THROWING IN THE TOWEL
11. STILL LIFE WITH A GUITAR
DEMORECORDINGSPRODUCED BY MAX VAN REMMERDEN. RECORDED AND MIXED AT STUDIO273AMSTERDAM.Vanremmerden music. Some rights reserved. All songs by Vanremmerden.
2006 VANREMMERDEN MUSIC
01. THE KID INSIDE
02. YOU DON'T DIG IT
03. WASTING MY TIME
04. CULTURE CLASH
05. YOUR UPPER LIP
06. CAT-LOVE
07. KEEP ROLLING
08. SYRUP
09. BAKING LOVE FOR YOU
10. LOVE IS WHAT LIFE IS
11. FAMKES LITTLE DOG
12. EXPLAIN ME MY DREAMS
13. A GENERAL TIP
14. JE NE SUIS PAS GROS!
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