This week I'm joined by The Bausa - Philip, Edward and Frederick, the Norwegian trio who went from making graduation party music in high school to a chart hit, 60,000 people the day after graduation, and now an international global hit with Magnetic.

Before any of that happened, they spent years making 50+ songs a year for Norwegian school leavers with real clients, real deadlines, real feedback. It was the best music education you could design, and they didn't even know that's what it was.

We get into how three people actually make music together without it becoming a mess, their three ideas a day technique that replaced grinding one track to death, and how Magnetic was made in a snowstorm at a cabin in January when the whole thing felt like a side quest with no pressure.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Deadlines are the best finishing tool you have: Making 50+ songs a year for real clients with real feedback forced them to finish tracks, try new genres, and get comfortable with fast decisions. If you can find an external deadline - a camp, a brief, a collaborator - use it.
• Three ideas a day beats grinding one track: Instead of spending weeks on one idea until you hate it, crank out three quick ideas per session and come back to finish the best ones with fresh ears. You make better decisions and stay out of your own head.
• 80% done is good enough: Stop chasing perfect. If it's 80% there, release it. Trust that you can make something as good or better next time. Perfection kills more music than anything else.
• Environment changes everything - but you have to be in shape first: Magnetic was made at a cabin in a snowstorm and felt like a side quest. But it only worked because they'd spent four weeks in the studio grinding beforehand. You need both - the reps and the change of scene.
• Build a brand early and go hard on it: Know what you look like, what you sound like, and what you stand for before anyone's watching. It's much harder to build it after the fact.

BEST MOMENTS

"We were making 50 songs a year - you can't wait six months. You have deadlines, you have to follow them, and if they don't like the hook you've got to find a new one."

"We made a song the first evening we ever met, partied for five hours after, and put it on Spotify two weeks later. We just knew - there's chemistry here."

"Don't try to make 100% perfect. If it's 80% - go. Trust that you can make something as good or better in the future."

"If you make a hit, don't try to make it again. Every time you go back to that sound on purpose - it never works."

"I imagine the song is made by someone else. That gives me a much clearer picture - is this actually a banger, or am I just wishing it is?"

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Songwritng camps

EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT

James Hurr: Making Hits, Staying Prolific & The Business Lessons Nobody Teaches You

ABOUT THE HOST

Lex Luca is a London-based DJ, producer, and label owner known for his infectious energy both behind the decks and in the studio. With releases on Snatch!, Nervous, and his own label In Tune, Lex has garnered support from Pete Tong, Annie Mac, and Claude VonStroke. A former BBC Radio 1 producer, he delivers a unique blend of house, disco, and techno that has taken him from London to Ibiza and beyond. Lex founded OpenDAW Songwriting Camps, bringing together independent musicians to collaborate. As the host of OpenDAW Talks, he shares his journey and insights with the next generation of music creators.

CONNECT & CONTACT

http://instagram.com/opendawmusic

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Email: hello@opendawtalks.com

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