#93: Mat Charley of Raynes — Musical Obsession, Literary Devices, and How Songs Take Shape

How do songs actually come into being?In this episode of Always Choose Orange, Mat Charley (co-founder, lyricist, and producer of Raynes) and I talk about the craft and obsession behind his songwriting.After more than 30,000 hours spent writing music, Mat has learned that songs rarely emerge from force alone. Instead, they reveal themselves gradually through melody, iteration, and careful attention to language. As he puts it: a song wants what it wants.In our conversation, we explore:How and why Mat spends 10–16 hours a day writing music without burning outHis “melody first” approach to building songsHow he uses literary devices and poetic structure in his lyricsWhat it’s like writing deeply personal songs for someone else to singHow Raynes organizes ideas, images, and fragments into larger musical projects We also talk about artistic obsession, creative discipline, and why, after writing nearly 1,000 songs, Mat still wakes up excited to make the next one. Website: http://raynesmusic.comInstagram: http://instagram.com/raynesmusicYouTube: https://youtube.com/@raynesmusicBandcamp: https://raynes.bandcamp.comFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/raynesmusicDiscord: https://discord.gg/venx9Mg7zG