WORK FAST, FINISH HOT
- heath holme
- Feb 9
- 7 min read
What Prince Can Teach Us About Removing Friction and Finishing Tracks
I had a brilliant idea for a track. Couldn’t wait to get back to it.
But I left the project in a mess. Then a last-minute work project sidetracked me, and my attention went elsewhere.
When I finally returned to the track weeks later? The spark was gone. I couldn’t sort the woods from the trees. I couldn’t feel or understand the purpose of the original idea. What should I keep? What should I bin? It was overwhelming.
I closed up the project with my tail between my legs and worked on something else.
Sound familiar?
That’s friction. And it’s killing more good ideas than lack of talent ever will.
THE REALITY CHECK
If you’ve ever struggled to reopen a project and pick up where you left off, this one’s for you.
If distractions break your creative flow - checking socials, paying attention to desktop notifications, hunting for that plugin preset - this one’s for you.
If your external hard drives are filling up with 20+ unfinished projects, this one’s for you.
Those cool ideas you started but couldn’t get back into. Those projects you don’t know what to do with anymore. The ones that end up discarded because you’ve lost the thread.
Here’s the truth: Creativity for most of us isn’t a constantly flowing tap of infinite ideas. It comes and goes. Some days we’re on fire, some days we’re not.
Meaning that on those days when you ARE on fire, you need to preserve that energy at all costs. Maximise it. Protect it.
That’s what Prince personified.
The Prince Lesson
Prince recorded 39 studio albums in his 57 years on the planet. Plus vault material that would take decades to release.
How?
Zero Friction.
Let me be honest: Most of us, me included, are not Prince - and that’s absolutely fine. Prince was a multi-instrument playing virtuoso who lived and recorded at an insane pace few of us could pull off.
But here’s what we CAN learn from his “work fast, finish hot” approach:
Prince didn’t work fast because he was rushing.
Prince worked fast because:
He knew WHAT he wanted to say - clear intention, an idea, a dream, a hook that he needed to get down before it left him
He removed obstacles - organised studio sessions, had a recording setup on his tour bus, live stage in Paisley Park, mobile studio, double instruments and gear
He trusted his instincts - didn’t overthink, something we can all embrace (and if we catch ourselves doing it, STOP)
He embraced mistakes as emotion - the reality of his actions and intentions being right here, right now - He was truly PRESENT
There are several examples of technical mistakes in published works where a vocal microphone was recorded 10db too hot, or how he kept the dull-sounding mix of “The Ballad of Dorothy Parker” due to a hilarious story:
He’d installed a new mixing console in his home studio. But his desire, hunger, and appetite to create was so strong that he sent the console designer back to LA before installation was finished - just so he could start recording immediately.
That’s the level of urgency we’re talking about.
If you want to learn more about what it was like to work with Prince, watch this RBMA lecture with Dr. Susan Rodgers, who worked by his side from 1983-1987 during some of his most seminal albums. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched her recount working with Prince. She’s a true treasure:
THE TAKEAWAY?
Prince embodied output over perfection. He preserved his creative flow above all else. In the case of Prince, you actually have to look long and hard to find when he WASN’T recording, playing, jamming, or rehearsing.
Perhaps one reason for his insatiable drive was his social awkwardness - his favourite way to be with other people was simply playing music. I’m sure some of you can relate to this. I know I can.
The Two-Speed System
Here’s what I learned from that project I couldn’t get back into - and from studying Prince’s approach:
Either be like Prince and keep going relentlessly, OR set things up with a structure so the next time you return to an unfinished project, you can pick it up and carry on.
The key is understanding there are two speeds:
SLOW for figuring out WHAT to make
Intention, purpose, “why this track?”
What am I trying to say?
What’s the vibe, the emotion, the hook?
FAST for figuring out HOW to make it
Execution, workflow, finishing
Once you know what you’re making, remove every obstacle
Keep momentum, trust instincts, finish hot
Most producers get this backwards. They rush the intention part (starting tracks without knowing what they’re making) and then get bogged down in endless tweaking during execution.
Part of what causes that endless tweaking? External voices hijacking your process - the comparison voice, the future self critic, the fear of judgment. I break down exactly how to spot and silence these in Stuck in Finishing Track Hell.
Prince did the opposite. Clear intention, then relentless execution.
How to Remove Friction (Practical Systems)
During my time coaching others, I often see artists with brilliant ideas who never finish them. Not because they lack talent. Because they hit obstacles and couldn’t get back into that same space they were in.
Their next session consists of opening up a project and thinking: “Wtf was I doing? Was this a house track or tech house? What’s fluff and what’s the good stuff? What was I keeping, what was I ditching?”
Imagine if this was much clearer and easier. That’s the goal here.
Problem 1: Can’t Pick Up Where You Left Off
The fix:
Before you close up your project at the end of each session, spend a minute or two tidying up the mad professor creative workflow.
Label your tracks - Not “audio_335_126bpm”. Actual descriptive names.
Colour code - I have a simple system I’ve used for years: KICK tracks are RED, BASS is similar, CLAPS are GREEN, SYNTHS are BLUE. This means every time I open a project, I can navigate and find what I’m looking for with no fuss.
Write down what you’re doing - Chuck a sticky note on your desktop, use Notion or your favourite note-taking app
Leave yourself a voice note - Hum the melody, sketch the next step
Use a system like the Music Machine I teach in coaching - Jam → Discover → Draft → Done → Release → Ready stages to get from A-B
Don’t shut up shop thinking you’ll remember next time. Trust me, you won’t. What if you say “I’ll work on this tomorrow” and you don’t get back to it for a week?
Ask yourself honestly: Will it be fun to reopen this project? Can you pick up where you left off?
If the answer is no, you’ve created a headache for future you.
Problem 2: Perfectionism Kills Momentum
You obsess over sounds and perfection from the very first moment, blocking you from moving forward.
The fix: Write like a child - edit like a scientist.
You’re stuck endlessly tweaking? That kick doesn’t need to be THE ONE right now. Get the idea out. Figure out the purpose of the track. THEN polish.
If you’re not in the mood to work on a particular idea, or you’re starting to want to make drastic changes - work on another music idea. Have multiple projects in rotation.
Embrace happy accidents. Mistakes = emotion. Prince kept technical errors because they captured the moment.
Problem 3: Distractions Break Flow
As much as it’s practically possible - eliminate them all.
The fix:
Turn off pop-up notifications
Turn off WiFi if necessary
Turn your phone upside down, off, or silent
If you can’t give your music your full focus, don’t do important creative work - pick something far less important that you can do between other stuff
But honestly? Try and avoid this completely if possible.
Preserve your creative flow at all costs.
If you need to hear it: Be selfish. Give your music the attention it truly deserves.
Problem 4: Messy Projects Kill Joy
Don’t make reopening your project a negative experience. Don’t let it feel like “wtf was I doing last night?”
The fix:
Bounce to audio - Listen before opening the project. Do some stretches, like limbering up before a gym session.
Use the tools we’re blessed to have - Voice notes on your phone to hum melodies, sketch lyrics, riff rhythms, write track name ideas
Write shit down so you don’t forget - Notion, Evernote, or similar
Were you working on the peak of the track? Is the rhythm done? Are you in a minor key?
These things should be obvious when you reopen.
The Six Prince-Inspired Systems
Here’s how to adapt Prince’s approach to your own music workflow:
Work Fast and Efficiently - Once you know what you’re making, zero obstacles = speed and constant flow
Become a Finisher - Stick with one idea until it’s finished
Abandon Perfectionism - Keep moving forward, momentum over polish, embrace mistakes
Make Art Regularly - Not necessarily daily, but as much as practically possible
Rest and Protect Your Energy - Take walks, play sport, read, socialise - it’s as important as putting in the work
Build Your Vault - Output over perfection, craft your legacy through volume
THE LESSON
This isn’t about speed for speed’s sake. It’s about not letting obstacles kill ideas that deserve to exist.
Once you know what you’re making, don’t let friction kill momentum.
What I learned from that abandoned project - and from Prince - is that if the path isn’t clear from A to B, you won’t enjoy the process, finish tracks, or be able to dip in and out when time permits.
You’ll hit struggles and obstacles time after time. You’ll fall out of love with the tracks you’re working on.
But when you remove friction? When you set things up so you can return and pick up where you left off?
The ideas flow. The tracks get finished. The joy comes back.
Prince embodied output over perfection. 39 albums. Countless vault tracks. Because he removed every obstacle between idea and execution.
You don’t need to be Prince. But you can learn from his approach:
Know what you’re making. Remove the obstacles. Keep moving.
That’s how great ideas become finished tracks.
Thanks for reading,
Heath "Hard drive full of unfinished projects?" Find out exactly which of the 5 finishing stages you're stuck at - and how to get unstuck.👇 https://www.heathholme.net/track-finishing-framework
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