Lads, I’ve been writing! A real, live book of stories! It’s so fun, I adore the long and winding process, and I promise to share more another time, once I’ve had enough alone time with it. When I began the process earlier this year, with funding sorted* and ideas bubbling, I faced a dilemma: what does a writer listen to while writing? If I'm working with images, podcasts, liked songs on shuffle, or reality TV can all do the job, since my hands can work without my ears getting in the way. But I can’t have Gemma Collins or Limmy making cameos mid-sentence, despite how much more interesting they’d make things.
* This is the part where I shout out The Arts Council for supporting my project with a literary bursary, for which I’m immensely grateful!
Enter the only reasonable solution: The Sims back catalogues baby! Pure unadulterated build-mode soundtracks composed by the legends Jerry Martin, Marc Russo, and DEVO's Mark Mothersbaugh (yes, really). I've curated a two-hour playlist which generally gets me through a focused block of writing and research.
It’s the perfect background music for feeling like you're, duh, in a simulation, which is a great motivation all in itself for the wanderly freelancer. My God/Boss is making me do it. I’m just a Sim, sitting in front of a computer, being forced to “Practice Writing…” in an effort to get a promotion.
The Sims base game nails the uncanny perfectly, and then you mix in the thematic expansion soundtracks. Vacation adds light calypso vibes, Makin’ Magic brings dark French cabaret (essential for magic realism), and Hot Date? Well, that’s where we get steamy with a little sexy jazz perfection. Absolutely no notes.
Unfortunately, Livin' It Up isn’t on Spotify, but I've tried to include the best from the remaining expansions. Some are less fit for purpose than others. I only added one song from Superstar. Unleashed is just not really my jam (too much hoedown), but 'I Got the Sim Blues' did manage to wiggle its way into the cut.
House Party is absolute chaos. Yes, it's great for a raging gaff in-game, but in the cold light of day it's hard to stay focused to the aggro raspy rap verses in Simlish. More distracting than a MAFS cheating scandal. If you have a minute though, it's well worth a listen. Close your eyes and imagine the voice actors trying to record 'Spring Break' ‘Wewah’ and 'The Group'.
Now go forth my pals and write without settling for an “autumn cosy café wine bar but its raining outside and the barista is heavily breathing into his scarf” vid. Either that or get back into playing The Sims and miss all your self-imposed deadlines cause none of it means anything really.
Dag dag, KB xxx