Studio Session: Letting Go of Perfection & Making Art Anyway With Verne Fritz

I don’t know about you, but I always wanted to buy the best gear possible before I even started learning something new. Then once I had the gear I would get overwhelmed pretty quickly (because better gear usually means more complicated because it can do more things!) and eventually give up…

On the other hand I also see a ton of people watching tutorial after tutorial to learn about something but then never actually take action… This getting stuck in perfection is incredibly common and is unfortunately holding so many singers and musicians back.

But not Verne! He’s very a much a “doing by learning” kinda guy. When he walked into my studio, he wasn’t trying to impress anyone. He wasn’t pretending to have it all figured out. He showed up with curiosity, a love for sound, and a deep willingness to explore. That mindset—making something even when it’s messy—is more powerful than any tutorial or fancy gear.

Meet Verne

Verne Fritz is one of those artists who blurs the lines between singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and sound architect. He makes ambient, experimental, and singer-songwriter music that’s raw, moody, and completely unfiltered. But what stands out most isn’t just the sound—it’s the process. Verne builds songs by feel, by instinct, and by trial-and-error. He’s not afraid to learn the long way if it means discovering something real.

Whether he’s recording vocals in less-than-ideal conditions or spending weeks solving a MIDI glitch without a manual, he brings a deep sense of patience and play to his work.

“I didn’t have the equipment for the easy way,” he said. “So I had to figure it out.”

And he did—over and over again.

Verne and I actually met at an open mic night - he was the host/booking agent and I was a performer. From there he booked me for various shows around town and he even accompanied me on guitar and helped put together a track to make our live performance sound more full for a special TV gig I got. I was so grateful to have him there and help me put together a great set as otherwise it would have just been me singing and playing basic chords on my keyboard. His experimental style and love for all music really helped create unique live versions of my songs.

Creative First, Technical Second

So many artists wait to start until everything’s perfect. Verne doesn’t.

He builds first, then polishes. He creates in rough drafts, half-finished ideas, and unplanned sessions—because to him, making something is more valuable than making it “right.” Even his ambient tracks started off as chaotic layers before they became meditative soundscapes.

He trusts that clarity comes later. What matters is that you begin.

This applies to all aspects of your art. It’s your voice. Your lyrics. Your confidence. Maybe your mic isn’t great. Maybe you’re not totally sure of the notes. Maybe the lyrics feel “off.” It doesn’t matter. You don’t have to sound polished to be powerful. You just have to be honest. That’s what Verne does—he follows the thread, and lets the process lead.

Tech Troubles Are Part of the Work

One thing Verne said stuck with me: “Music gear is like a figure-it-out-yourself situation.”

He talked about spending weeks trying to solve a MIDI problem with no roadmap, no tutorial, no walkthrough. And you’d think that kind of frustration would slow him down—but it didn’t. Instead of quitting, he got curious. Instead of waiting for a better setup, he experimented with what he had.

That’s what real artistry looks like—not avoiding friction, but growing through it. Lord knows I have some growing to do in that department too 😉

Let It Be Messy First

Verne admitted that a lot of his early mixes were “a mess.” Too many layers, unclear direction, no real structure. But instead of deleting them, he kept refining until the feeling came through.

That messy middle? That’s where the best stuff happens. It’s where voice, sound, and story actually collide. The same thing goes for vocals, lyrics, even studio setups—stop waiting for everything to line up, and let it evolve as you go.

“I kind of love the long way around,” he told me. “It makes it mine.”

Final Thoughts

Verne reminded me that being an artist isn’t about perfection—it’s about permission. Permission to start. To struggle. To not know. And to create anyway.

His superpower isn’t his mic or his DAW. It’s his ability to say, “I’m doing it anyway”—even if he has to figure it out one mistake at a time.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re not ready, or you’re waiting for some magic moment to start… this is your sign.

🎧 Watch Verne’s full session and see how it all came together

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