Rave to the Grave: Why You’re Never Too Old to Create and Release Music

Jul 10
4 min read

If you are a music producer, artist, or creator pushing 40, 50, or beyond, this is for you. Whether you’re making underground house music, heavy metal, techno, or drum and bass, there is a nagging voice that loves to creep in as the birthdays pile up.

“Should I still be doing this?” “Isn’t electronic music a young person's game?”

When I was 20, I told myself I’d stop making house music by 30. At 30, I pushed the deadline to 40. At 40, I promised I’d quit by 50. Well, I turned 50 this year, and I’ve finally come to a definitive realization: all of that was a load of rubbish.

I am what I am, and this is what I do. I have spent three and a half decades crafting, learning, failing, and succeeding. If you have creative fire in your blood, you don't just turn it off because of a number on your borth certificate.

The First Generation That Refused to "Grow Old"

Every generation experiences aging differently. When my grandparents were in their mid-50s and 60s, their lives looked entirely different. They fought in wars, came home, worked in factories, and dressed exactly like their parents. Culturally, their youth was cut short.

Our generation? We are entirely different. We are still wearing the Adidas and Lacoste gear we felt comfortable in during our teens and 20s. We grew up on the dance floors of the '80s and '90s, inside the birth of rave culture, acid house, and modern alternative movements.

We are the first generation that collectively refuses to grow up and get old. So why should our creative endeavors be any different?

Inspiration From the Greats: It’s Never Too Late

If you ever feel foolish for opening up your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) or picking up your guitar at your age, remember these examples:

LS Lowry (The Master Painter): My favorite artist was born in 1887. He spent his entire adulthood working as a rent collector in Manchester, painting only in his spare time. His own mother hated his work, and his peers mocked it as childish. He kept going anyway. By the 1950s—when he was in his 60s—the art world finally woke up. He became a celebrated icon and was even offered a knighthood (which he turned down). He never stopped until he died in 1976.
The Rolling Stones: Still rocking stages in their early 80s, performing with the same energy they had in the '60s and '70s. They still look back to the 1950s Chuck Berry records that first set them on fire for inspiration.
Jazz & Classical Musicians: Jazz cats and concert pianists play until they literally drop in their 90s. They use a lifetime of experience to get better, not quieter.

"You don't stop because you get old. You get old because you stop."

The Death of "Dated" — The Freedom of Retro

Back in the late '90s, if you tried to make a house record that sounded like 1988, it would have been laughed at. It was considered "dated" because the scene was moving so fast.

But today, 30-odd years later, the musical landscape has shifted. Everything has been done. Because of that, the playing field is entirely leveled. You are now completely free to be an old-school drum and bass DJ, a retro house producer, or an '80s-style metalhead, and your music will sound fresh to a whole new audience.

Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram are a gift and a curse, but they have completely demolished the traditional gatekeepers. I routinely see 70-year-olds playing incredible underground techno on mini-synths, and I recently saw a Japanese creator in his 80s discovering Korg and Roland gear for the first time and making Techno Music.

The gates are down. You are free.

Overcoming the Fear of Releasing Your Music

As we age, we can lose confidence. It’s natural. But keeping your music locked away on a dusty hard drive helps no one.

Releasing music into the world can be daunting, but here is some straight talk on how to overcome that fear:

Ignore the Local Critics: You might get mocked by people close to you—whether it's a partner, your kids, or old mates. Remember: their comments are about their own insecurities, not your work. Usually, they aren't creating anything anyway. You will get far more love from strangers on the internet than you ever will from the people immediately around you.
Perfect is the Enemy of Done: Stop spending three hours trying to find the "perfect" hi-hat or clap. The general public cannot hear the tiny mixing flaws you are obsessing over. Pick what feels right, finish the track, and put it out.
Track Your Progress: If you release a track in January and another in July, you can visually and aurally measure your improvement. If you never put them out, you never get the external feedback required to grow.
Be Proud of the Data: If you upload a track to SoundCloud or Bandcamp and it only gets 20 plays, guess what? That is 20 plays it would have never received sitting on your hard drive.

We’re All Heading to the Same Finishing Line

At the end of the day, we are all heading toward the exact same "wooden suit." Life is too short to care what people think. I'm at a point now where I genuinely do not give a damn. I'll make daft videos, post silly skits on TikTok with my tunes, and enjoy myself.

You don't need to go out and rave for 12 hours straight anymore to be part of the culture. Your music can do the traveling for you. A track you finish in your spare room today could easily end up in the USB drive of a 20-year-old DJ playing to thousands of people at Creamfields. But that will never happen if you don't put it out.

Create your own ecosystem. Build your own little record label. Put your EPs out on Bandcamp, SoundCloud, or Tracksource. Leave your mark on the world.

Rave to the grave. Don't let the music stop.

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