Peer Pressure Song Club offers carrot and stick to three artists combating creativity fatigue

Peer Pressure Song Club isn’t scared to use group expectations and some international politics to motivate each other to write more music. The trio, Mike Shaver, Katie Martí and Steph Clifford have held each other accountable since January, 2022, when they challenged themselves to produce one song every two weeks. If they fail, they have to donate $100 to the USA’s republican presidential nominee.

“We’re not messing around here,” Shaver told Revelstoke Mountaineer. “You really do need to write a song. You really do need to send it to your friends, and they need to listen to it.”

It’s the stick part in a carrot/stick combo Shaver developed for the project. The other part was an agreement that no song needed to be perfect, it simply needed to be written and performed for the group.

“It doesn’t matter if the song is good,” Shaver said. “You just need to send something. Otherwise, we’re gonna set $100 south of the border.”

Shaver started Peer Pressure Song Club in an effort to both counter the long term anxiety as the COVID-19 pandemic rolled on, and carve out space in a life that was changing. He and his wife welcomed a baby into their world at the tail end of 2020 and Shaver found himself in steady employment as an air conditioner mechanic amidst the pandemic uncertainty. Amongst it all Shaver worried time and space for creativity was being squeezed out to make room for other responsibilities.

“I felt this desire to be writing songs as an antidote to all that uncertainty, or have an outlet for what I was thinking and feeling during that time.”

Determined to find the key combination of factors that would help him carve out space for songwriting, Shaver researched various motivation tools and general theories around building creativity. He then made a list of friends and colleagues he thought might be onboard for the budding idea and sent them all in invite with the gist of the project.

“It just took one person to bounce the ideas off of and to create that accountability and expectation.”

Katie Martí and Steph Clifford both jumped at the idea and soon a group chat was formed with a growing list of sound clips and videos. Each pledged $100 to Donald Trump’s presidential reelection if a song was never delivered on time, sending the money to another group member to remain accountable. All $300 remains in Canadian pockets as the Peer Pressure Song Club readies for tour.

“Unfortunately, but very accurately, humans are more motivated by fear than they are by positive things,” Shaver said.

Now it’s time to share the collection of song highlights in a tour of three B.C. cities and an upcoming album called Songs from the Brink. Revelstoke was an obvious pick for a tour spot, Shaver said, cashing in on the hospitality all three are connected to. Having lived in Revelstoke for a couple of years, Shaver is always eager to come back and visit with friends and their growing families. Fitting in a show here and there just makes sense in a town eager to support local and visiting artists.

“Revelstoke feels like an old friend that you don’t get to see as much as you’d like,” Shaver said. “But when we get back there, you pick up where you left off. It’s an indescribable place that just feels like home.”

Shaver is excited to showcase what his friends have created and give folks another chance to come together in this time where connection doesn’t feel like it can be taken for granted.

“Performing live, getting to sing, getting to share these songs only I can create. I’m really thankful for those opportunities once again.”

Catch Peer Pressure Song Club at Fable Book Parlour Friday, March 22 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets available online or in store. Those unable to attend can tune into their live stream Sunday, March 24 at 12 p.m. Tickets available on BandCamp.