Covering Blank Space

A few years ago, I came across Ryan Adams's cover of Taylor Swift's "Blank Space" and loved it immediately. I loved the unique, raw, and earthy sound Adams brought to the song. He'd transformed a pop anthem into a soulful folk tune, a transformation he applied to Swift's whole 1989 album.

So of course I wanted to try my own version, but I wanted to keep that mellow acoustic vibe. And my first attempts weren't good. I couldn't get a sound I was happy with. My guitar playing was mediocre, and my recording setup wasn't great. I was struggling with both the sound of my guitar and the recording itself. The limits of my equipment, along with my lack of skill, were big obstacles. I was getting frustrated.

So I gave up.


Fast forward to a few months ago, I found something that made me want to try again.

I was playing around in Logic, and I rediscovered a Native Instruments plugin called Strummed Acoustic. It felt like a breakthrough. The plugin could enhance the natural acoustic sounds of my guitar, adding a depth and texture I'd been missing. Pairing that with my own guitar recording started to actually sound cool.

So I was back on track!

This whole experience has shown me how important it is to keep going. Even with the early setbacks and frustrations, I still wanted to create something beautiful and meaningful. That desire kept me inspired.

Covering "Blank Space" was a process of learning, adapting, and finding new possibilities. Re-imagining a song is about more than just replicating the original; it's about finding a way to make it your own, infusing it with your style, and adding your own fingerprint.

Ryan Adams did that with his version, and I hope I was able to do it with mine.