Dispatch’s Chadwick Stokes teamed up with Songcraft Presents to write and record a song in three hours, and now you can see the fruits of his time-condensed labor.

“Home That Never Was” was co-written by Ben Arthur, and while Stokes says he was initially “skeptical about the situation,” he admits that “the song came out way better than I would’ve guessed.”

See the video for the track below, along with a note from Stokes about the process.

I was skeptical about the situation, as far as my own output. Songwriting on the clock with cameras around is not ideal conditions. It was with some trepidation that I walked up the stairs to this beautiful modern wooden ark of a house hanging off a steep hill in Austin, TX. Like many writers, I tend to write/brainstorm a lot of new ideas looking for a sound or melody that is more special than the others that come down the pipe. If a good melody/progression does distinguish itself, I am not so good at putting in the time to finish said melody because it’s easier to look for new ideas that may be better – the undisciplined optimist = no finished songs. This project with Rob Reinhart and Ben Arthur was all about not only finishing the song but also recording it as well… to someone who sometimes waits years to finish tunes, this idea was a doozy.

Thanks to Ben’s guidance, and the great other musicians, the song came out way better than I would’ve guessed. I still think it’s a little undercooked, but it’s alright considering. However, if I ever tried to re-record it, I’d probably spend the session trying to recreate the spontaneity of this recording. I was thinking I could play the song to Brad and Pete (from Dispatch) and see if they want to jump in on it.