It’s the final countdown. As February nears its inevitable conclusion, musicians around the globe are scrambling to complete their albums for the 2009 RPM Challenge. What follows is a sampling of unedited statements posted on the RPM discussion board at www.rpmchallenge.com. The general tone reflects a healthy balance of panic and optimism. Good luck out there.

i know i can do it, and i think this album will be pretty good! —David Richardson, Colorado Springs, CO

My goal is to have everything done by next Thursday at the latest so my friend who owns a pro recording studio can throw a quick master on it. Good times, very exciting.  Good luck to all down the home stretch... —J TEMP 13, Cleveland, OH

Only 8 days left.....sigh. I think I’m close to having 10 tracks...but nearly all need work. Some need a lot more and some need a great deal more...lol. I’m trying to concentrate on things like album titles and artwork...and have I actually got the correct address to send the final product to? I’m quietly panicking...so I guess I’d better get back to it. —eshar, Reading, UK

Got 8 songs down the 1st week and thought I was doing pretty well. I’ve hit a wall since then, have a couple ideas but still need to get some things together. Don’t want to think about mixing yet. —Lintybits, Saco, ME

There’s a lot of pressure going on right now and I know that in order to succeed I need to remain calm and focused in all of it. I know what I want out of this album, I know the steps that need to be taken, now I just need to work efficiently and carefully. —Taylor Weston, Seattle, WA

There’s only 2 more songs to write, one to fix up. I plan on finishing up over the weekend. I’m excited. I only wish I had more time to add more to the songs, make them more interesting, but that will come later. I’m just glad to have been part of this. —Doll Lexx, Franklin Park, NJ

My muse has started smacking me over the head. Write! Write! Write, damn you, write! —Endicott Road, Columbus, OH

I am starting to look on this as a great learning experience and demo and not as a finished product at the end. —Doug Smith, Salem, MA

Well, after recording the last 2 of my 3 demos, I think I might be falling into an acoustic rock-opera of sorts. I never meant to write songs about karate, or robots, but this is where I am. —birdfellows, Grand Rapids, MI

RPM is a great place where people can express themselves and create music that doesn’t follow the repetitive nature of the aforementioned so-called “popular” (read: CRAP) music. And because of the supportive nature of everyone here, everyone is free to discover their own quirks and talents in songwriting without feeling they have to cave to cliches or commercial standards. In any case, rock on to all of you. —Chris Howcroft, Portland, OR

I’m late off the mark...one song in, a holiday booked for sunday, working everyday. 30 mins more music to write!!! WHY DID I FOLLOW THAT LINK???? Should’ve taken the blue pill! —Bernard James, London, UK

If you stick me with that fork I’ll entangle your electrons with those of a fruitbat. 37:28! It’s done enough, I am edible and cooked all the way through. I’ll be the judge of whether or not I need to bake a little longer, thanks, no stabbing with forks necessary... (ow dammit) —Poiesis, San Francisco, CA

I play it for my housemate. I feel bad for the guy because I run everything past him. Usually if he likes it then I need to fix it (we hear things differently—if he likes a certain thing about a song that means that I need to de-emphasize that element of the song), this time he screws his face up at a certain point and asks “Hey, is this a demo?” I tell him that it isn’t and this is how my album is going to sound. He shrugs and tells me “It’s your funeral.” I like my housemate. Really. —The Rufus Wilson Accident, San Jose, CA

Next week will be officially designated This Is Going Tits Up I’m Eating Some Cake Week in honour of it being the last week in February, hence the last week of RPMing. —Fenris Eats the World, London, UK