If you've ever struggled to concentrate in busy environments or found yourself desperately searching for that perfect background sound to drown out distractions, this one's for you. I created this app to solve my own focus problems, and I'm happy to share it with the community.
Oh, helloooo and welcome 👋. This is how Lekker Melodies (yes, that's the app name 😃) was born from my coffee shop struggles.
Background: The Day My Headphones Broke
Picture this: I'm sitting in my favorite coffee shop locally, laptop open, deadline looming, and my trusty noise-canceling headphones just died. Not battery-dead, but actually broken-dead. The left ear dangled by a wire, and no amount of desperate duct tape could save them.
And of course, today was the day a birthday party of eight-year-olds decided to take over the table next to me. Their excitement was adorable... but my focus was shattered.
I tried everything, moving tables (no luck, coffee shop was packed), playing random YouTube background noise (ads kept interrupting), and finally just giving up and heading home. But that commute wasted precious time I didn't have.
That frustrating afternoon in 2023 planted a seed that would eventually grow into Lekker Melodies.
The Coffee Shop Nomad
As a freelance developer, I bounce between coffee shops, co-working spaces, and occasionally park benches when the weather's nice. I've always found something magical about the background buzz of strangers, that perfect level of noise that keeps my brain engaged without pulling my attention.
But that magic disappears fast when someone starts a loud phone call or a group gets rowdy. Suddenly, the productive background hum becomes a focus-killing distraction.
I started keeping a list in my notes app of sounds that helped me work. Not music with lyrics (too distracting when working), not pure white noise (too boring after an hour), but that sweet spot in between:
- Rain hitting a tin roof during a writing session in Bali
- The gentle evening bird calls outside my window
- The crackle of a campfire from a weekend trip
- The soft ripple of a stream I recorded during a hike
These sounds didn't just block noise, they created a bubble of calm that helped my brain settle into work mode, regardless of what chaos surrounded me.
South Africa and the "Lekker" Discovery
While working remotely in Cape Town for a month, I kept hearing locals use the word "lekker". My Airbnb host described a sunset as "lekker." A barista called my coffee order "lekker." A fellow digital nomad said the co-working space was "proper lekker."
When I finally asked what it meant, the explanation was simple yet perfect: "It means nice, good, pleasant, but better somehow. More satisfying."
That night, struggling to focus in a busy hostel common room, I put on my DIY recording of evening birds from a nature reserve we'd visited. Another traveler peeked over, curious about what had me so absorbed in my work despite the noise.
"Those bird sounds are really lekker," I said, testing out my new vocabulary.
"Exactly," she smiled. "Lekker melodies."
And just like that, I had a name for what I was building.
Building What I Needed
Back home, I got serious about creating a real solution. I wasn't just collecting sounds anymore, I was building the focus tool I'd always wanted but couldn't find.
I spent weekends recording sounds in parks, by lakes, and even in my kitchen (that campfire crackle took multiple attempts with different types of wood). I reached out to sound creators online who generously shared their work or pointed me to resources.
Each sound went through the "coffee shop test": I'd sit in the noisiest coffee shop I could find and see if the sound helped me zone in or distracted me further.
The criteria were simple:
- Can I listen to this for 3+ hours without getting annoyed?
- Does it mask unpredictable noises like conversations and coffee grinders?
- Does it fade into the background of my mind after a few minutes?
Only the sounds that passed all three tests made it into the app.
Keeping It Real Simple
As a developer by training, I fought my instinct to add "cool features" that nobody actually needs. No fancy visualizers, no complicated mixing tools, no login required.
Just sounds that work, one click away, ready when you need them.
The whole point of Lekker Melodies is to reduce friction between you and your focus zone. The last thing you need is another app with a learning curve when you're trying to concentrate.
The Sound Community
Since launching Lekker Melodies, I've been blown away by how many people struggle with the same focus issues I had. I've received comments from:
- A mom who uses the white noise to work while her kids play in the next room
- A college student who relies on the rain sounds to study in his noisy dorm
- A fellow developer who plays the soft piano sounds during late-night coding sessions
The most frequent request? More sounds! Which is why I'm always on the hunt for new, perfect background audio that hits that "lekker" sweet spot.
Try It & Tell Me What You Think
If you're someone who works in noisy places, or just needs help focusing, I'd love for you to give Lekker Melodies a try. It's completely free, a tool I built for myself that I'm happy to share with others who need it.
And if you find a sound that helps you focus that's not in the app yet, or have feedback on how to make Lekker Melodies better, drop me a note here. This project grows better with each piece of feedback.
Until then, I'll be at my usual coffee shop table, campfire crackling through my (new) headphones, typing away in my own little bubble of focus. Come join me there, at least in spirit.
Peace!
