How long have you been producing music and how did you learn?

I have been producing music for four or five years but I haven’t really been serious or felt like I was making professional-level stuff until the last year or year and a half. I learned through YouTube and a ton of experimentation. I learn something new pretty much every time I make a new song.

What DAW(s) do you use and why?

I use FL Studio. I think it’s the most user-friendly DAW out there and I was able to learn the basics of it very quickly through YouTube and I just haven’t really looked into switching to something else just because there has been no reason to.

What are your favourite pieces of gear and why?

My favourite piece of gear is my guitar. It’s an Epiphone Les Paul Special II​ and I got it over the summer. I’m definitely a very, very beginner guitar player but I’m super excited about the stuff it’s going to allow me to do in the future!

What are your favourite software plugins and why?

My favourite plugin has got to be Sylenth. There is so much you can do with it and I use it a ton. I will say that I also really like Serum but I’m still relatively new to it so I don’t have a huge wealth of presets and knowledge like I have with Sylenth. Outside of VSTs, my favourite effect plugin is probably ValhallaRoom followed by Endless Smile. Reverb makes literally everything sound better, so ValhallaRoom is a no-brainer and Endless Smile makes a good build-up insanely easy. 

How would you summarise your approach/workflow when creating a track?

I almost always start with a melody and work off of that. If I have some vocals I also involve those pretty early in the process but most of the time I start with a melody I have stuck in my head and work off of that. After bringing that melody to live I just start constructing the track. I have a pretty slow turnaround on my music and a lot of my projects have crazy work times so I spend a ton of time adding and moving stuff around. Usually, the bones come pretty quickly and then I spend hours making little tweaks and working on sound design and stuff like that until I’m satisfied with the end product.

What resources do you use to improve your craft?

My favourite tutorials are ones where a producer breaks down their track. Calvin Harris is one that comes to mind and Lauv is another. They make it look so easy and it’s so inspiring. A lot of producers will release their midi files or samples and I like putting their stuff together to see how they did it and how I can apply their stuff to my music. 

What is the last YouTube tutorial you watched that you would recommend to other Re-Ex Members?

I haven’t watched a tutorial for a long time, but this was the last music production video I watched - super cool!

What knowledge or advice do you wish you'd learned earlier?

I think it’s always nice to remember that nobody was good right away. I’ll be honest my early music is trash and I probably thought it was insanely good. Good things take time and it’s okay to fail you’ve just got to have the drive and motivation to keep going. There are so many resources available to you and you can really do anything you want all you need is the motivation to do it. 

What challenges related to making music do you face and how do you overcome them?

I have a lot of trouble staying focused on a project. I go in and out of being motivated and that’s because music isn’t something that I’m naturally good at. I’ve gotten over it by finding things that motivate me like the breakdown video I linked earlier or by just listening to a lot of music. I always get ideas by watching people be creative and watching people work. 

Can you share any killer tips or techniques?

Something that has really helped me, in the long run, is just collecting as many samples and presets as I can. My FL Studio folder is about 45 GB and some people might find that excessive and maybe it is but I literally have sounds for everything and that’s been super helpful when I’m trying to give that extra something to a track. 

Do you use any online tools to assist with the production process?

Not really. I used to use some online mastering websites but now I do everything myself. 

Do you try and get feedback or suggestions to improve your music? If so, how?

Whenever I release something on a label I get feedback on it which is cool but other than that I’ll sometimes send unreleased stuff to friends to see what they think. For the most part, if I think my music sounds good then no one else’s opinion matters to me.

Which track are you most proud of and why?

I think my remix of Takeaway by The Chainsmokers is awesome! I took the samples and really made them my own and I just think that it has a really professional sound to it! 

Secondary to that one, my single All Of My Love is awesome and I’m really excited for my fans to hear it along with the rest of the Piece Of Me EP!

Has RepostExchange affected the way you make music? If so, how?

I wouldn’t say it has affected how I make music but it has been an immense help in marketing my music. I don’t know of any other platform that has helped me gain so many passionate fans and also shown me many talented producers.

Desert Island Gear

Top L-R: TruePianos, ValhallaRoom.

Bottom L-R: Serum, FL Studio, Sylenth.

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This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.