Sonic Vista Insights
Anahide
“We want our music to convey a feel-good emotion...” What inspired you to be a producer? When I decided to pursue music, I thought I would be a performer. When I started songwriting, I thought I would be a writer! At the end of my first semester at Berklee, when it became time to pick a major, I decided on Contemporary Writing and Production, as it would teach me about songwriting, composing, and arranging, as well as recording, producing and mixing. I wanted to be able to communicate and understand the work of engineers, producers, writers, and orchestrators. I started producing my own songs at school, first for school projects, and eventually, for my debut single, Even If, my second single, Call, and now my upcoming EP, as well as songs for Honey. I really like the magic that happens in the studio, and how a song evolves from a few words into a fully-fledged, wholesome piece of art. Much like a puzzle, of which I was very fond of while growing up, the pieces that by themselves don’t have much meaning and seem to not go together, constitute a whole once assembled in a unique way. Music is most powerful when every element perfectly aligns with the other, and is not simply added at random, but thought through in detail; the words with a particular note, supported by a harmony from a specific instrument combined with another instrument, processed in a way that makes a statement. I particularly like vocal production,
using voice as a complex instrument, layering and processing it in interesting ways that elicit a deep emotion from the listener. How did Honey come about? In September 2018, Fracesca Crowley and I officially became Honey - a name that came from our common love for ABBA. Our vision for the music is to give an honest depiction of our journey through young adulthood while always keeping an optimistic view on life. We want our music to convey a feel-good kind of emotion, even when the topics can be painful, and we use live instruments to give it a more organic feel; we use our vocal harmonies to blend in with the sounds, creating an atmosphere. Tell us why you’re a Pro Tools fan... Before I knew anything about music tech, I started recording and editing music in GarageBand, and I still didn’t fully understand the software. During my first semester at Berklee, I was introduced to new DAWs. The first year, I mostly used Reason and Logic; the second year, I was introduced to Ableton and Pro Tools. Some of my teachers pushed us to use Pro Tools, so I got accustomed to it, and it became my DAW of choice. Once you get used to working with a particular software, you don’t want to change. When it comes to working with audio, I believe Pro Tools is the
best way to go; its layout and key commands make it a smooth and efficient process, with excellent, professional sounding results. There’s also something about the aesthetic of the software that makes it look very high-end and professional to me, while still being accessible, and not overly complex. And you’re a Focusrite user, also... Yeah, my first recording gear was a Focusrite package I ordered online when I was 18. It came with a mic, a stand, an xlr, a pop filter, an isolation shield, and the 2i4 interface. It has been my setup ever since, and has gone through countless recordings from school projects to demos. It has always been very easy to set up and manoeuvre, and totally reliable. And what’s next for you, musically? Well, starting in mid-August, Honey will reunite for a mini tour in the UK, Switzerland, and Paris to celebrate the release of our first single, Before I Drown, which will be followed by three more singles. A big thanks as ever to our friends at Sonic Vista Studios in Ibiza for another very cool Q&A with an inspiring young artist. www.sonicvistastudios.com
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