Melodies and Harmonies with Fríd
Apr 16, 2021
What’s your process in writing music?
It used to be just me making everything from start to finish but now I’m working with another producer so it’s a more collaborative experience which is very fun! We usually start by recording some chords and then layer with other sounds until we’re pretty satisfied and then we move on to drums, if we feel it adds to the song. Then I hop on the mic and come up with melodies and harmonies which is my absolute favorite part of the music making process. After that we try to figure out the vibe of the song and what it should be about. I usually take my time with it and I can sit with songs for a very long time until I come back to them and finish.
It used to be just me making everything from start to finish but now I’m working with another producer so it’s a more collaborative experience which is very fun! We usually start by recording some chords and then layer with other sounds until we’re pretty satisfied and then we move on to drums, if we feel it adds to the song. Then I hop on the mic and come up with melodies and harmonies which is my absolute favorite part of the music making process. After that we try to figure out the vibe of the song and what it should be about. I usually take my time with it and I can sit with songs for a very long time until I come back to them and finish.
What has inspired your sound of using lots of layered vocals?
When I began producing I was kind of insecure and felt like I needed to “fill the space” with vocals because I was not an experienced producer and I thought it would sound more professional with more vocals. Now I don’t feel like that anymore and I just really like the sound of it and creating harmonies is my favorite part. It’s so satisfying when you come up with harmonies that fit the lead vocal perfectly, it creates such nice moments in the song. I love how Bon Iver does it and uses the harmonizer too, it’s such a cool effect and I want to use it more. Enya and Imogen Heap are also artists that have inspired me a lot when it comes to vocal layering and harmonising.
Who are your musical influences?
FKA twigs and Banks are at the top of the list I would say but I’m also really inspired by Bon Iver and AURORA, especially her lyrics. I recently discovered an artist called Oklou and I’m obsessed with her sound, it’s been a while since I connected so much to someone’s music. I can’t answer this question without also mentioning Beyoncé. I grew up singing to her songs and tried to imitate her as well as I could (impossible) but she is almost always at the back of my mind when I’m singing.
You posted that you write two kinds of songs—adventure/nature songs and love songs. Can you talk more about that?
Yeah I don’t know why I categorize it like that but I feel like it’s two different things. It just depends on what I’m going through, if I’m inspired by my love life I’ll write about that but I also get inspired by a lot of other stuff; nature, paintings, photographs, books and of course other music. I’ve always been an adventurous person and I love making up stories in my head and creating characters. I probably get that from my dad who’s an author.
What’s your studio setup?
I have a little home studio at my parents’ house where I record all of my songs. It’s very cozy and has everything I need really which is not much, I’m pretty sufficient when it comes to gear and stuff like that. One thing I could do without is our dog barking which sometimes bleeds into the recordings.
What gear do you use (software and hardware)?
I have a Roland Juno-DS synthesizer that I’ve used in a lot of my songs and I prefer using that over the virtual instruments I have. The producer I’m working with has a bunch of virtual instruments so I’m lucky that I have access to that too. The ones we use the most are Arturia, Kontakt and Omnisphere. We use Ableton but when I’m producing on my own and recording my vocals I use Pro Tools. As for vocal processing I use the Autotune plugin from Antares.
How did you use Wave in your performance to control your vocals?
I controlled reverb and delay with the tilt function, a harmonizer on the roll and a granular synthesis engine called Portal on click. I love using this ring, it has sort of a calming effect on me and I just kinda zone out when I use it. I definitely want to use it in my live performances in the future.
What are you working on at the moment?
I have an EP coming out soon so I’m prepping for that. I’m planning a live session for it and a music video for one of the singles which I’m very excited about! I’m also currently working on my next project with my producer.
When I began producing I was kind of insecure and felt like I needed to “fill the space” with vocals because I was not an experienced producer and I thought it would sound more professional with more vocals. Now I don’t feel like that anymore and I just really like the sound of it and creating harmonies is my favorite part. It’s so satisfying when you come up with harmonies that fit the lead vocal perfectly, it creates such nice moments in the song. I love how Bon Iver does it and uses the harmonizer too, it’s such a cool effect and I want to use it more. Enya and Imogen Heap are also artists that have inspired me a lot when it comes to vocal layering and harmonising.
Who are your musical influences?
FKA twigs and Banks are at the top of the list I would say but I’m also really inspired by Bon Iver and AURORA, especially her lyrics. I recently discovered an artist called Oklou and I’m obsessed with her sound, it’s been a while since I connected so much to someone’s music. I can’t answer this question without also mentioning Beyoncé. I grew up singing to her songs and tried to imitate her as well as I could (impossible) but she is almost always at the back of my mind when I’m singing.
You posted that you write two kinds of songs—adventure/nature songs and love songs. Can you talk more about that?
Yeah I don’t know why I categorize it like that but I feel like it’s two different things. It just depends on what I’m going through, if I’m inspired by my love life I’ll write about that but I also get inspired by a lot of other stuff; nature, paintings, photographs, books and of course other music. I’ve always been an adventurous person and I love making up stories in my head and creating characters. I probably get that from my dad who’s an author.
What’s your studio setup?
I have a little home studio at my parents’ house where I record all of my songs. It’s very cozy and has everything I need really which is not much, I’m pretty sufficient when it comes to gear and stuff like that. One thing I could do without is our dog barking which sometimes bleeds into the recordings.
What gear do you use (software and hardware)?
I have a Roland Juno-DS synthesizer that I’ve used in a lot of my songs and I prefer using that over the virtual instruments I have. The producer I’m working with has a bunch of virtual instruments so I’m lucky that I have access to that too. The ones we use the most are Arturia, Kontakt and Omnisphere. We use Ableton but when I’m producing on my own and recording my vocals I use Pro Tools. As for vocal processing I use the Autotune plugin from Antares.
How did you use Wave in your performance to control your vocals?
I controlled reverb and delay with the tilt function, a harmonizer on the roll and a granular synthesis engine called Portal on click. I love using this ring, it has sort of a calming effect on me and I just kinda zone out when I use it. I definitely want to use it in my live performances in the future.
What are you working on at the moment?
I have an EP coming out soon so I’m prepping for that. I’m planning a live session for it and a music video for one of the singles which I’m very excited about! I’m also currently working on my next project with my producer.
