Recorded at home ‘from start to finish’, Emmavie’s recent album Honeymoon attracted the attention of Idris Elba, Musiq Soulchild and podcaster/former rapper Joe Budden among others on its release in late 2019.
‘I’m really proud of the recognition I’ve got from my heroes,’ says the UK artist, producer and occasional DJ. ‘Legends like DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Playlist Retreat family have given me incredible opportunities and guidance in my career in the last year, all because of music they have heard me release from my bedroom.’
Built around an Audient iD22 audio interface, she describes her studio as ‘humble’ but, together with her considerable talent, it has proved that it can deliver. The set-up consists of a custom-built gaming computer, a pair of Yamaha HS8 studio monitors ‘which are quite obviously too big for my bedroom’, a customised M Audio Sputnik microphone (a gift from a German producer/engineer), a basic midi controller ‘which has needed upgrading for maybe four years’ and a selection of headphones.
And the Audient audio interface: ‘The iD22 is the control centre. Literally everything has to go through it to work together. It’s so clean, powerful and trustworthy. Without it, there’s no studio - just a bunch of stuff.’
Appreciating the control panel on iD22 (‘it’s so comprehensive’), she also likes the Cut and Dim buttons. ‘If we were to put my iD22 under UV light, we’d see them get the most action. Trust me, if you’ve previously owned an interface that didn’t have these, you’ll understand why this simple feature is a huge technological advancement.’
Writing songs seems to come naturally to Emmavie, whose love for digital audio experimentation is peppered throughout her 1990s-inspired R&B music. ‘I have a deep understanding of my need to create, trying everything and I enjoy learning new things,’ she says. In fact she has wanted to make albums for as long as she can remember, everything from writing and laying down the vocals to production. ‘I am currently trying to move further into the engineering lane,’ she reveals, hoping to be recognised for her sound design as much as her song writing.
As well as being invited to the gathering of progressive artists being inspired to make music at DJ Jazzy Jeff’s Playlist Retreat, Emmavie also belongs to the Her Songs collective. This group of talented women artists, producers and musicians from all corners of the globe converges on a city for a week (before social distancing became a thing) to make an album’s worth of music - and of course her iD22 joins them. The third single from the latest Toronto EP, 4AM Disco was just released.
‘I’m most proud that I never had to compromise who I am, my style, or my message to receive support from people who I grew up studying,’ she says, and is keen that others get the same opportunities. With that in mind, she’s guest hosting a free ‘stay at home’ online music production sessions with Tech Dissect during lockdown, inspiring other women in music technology.
Dhe has her tips on vocal arranging on Audient’s Tutorial Hub: ‘I live in my studio so I’m able to keep myself productive,’ she adds on how she’s coping with the Covid-19 lock-down.
More: www.audient.com
