The last time we saw Rae on Defected it was alongside Michael Gray and Danism on ‘You Will Remember’. Now, after a relatively quiet spell in which she’s been hard at work in the studio, she’s back with a new record ‘Another Day’, her debut solo production on Defected and a lot more in store. We caught up with her to talk about the single, Twitter and getting into the zone…
It’s been a while since we spoke to you… how’s your year been so far?
Pretty crazy, I had a busy January with my Asia tour. I’ve been in my studio writing between gigs and making tracks, working on new collabs and then I got geared up for WMC so, I haven’t stopped really.
You recently made a record and video with Pete Tha Zouk – tell us about how you hooked up with him…
Yes, we made the connection through Defected actually. I had a song that fitted perfectly with that sound so we made it happen. It’s a different vibe but as an artist I think it’s good to be versatile. I want to reach out to more people and the song is getting a lot of love in Portugal so that makes me happy. It’s out now on Exclusive records in Portugal and Brazil with a UK release coming soon with remixes… including mine!
And you have another record due out on Defected soon right..?
Yes, it’s been a while hey, too long, but ‘Another Day’ is almost here. I love both mixes so far and playing them live gets a great response everywhere, so I’m excited about it.
The list of people you’ve collaborated with is growing fast – is there a single person or act above all others you’d like to work with?
Yeah, my collaborations have been wicked and I’m always looking out for new inspirations, I would like to work with many people, and I like a diverse array of sounds; Osunlade, Kaskade, Mark Knight, EDX, Madeon, Moby to mention a few.
You’re always on Twitter saying how much you ‘zone out’ when you’re in the studio… now you have more than 140 characters, try and describe what you mean by this…
I get into my space and let my creativity flow. It’s a natural thing and when I feel it I’m in lock down. It’s the best feeling, things just happen, it’s like you let your instincts and feelings take over, no preconceptions, it’s a journey, sometimes it goes on for days and you don’t want to sleep because the journey’s so good, it consumes every part of you.
What kind of synths/sequencers are you using in the studio at the moment?
I just got my head into Logic 9 after using Ableton and Pro Tools and I’m loving it. I’m familiar with a lot from the years of studio sessions and most people I work with are in Logic so it’s great to be putting it all into practice in my own studio. I’m not fully geeked-up yet, but I know what I like and I’m learning every day; keys and synths are my thing, I’ve always had keys and played instruments on and off but struggled to find the time to practice. Now it’s great as I don’t have to be a super hot player to get the sounds I want. It’s hard to tear myself away at the moment. I’m like a kid with new toys!
How do you get into the creative mindset to write songs and lyrics? Do you have a favourite spot to visit?
I love my studio, I feel like its got really good Chi. It’s great getting up in the morning and getting straight back into my space. I also have great ideas in the sauna at my gym. When there’s no one else in there I sing to myself and come up with some really cool lyrics and ideas, I rush back to my locker and record them straight into my phone… bit odd but whatever gets the ideas flowing!
Do you remember the first record you ever bought?
On a DJ tip my best records were kind of given to me. My friends were all older and had decks, there would be house parties and they had amazing record collections, my older bro had been into house music for years so even as a kid I already knew the classics. I would be like “oh, that’s one of my favourite tunes ever, I got this on tape, can I borrow it...” ha! I remember way back, getting hold of Submerge ‘Take Me by the Hand’, I just had to keep that baby. I’ a real sucker for a haunting vocal.
You’re currently based in London… do you think that where you live is important for your career? Can you see yourself moving anywhere different in the future?
London is still my favourite city. I can’t underestimate the importance of feeling comfortable and happy to come home. London’s been great for my career, so much has happened here, I still get a real buzz here when I’m out and about, exciting things do happen in London. I’m really happy here but in this industry things change, opportunities come up and so I keep an open mind. I’m not too settled, ready for whatever or wherever is best for my career, who knows what’s around the corner.
What did you make of the recent disagreements between DJ Sneak and the Swedes? As a frequent user, do you think that Twitter has become a bit of a forum for people airing their dirty laundry in public?
I see things like that, I don’t feel the need to air strong views in such ways, I like good energy around me and If I want to get deep and personal I do it with my people. I’m not out there to be controversial, I just want to keep people in the loop with what I’m doing, good stuff that’s happening, but it’s each to their own. Live and let live I say.
Anything else you’d like to tell us about…?
I'll let my music do the talking. There’s a lot of that to come.
Another Day is out 16th April – listen & pre-order
