Saer On the Making Of “Walk The Line”
What was the initial spark or idea that led to the creation of "Walk The Line?"
Have always been a great fan of Cash's and love his later cover interpretations. I read a story about how “I Walk The Line” began as a ballad, it was a promise to his wife to remain faithful during his time on the road. I believe it was the record company at the time that wanted to make it more upbeat. I began experimenting with some chords and discovered more about Cash's darker side on tour and it led to this interpretation of his classic track.
How did you work with the producer or engineers to bring your vision for "Walk The Line" to life?
It's all me in a studio. I'm fortunate to have a close collaborator who produced the video for the track, we're often able to discuss what is working and areas for improvement. We try to stick to three points of improvement and then look to sign off. This really helps me in getting productions over the finishing line and ready for release.
What has been one of your favorite memories along the path to making "Walk The Line?"
The first time seeing the video creation from Paul Griffin. I went round to his house and he'd been working away at rigging a CGI cat through animated scenes giving lots of nods to Cash's life and experiences. I was blown away by it and feel incredibly fortunate to have such a creative collaborator.
Can you share a bit about your musical background and the journey that led you to where you are today?
I've always been into composition and even in school, I'd base myself in the music block, mixing everyone’s projects, and just loved creating. This has stayed with me and I now work from a studio in my garden, slowly building up a hoard of random instruments and synths!
In 2018 I was fortunate to perform a blind audition on the Voice UK and couldn't have imagined it going any better. This gave me a boost to record more, collaborate, and explore music further as a career through performing and composing.
How do you approach collaborations with other musicians and maintain creative synergy?
It always depends on where the project starts as to who has the main idea. I think it’s always good to have mutual respect and a lack of fear of an idea being a bad one, especially in the early stages of creation. I've improved at that over time. With some early experiences, I've possibly been a touch reserved and have come away annoyed at myself but the more you create with other people and the more you make independently you get more of an idea of identity and sound and what you can bring to the table.