5 Q&A With Andrew Caryl X Human Without GR
What was the creative process like for this particular song?
Andrew Caryl: Lieselotte (Verrecas - human Without Gravity) and I met through a mutual producer colleague who recommended that we meet/collaborate. She's based in Belgium and I am in the United States. After a few zoom chats, she sent me the demo for “Secret Place.” I was blown away. She has a unique voice and piano style. We looked at a lot of other artists’ music as reference tracks until we were able to pull together the sound we wanted.
Were there any challenges or breakthrough moments during the songwriting process for "Secret Place?"
Probably the most interesting thing is that the first version I produced included much more instrumentation. It sounded much more electronic than the final version you hear today. We went through about 3-4 versions after that. Constantly removing more and more of the instrumentation. It took a bit of work to get the piano to remain as the main instrument, but still have some modern vibe to the instrumentation. I think the old adage 'less is more' applies here. We love the final version of the track, but took the long road to get there.
Can you describe the emotions or feelings you hope "Secret Place" evokes in listeners?
In Lieselotte's words, "I used to live in a big city. It was never quiet, which stressed me out because I really needed a place where I could find some peace. I always thought, 'I wish I had a secret place…' And that's how the song was born. It's a reminder that everyone needs a safe place. A secret place. Some time to hide from the chaos of modern life"
How do you approach collaborations with other musicians and maintain creative synergy?
I think it's important to get to know each other before diving into a project. As a producer, I aim to get the best out of every artist I work with. The more I know about them, the easier it is to find that perfect middle ground between an artist's vision and the technical aspects of production. Not just music-related things but personal things. Small tidbits about a person's likes, dislikes, life stories and experiences, etc. It can really help create a comfortable and open working relationship - which is essential to the success of a creative project.
Can you describe your experience in the recording studio? How do you capture the emotion of your vocals on a recording?
I'm a producer first and an artist second. I mostly work with other singers on the production of their music. So it's my job to pull out the best of them in a session. I find that most singers don't know or believe that they are good singers. I worked with a singer recently who had never recorded in a studio before. He was pretty down on himself about his singing ability until he heard the first recording of himself. He was so blown away that we recorded like 5 songs in 2 days. It really pumped up his confidence once he knew he was good. And that led to more powerful performances and amazing recordings. So to me, it's really about finding a way to boost singers confidence so that they deliver the very best possible performance.