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Celebrated for his multifaceted talent, Eric Redd, a remarkable Vocalist and Songwriter, invites us into his process in the studio, filled with creativity and inspiration. From his unique creative spaces to studio stories and collaborations, Eric shares his insights and inspirations, offering a view into the artistry that drives his remarkable career.
Hi Eric Redd, how are you?
Very Good. No winter in Spain…
As a Vocalist and Songwriter, what does your creative space look like? Do you have a designated space where you go to write and record vocals?
Yes… I like to carve out places and spaces that are specifically designed by nature to lose myself in. For many years, it was my studio I created in the Catskills area of Upstate New York. But I’m in a more European headspace now… so I’m looking for the place that gives me new inspirations. I only need very little to get started, but bigger spaces sometimes add a willingness to invite collaborators. I love that part. It’s great to have a location where the vibe dictates the work, and others are on the same page. The greatest records are made that way.
What does your studio set up look like?
Desk, Pre-amp, Headphones, Speakers Mic, keyboard and lots of windows…
I’m a singer, so I’m pretty barebones about what I’m willing to use while recording, because I want to be in tune mentally with whatever I’m trying to say. I finally learning to sit in the groove and enjoy the track while creating it. I always oversung before because I always felt I needed to be heard over the track. Now, I can take a backseat on the groove, and be heard just fine.
Can you tell us about your usual workflow when starting a new track?
Background vocals, decide many times what I’ll say writing the whole song. I’ve always been a wannabe, big voiced, black woman background vocalist in my fantasy life. Those are the best singers alive to me. The vocals, colors, accents, scats… I could go on and on..
Anyway, then I start writing the vocal lyrics (unless it’s coming from lyrics I’ve written previously), then we try to place the lead line, then verses. Listening… lots of it. Ad-libs and accents. Then, we listen a lot more. Add, subtract. Listen, repeat, sometimes automatic magic… sometimes it has to marinate. Might need to come back to it a week or many weeks later.
Do you have any fun stories of a time when you were working in a studio?
A few. My first album that led me into Dance music (‘Across the Water’) I did in Stuttgart, Germany recording in the middle of the night, to get cheaper studio time. We would start at midnight and finish at 6am. Weird, crazy, interesting. I slept on the Producer’s mom’s couch during the day.
Once, while doing gigs in St. Petersburg (Russia) at night, I flew to Moscow to cut a track during the day, then flew back during the winter!
In Panama, after a very difficult time in my life, I opened my mouth and a different voice came out. Stronger and much more resilient. I was stunned and so was everyone else. I then understood how much I had a love of recording. It suddenly had so much reflection to the times in my life.
You are frequently collaborating with other gifted Artists and Producers; can you tell us what this process is like?
It’s amazing for me. Everyone brings their strong suit, then creativeness moves the wind. I try to be responsive to where they are in that moment of their life. Sometimes, I’m a bit too rigid, because too many in my career have wasted time telling me how to become famous, while trying to direct my musical choices. It’s so ridiculous for me, that I’m only now learning how to reject it. It leads me to make better collaboration choices lately. I’m already invested in watching the ones I want to collaborate with, so it’s been amazing of late. The track dictates the process. Remixers are always last. Sometimes that can be a month or more of trial and error. Collaborators with the most patience stay in my world. I’m picky, so you have to create WITH me…even when one may have more experience than another. I love doing duets. With rappers that becomes a training ground for me. They can weave a lyric like no other. I aspire to vocalize with that kind of magic. I’m going to let the Africans teach me next. Rhythm is always so much a part of it too. The rhythm created collaborating with another artist is like making a baby. Oops…haha, but, that’s usually what decides how the vocal line will sway.
When it comes to your approach to composing powerful vocal lines, does your process stay the same every time you create a new track, or does it differ with each new production?
It always depends on the track. And many times, it depends on what I’m going through in life. Sometimes, the music I’m listening to will inspire what I create in that moment. But I always wanna dance… so even if it’s slower I need to “feel it”. I write a lot of stuff that is in my heart at the moment, and it’s ridiculous 2 days later. It gets left in the computer. Especially, the “I think I wanna write an anthem” tracks. It’s funny when I listen back. Also, my environment can really dictate sometimes how my voice reacts. Cold environments make my voice react differently. That can change the approach as well.
What inspires you be creative? Do you need to be in a specific environment to feel inspired to write? If so, what does this look like?
I can always write. I love it. I once heard Paul McCartney put a tape recorder in his steering wheel to not miss ideas while driving. That is totally me. And sometimes I can hear any rhythm and that starts everything. And I mean ANY rhythm…the washing machine, a doorbell with chimes, anything repetitive. I’m a hotbed when it comes to that because I’m born for movement. I know that for sure. And if you’re lucky, movement is a part of your everyday life. So, your creativeness can be endless. My ears hear it, my body feels it (hopefully) then either the words or the melody is right behind.
Is the process of writing lyrics and vocal lines one that you always do alone, or do you ever collaborate with other Songwriters?
I usually write alone, because inspiration generally comes in those moments. Some times what I’m going through brings out a lyric I need to verbalize. I’ll write to get it out of my heart and head. But I’ve written with a lot of really talented folks. Claras Brown is one of my favorites. He has an amazing internal musicality. Old school RnB mixed with Gospel. Makes the lyrics dance. Ultra Funkiness…!
As our conversation with Eric Redd comes to a close, we thank him for his time sharing his insights into his studio sessions and production process. From his intuitive creative process to the magic of collaboration, Eric’s words resonate with the essence of a true artist dedicated to their craft.
Eric Redd Online
