From Ableton on the road to an iPhone mic and a stack of cassette decks, EMEREE keeps her setup portable and her ideas flexible.
EMEREE a powerhouse vocalist, a label that is only rivalled by her growing list of productions for both herself and other artists. Focused on the song and capturing ideas rather than being bogged down in the equipment used to make it, she’s a collaborator and songwriter, playing enough of a handful of instruments to get the ideas down, using Ableton as her pen and paper.
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EMEREE’s work takes her all over the world, as she introduces herself to us from London.
Can you introduce yourself a bit and explain what it is you do?
My name is EMEREE, and I am a producer/artist and engineer. My primary job is producing and mixing for other artists, but I also produce and mix a lot of my own work. I sing, play flute, guitar, keys and anything else needed for the track (but not that well).
Can you explain a bit about your music-making process?
I don’t have ‘one way’ that I make music. Sometimes it comes so organically, sometimes I am in writing sessions with other writers/producers, and sometimes I start with a beat and write to that. I love to be really flexible with the way I make music. It’s really nice to be able to write with pen and paper (that’s how I wrote when I was a kid), but also to be able to transform that into something unique as a producer.
Tell us about what equipment you use to make music!
I travel a lot for my music, so I’ve made myself as portable and flexible as possible. Learning Ableton is what helped me be able to create on the go. I love being able to create anywhere, but I also love to record real sounds and run them through cheap cassette/tape machines. I love using nice microphones, but honestly a lot of my favourite sounds have been created with my iPhone mic and a bunch of cheap cassette machines.
How does all this transition to performing live?
I love to think about my live show, especially since I do a lot of my music direction myself using Ableton. I love to re-work songs and create interludes, and make my live show dramatic, exciting and fun. I don’t always think about it during the writing process, because sometimes the intentions for live can be a bit much to fit into a recording. When I’m adding a song into my live show, I love to sit and be really intentional with making interesting choices for the live version.
Who inspires you? Why?
As much as I hate to admit it – time off to just exist and spend time laughing, travelling, dancing and feeling fulfilled in other ways. I am so bad at not overworking, but I really notice how much more fuel I have when I am rested and fulfilled in other aspects of my life. I’m working on it!
Have you got a desert island piece of equipment?
Very specific answer coming for you here – Battery Operated UK ‘Mini Mello V2’. I freaking love this thing and it’s always sold out. The way you can manipulate loops and sounds would keep me entertained forever!
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