Creative Counts 018

Interview by Ronnie FalascoGo to https://www.instagram.com/ronniefalasco/ | with AlissiaGo to https://www.instagram.com/alissia/

Headshot Photo by RickExpressGo to https://www.instagram.com/rickexpress/

In the packet, you said that some of your greatest inspiration comes from conversations. Could you tell us about a conversation that sparked an unexpected moment of inspiration for you?

When I get in [the studio] with artists, the first thing I love to do is have a conversation before we make anything. You have to connect on a personal level and get to know the person. At the end of the day, we’re making music. We're not dealing with numbers. It's so personal, so you have to be super vulnerable. You have to really get to know the person and enter their world in order to understand the message they want to spread. Sometimes the conversation goes on for hours and we barely have time to make music—but in the little time that we have left, something crazy comes out of it because we had that conversation or we listen to a record that inspires us.

With Mary J. Blige when we got in the session for the album [that was Grammy nominated], I didn't know anything about her. She started really opening up about her personal life, what she's been through, what she’s experienced, what musically inspires her—and we ended up making something that sonically was inspired by her refs and lyrically fit what she wanted to talk about. Musically, the reference tracks she played immediately sparked inspiration and ideas for the song.

One of the items that you said inspires you is the book "The Creative Act" by Rick Ruben. What about this book has most impacted you and your creative process?

It's not always easy to deal with the music industry, so I love that Rick Rubin advocates for, and talks openly about, the importance of mental health and spreads positivity in this book. He helps artists pause what they’re doing, makes them zoom out of their routine and really digest it in a positive light. I think mental health is really important in the music space, and there needs to be more of an awareness for it. Ultimately, we’re all artists who are all super sensitive, and this industry can be tough sometimes. I’ve experienced a lot of challenging things in my career, and they really made me stronger. I feel like I learned a lot of lessons (laughs), but I always think it’s important to open up and talk to other creatives about our experiences. I think what's saved me is prioritizing my mental health.

When you’re feeling stuck, burnt out, or frustrated, what do you do to refresh yourself and re-spark your creativity?

Let's say I'm working on a track and I just can't figure out a progression or something. I’ll never leave a song as is and just give up on it. I really try to challenge myself and figure it out. That being said, if I’m really hitting a wall and am just completely burnt out, I stop working on it and start listening to music. Sometimes I fully leave the studio to take a walk, see a show, go to an art gallery or a museum—something that might creatively feed me. Sometimes, it just takes buying a new piece of gear to spark a different approach. When I produce, I tend to start the process a certain way, but with a new piece of gear, like a synth, I might be inspired by a new sound and end up creating a progression that I wouldn’t have made had it not been for that new piece of gear.

You wrote that a part of successful creative collaboration is “being the best you.” How do you ensure that you’re being the best you when you collaborate with others?

I always try to go in with an open mindset and positive energy, because when you collaborate with others, they might have a different view on things. When I first started producing, I would be like, “I don't like this or that.” But I learned throughout the years that even if you don't hear someone’s idea at first, you should open your mind about it, because it might end up leading to something crazy and great.

Throughout the years, every time I walked into a room, I felt like I had to stand my ground, because I was—most of the time—the only woman. I had to make my mark by showing up prepared, having confidence, and knowing my worth—but also always acting like a sponge and being open to learning from others. At the end of the day, we all have different things to bring to the table. We can all learn something from each other. Talent and hard work aren't the only important things when it comes to making music. A positive and “ego-less” mindset is also a huge part of it.

When you collaborate with people, it's important to remember that we’re a group searching to create something great. It doesn’t matter whose idea something was. It’s the end result that’s most important, like Rick Rubin says.

You also mentioned in the packet that you admire people who are passionate in their creativity. What are you most passionate about?

I’m passionate about making the best music I can make. I always try to set the bar higher than the last time I produced a song or cooked up a track. I always try to make something that is special, and if I don't feel in my core that it is special enough, I try to work harder on it so that it becomes special.

I feel like when your passion becomes your job, sometimes it can get intense and you feel pressured. As a creative, it's about finding that balance between doing it for the love of your craft and being intentional by giving it your best every time and setting goals for yourself.

What about the 70s P-Funk era has been particularly influential to you and your work?

That era is honestly the biggest reason why I picked up the bass and started making music in the first place. I really connected with artists from that time, like Bootsy Collins, Parliament Funkadelic, James Brown, Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, Brothers Johnson, and so on. I really admire P-Funk because they were just like, “Okay, we’re making the funkiest music while looking the part.” They brought out the fur and the patterns, and they started placing attention on the visuals and clothes. It was fashion meeting music. They paved the way aesthetically for a lot of artists later on, where the outfits became even crazier. And of course musically, the funk, fusion, R&B, and soul stuff that came out of 1972-78 is what I really connect to. I love the tones, the production, the richness of the records. There was so much creativity behind the live shows at that time, too.They started a whole movement, and it really inspired me—like with the Boogie Nights parties I throw that reminisce on that era.

Can you tell us about these Boogie Nights events that you throw?

They’re basically a curated party for artists and creatives to connect. Nowadays, artists often connect online, send stuff to each other, and sometimes never even meet in person lol. Boogie Nights is a way to get to know other artists, musicians, and creatives in person and maybe spark a collaboration later on—who knows? I feel like a lot of artists know of each other, but sometimes they've never made music together or even met.

In the creative world, I feel like I have different crews of people: I know a lot of producers from being a producer myself, a lot of musicians, a lot of people in the DJ and fashion worlds. But what I’ve come to notice is that those worlds don’t really mix that much, so I was always organically trying to introduce people by having them come through my studio, “The Spaceship.” These hangouts became bigger and bigger, so I was like, “We need a party that connects all of these people like Studio 54 used to do.” And that’s kind of how Boogie Nights came to be.

Every Boogie Nights, there’s a featured artist. Last Boogie Nights featured Ravyn Lenae after she had just dropped her album, and we performed a song we did together. The last Grammys one, Anderson .Paak did a DJ set.

Boogie Nights is also a safe space where people can put their worries aside and just have fun. I feel like the culture needs it right now. A lot of clubs are dying down after the pandemic, and we still need cool parties with cool music to go to. I really wanted to bring back the dancing culture at parties, because a lot of times when people go out now, they don’t dance anymore. Boogie Nights is a place for people to express themselves, to get dirty on the dance floor, to really do their thing.

Any exciting projects coming up that you want to tell us about?

I’m cooking up some exciting things for 2025, but that’s all I can say for now…