Sia Furler Radio 1 Interview

Legendary pop songwriter Sia Furler recently gave two very rare interviews, one with Zane Lowe and one with Jo Whiley for BBC Radio 1. PopSlutz tuned in to hear every word, here are the highlights…

Rihanna, Katy Perry, Kanye West, Jay Z, 12 million sales… but you prefer life out of the limelight. What was so damaging about the fame when it came along? How bad did it get?

I even got just a tiny bit famous and I didn’t like it, it’s not for me, I can’t deal with it. I didn’t have anything left over for my true friends. Also towards the end of when I got most famous, I also got an illness – hyper thyroid – my adrenal system was so shot I just felt like I was a hunted animal. They gave me Zanex, got hooked on those, before you know it 6 months passes and I’m a veritable junkie sitting in a chair for 3 months without leaving the house. Eventually it all fell apart and I got clean, and I thought I have to change my life. I’m just going to write pop songs for pop stars, I found a manager who really listened to me and knew what I wanted to do.

Did it take you by surprise this sense of pride that you got out of doing something that was so out of what you were used to when it started to roll?

Yeah, well it was weird, actually. One of the first things my manager set me up with was going in with ten David Guetta tracks and I wrote Titanium. They said they needed a song for Alicia Keys and David Guetta but she rejected it, so he had Mary J Blige do it. For some reason he took her vocal off, and put my vocal back on the track, and it was my demo vocal but he never got my permission, my dream was to retire into oblivion and just disappear. I found out on Twitter. At the time I was furious, this was not my plan, I was actually really upset about it. But when a million dollars comes into your letterbox its amazing how anger just disappates so quickly. So I’m grateful at this moment I’m so grateful for that mistake.

The people you’ve written for recently, it’s ridiculous, Celene Dion, you’ve done the single for her?

At one point I had a song on Kanye’s record that he then dropped but that was right when I found out Celine was doing my song and I though OMG. From Kanye to Celine I just couldn’t believe my luck.

 Do you get upset when tracks get dropped like with Kanye?

Nah cos then Jay Z picked up the same track and then he dropped that. It’s very interesting, now I’ve changed it all up and done an entirely different thing on the topline so now I’m trying to get it to Kendrick. So when you know a song is good, and you know one person was into it and another was into it, you know the track is good, it’s just a matter of whose album it fits on.

What’s the secret with the co-writing? Eminem, Katy Perry, J Lo, so many different people. What is it that you can do that so many other people can’t do?

I have no idea, but I guess I’m understanding, I listen to what the labels say, and I only listen to pop radio, and not very often I have to stay, for study. I’m nice also, people like to work with me. I’m irreverent, I’m not scared of celebrities. They like that, cos they like to work with people that are easy-peasy. And I’m fast. I wrote Diamonds in 26 mins and recorded it in 22 mins. I know that because there was a car outside waiting to take me to the airport. I know that Titanium I wrote in 40 – 45 mins. Wild Ones, 15 or something. Most of the songs that I write, I write really fast, and so I’m productive. And that’s why I probably have so many singles out, I write one or two songs a session. One out of ten will hit, perhaps it’s a numbers game for me.

When you work with Katy P or Celine, are you in a room physically with them?

Not always. With Katy yes, with Celine, no. For the most part, Katy just rejects everything that I suggest. I’m really more there for the company . Her and I we write together but in very different ways

For those people that are writers and have an interest in that, what are some of the key things you’ve learnt since you’ve been in that world.

Keep it simple. The simpler, the more easily assimilated it is by the most amount of people. Strong title, that’s what the record labels are looking for, something you can Google. And usually something repetitive, something with multiple hooks. But you know what, I play with a little formula, but the fact is sometimes when I don’t play by the formula that song gets cut too. So I really think it’s some sort of universal luck.

 Finally, is it true that on every session you write on, you start with the introduction ‘I’m Sia and I only write hit records’?

Yeah pretty much. I just say ‘that doesn’t sound like a single, so let’s move onto the next song, cos I only write singles. That’s my focus.

Interview with Dimitri Tikovoi

PopSlutz are loving Mikky Ekko’s new track ‘Kids’, so we were delighted when we had the chance to interview one of the co-writers, Dimitri Tikovoi. Dimitri has also worked on the highly acclaimed album by Nicola Roberts (including hit single ‘Beat of My Drum’) as well as artists such as Placebo and GoldFrapp.

So how did your recent collaboration with Mikky Ekko come about?

Mikky came recommended by Jason Perry who we co-wrote the song with. They came to my studio and we had a little chat and listened to a few tracks that Mikky already had. I really liked his voice and wanted to create something that had a muted pulse, a bit like a heart beat with an uplifting mood so I started programming a filtered kick drum doing this weird galloping rhythm you can hear through the song, added a bit of bass and the Farfisa organ. It came about really quickly, as soon as Mikky heard that he had nearly all of the melody straight away. Jason suggested to have a chorus with just one word and that’s how “kids” came about. The whole song was written in 2 hours.

You have had a very successful and fast rise to the top. How did you get your break into the industry?

Thanks although I wouldn’t call it a fast rise! I started doing music when I was seven in France and had a first break over there when I produced my first album for EMI when I was 17. After working with a few French artists I decided to move to the UK as I thought the music here was closer to my heart and it was such a creative environment. My first UK break came after I met with Rob Ellis and Placebo, they were working together on a track and Rob asked me to help him programming for them. We got along and they booked me to do some more programming, a re-mix, b-side and eventually the album “Meds”. It was such a massive opportunity to work with such a talented and successful band, it opened a lot of doors.

How does the U.K music and songwriting scene compare to the rest of the world in your experience?

I love the U.K, it’s the best of both worlds for me, you have the creative, arty type of artists and bands but you also have very mainstream acts. I really enjoy both as I like bringing a bit of artistry into pop and a bit of pop into the more wacky and indie stuff.

You work with a very diverse range of artists from Nicola Roberts to Placebo. How do you adapt your style to each artist you work with?

I love music. I try to learn something new every time I work with a new artist. I really don’t want to pigeonhole myself so I try to work on very diverse projects. I think it’s quite easy to become very good at doing one style / genre but the problem is when that goes out of fashion so do you. Music isn’t about being good at one thing, it’s about knowing how to make people feel something special. I try to adapt and I do a lot of research each time I start a new project so it feels like starting over again except that you can bring the experiences you’ve learnt from the other projects you’ve worked on. The worst thing that can happen for me is to become too comfortable…you would end up doing something really boring eventually.

What is your working method when writing and producing? As a drummer yourself, do you lay down beats first? 

First step is to create a musical vibe that’s inspiring to write and work with. I usually try to have an idea or concept in my head before I touch any instrument or computer. Then you start building, sometimes it’s really quick and sometimes really slow as it can be very difficult to get it to do what you had in your mind. After that, it’s really about keeping it moving and open so I always make sure that it’s easy to sing melodies over and keep throwing ideas at it until you start feeling that you have enough to build a structure with. Then I start organising the ideas and melodies and keep only what I think is really special for the song.

Where do you like to collect your sample sounds from?

Various records but I tend to recycle my own stuff a lot so if I record drums for one track, I will resample them and maybe isolate and re-use the kick drum for a new song but add something else to it and then re-sample, it’s endless. I also use sample libraries like everybody else. They’re great to get you started but the only problem is they sound like everybody else.

More recently you’ve focused on the writing aspect of your career with Atlantic/Asylum. What’s the reason for the shift in focus towards songwriting? 

For a few years I really focussed on the production side of music, mainly working with bands. I learnt a lot from it but I wanted to go back to being creative with an instrument myself rather than being the one that pushes everybody to be creative. It was important to change and to be on the other side. It’s hard at first because you’re left to your own devices but it’s rewarding in the end. Now when I go back to work with bands or just production it’s become easier to articulate an idea or suggest something as I can understand better what makes a good track and vice versa, I keep my producer hat on when I write so I keep pushing myself until I have a great song.

What have you got coming up soon? What artists and projects are you currently working on?

Lots ! I try to find new people to develop all the time and I’ve got my little list of artists that I would love to work with but I’m a bit superstitious so I don’t want to say anything until it’s out.

Interview with Dan Dare

PopSlutz were thrilled to have the opportunity to interview high-flying songwriter/producer Dan Dare.  His impressive production and writing credits include Wiley, Wretch 32,  Juelz Santana, Marina & The Diamonds, Syron and more. Here’s what he had to say on his career so far…

You’ve produced on a huge range of tracks with a wide variety of different artists. What’s your motivation when deciding who to work with and what projects to work on?

Yeah haha I think I’ve covered most genres, being versatile is good but sometimes is better to focus on one thing – I’m just a nutter so can’t keep still. I always work with people who I like, never work with people because they’re hot or have got a name – it has to be genuine.

Loving your latest track with Marina & The Diamonds. What’s the story behind that?

That song started as a demo which we had for ages then Marina came to me and asked me to reproduce it, so I tore it apart a bit kept a few elements. Then Marina got Charli on the song, before that we had verses on it from rappers Wretch 32 & Ghostpoet but wasn’t really a rap track.

What is your creative process when you are working in the studio as a producer or collaboratively  with an artist?

I just sit down and start clicking buttons, get the keyboard out start singing some melodies get a vibe and you’re away . It depends on the artist ,I’m always over-creative and start a million things at once.

You secured your publishing deal with Crown at just 24 years old, what do you think contributed to your success?

Just hard work and lots of learning – networking helps a lot plus knowing the right people – the music industry is all about songs no matter how talented you are which is sad but everyone’s a singer nowadays.

Who are the key members of your support team?

My manager Nick Worthington helps a lot, he’s a really successfull A&R with 679. He signed the Streets, Marina and the Diamonds, Plan B etc. Also his assistant Alex Bean helps a lot, she’s really good and proactive. I live with a singer called Ryan Keen and a writer called Toby Faulkner so we all write a lot together and generally get stuff done.

Where do you take inspiration from when writing and producing music?

Depends on my moods to be honest and the way I’m feeling. I’m heavily influenced by Otis Redding and Ludovico Einaudi – weird combo, but that’s my style, I love to mix it up.

What plans and collaborations have you got in store for the rest of 2013 and beyond?

Well lots of writing with loads of huge names so hopefully the songs are good enough that they get used and we all get rich. Hah!..just playing. Yes lots of collaborations and big plans. You can visit www.dandaremusic.com for lots of updates and songs.

 You can follow Dan Dare on twitter @DanDare & visit www.dandaremusic.com. Check out his latest release with Marina & the Diamonds feat. Charlie XCX ‘Just Desserts’: