adminToday, we’re sitting down with Clan Brude to dive into the creative process behind his latest release, ‘Not Going Home ft. Ivy Marie.’ As a talented producer, Clan Brude keeps showcasing his sonic experimentation and skills with each release, and this production is no exception. ‘Not Going Home’, as the artist comments in the interview, is a track that’s been in the works for a while, and we’re eager to uncover the inspiration and techniques that brought it to life. So, let’s jump right in and explore the artistry behind the music.
Hey Clan Brude, how’s it going? Congratulations on the release of ‘Not Going Home’!
Thank you so much. It’s great to have it out as it’s been in the works for some time!
To start, tell us about the inspirations behind this new track.
I was experimenting with different scale types and wanted to produce something a little different, maybe slightly less mainstream based around this. The Locrian scale forms the main synth hook that runs through the track, and was the foundation from which I built the track out around. It’s more of a scale used in metal, and brings that kind of darker vibe I was looking for.
Can you walk us through the production process?
As mentioned, I started with this riff and played around with synths for it. I wanted a harsher sounding saw synth for this that would give it contrast with the more subtle pads and fifth drone. From there, I was able to build the track out. When the vocals came in, I could finalise the arrangement and I even sang backing vocals on it.
‘Not Going Home’ features the vocalist Ivy Marie, can you tell us how this came about and what was the process like when it came to adding her vocals into the track?
I started working with Ivy Marie through Soundbetter. I loved her samples and felt her style and vocal talent would work great with the track and it really did. Ivy even came back with a demo on how effects might sound on the final production, which I implemented through using the dry tracks she sent through doubling. I added left and right panned tracks for the harmonies giving it a nice wide feel, but honestly, it is such a good vocal performance by her that I didn’t need to do that much at all.
What was your favourite part of the production process?
Quite a few from the start, which really was just messing around with that scale on Serum, without knowing if it would build into a complete track. I always have fun a/b-ing with different synths. I use Arturia a lot for this. This track stands out though, for the amazing vocal that drives it. That was a real joy to work with and again shows the value collaborations can have.
How would you say this new production stands out from your previous releases?
I do feel this is a little more commercial than previous tracks I have produced and working with Ivy Marie totally changed the landscape for me. Collaborating like that just gives that extra energy and brings ideas that you wouldn’t necessarily come up with. I didn’t want to make it sound overly commercially polished, if that makes sense, and the hook is me being a little rebellious in that way.
The track features many catchy sonic details, can you tell us how you layered these into the soundscape whilst ensuring each element shined through the mix?
Yeah, absolutely. So, I’ve mentioned the main saw synth hook. There are quite a few layered parts as well. I have a fifth drone running in parts to give it the emotive uplift. There is also a vocal drone which is a segment of my own backing vocals repeated. Plenty of saturation on this one but it creates a unique background motif. The chords are through a soft synth and there is also a reverse chord stab and an arpeggio, so all in all quite a lot going on to create the full track.
Are there any other artists that you have lined up to join any of your next tracks? Or any new collaborations you’re hoping for?
I’m working on two tracks currently with live instrumentation. I have produced the bedrock of the tracks, one which is quite lively and the other more mellow (I won’t give away anything too much at this stage). The latter one is more finished and will be released early in this new year, I hope. Otherwise, I would love to work with Ivy Marie again and of course open to other projects!
‘Not Going Home’ features a particularly groovy bassline, did you use any specific plugins or effects to make it stand out in the mix?
I generally layer my bass tracks, so I have the bass and sub separate, I can then group them for further control in a bus channel where I can apply a glue compressor. For this track I’m using quite a short attack on the synth to create a stab which is duplicated for the sub. There are no special plug-ins for this one although I am using a sidechain mapped to a sends-only track which mirrors the kick. I am only using this quite subtlty here, but it does give a nice groove. The rest of the groove I create using a closed hi-hat sample also mapped to the sidechain. For other tracks I quite like running the bass through Ableton’s stock amp plug-in or sometimes use Thermal which has some very beefy effects.
What’s next for Clan Brude?
Going into the new year, I’m working on a couple of tracks with live instrumentation, which are also collaborations. I have further material which is a bit more chilled. I’m going to be away from the studio for January but from February onwards I’ll be back working on the next EP as well as those tracks ready for some exciting releases across the year.
Certainly, as we wrap up this insightful conversation with Clan Brude, we’ve learned more about the creative journey behind a powerful production, like his new release ‘Not Going Home,’ and the collaborative effort that brought this track to fruition. Keep an eye out for more exciting releases on the horizon from Clan Brude as he continues to explore new musical territories and collaborations in this coming year.
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