Rising artist BAYNK spoke to us on his start as a producer and what his experience so far as a touring artist has been like. He recently released his new single “Come Home,” a collaboration with fellow producer Shallou and his hit single “What You Need” just hit over ten million plays.
Four Over Four partnered up with him to curate a summer playlist with tunes that are on replay for him right now. Check out “SUMMER HAZE” below!
Growing up in New Zealand, what was the music scene like and how did it help shape you as a producer?
I think my shape as a producer was carved mostly from the internet. I was never really a part of any music scene until I started producing after college. There are some great electronic acts from NZ like Shapeshifter and Mt Eden, but it was only after hearing that Flume did everything by himself on a laptop that I thought I really might be able to pull it off myself.
How did you get introduced to music production?
It was a combination of things. My college band had won a competition to record our debut single in a really nice studio and we were pumped, but when we got the master back I hated the way it sounded, so I took it upon myself to buy all the recording equipment needed and learn how to mix and master myself. As soon as I downloaded the software (Ableton) I became obsessed with it.
At the same time I was also pretty unfulfilled studying chemical engineering at college. I knew I wouldn’t be happy in an engineering job, so I threw myself into music and haven’t looked back since.
If you could collaborate with one legendary artist, who would it be?
Flume. Still consistently inspired by his sound design and production as a whole. He’s an absolute beast and myself and a lot of other producers have him to thank for the inspiration his music provides.
As a touring DJ, what have been some of your best and worst moments while on the road?
My worst moment was on a North American bus tour late 2016. One night at an after-party, I fell asleep and completely missed the tour bus next morning. I had no money or cell phone and the bus was driving halfway across america from Richmond to Grand Rapids (a 24 hour bus ride).
I convinced one of the people whose house I stayed at to buy me a bus ticket at $170 and then I spent the next 24 hours shivering on a bus in nothing but a singlet, togs, and a worn-out pair of jandals [Editor’s Note: a tank top, swim trunks, and flip-flops in American English] all sticky from being drenched in alcohol the previous night. I had several people come up to me to ask if I was okay and give me money to buy food and blankets, which was embarrassing but also made me realize how nice American people can be.
My best moment was probably a show at the Boulder Theatre in Colorado. Everyone showed up to the show super early and the whole venue was packed; everyone screaming and jumping up and down. Crazy college kids just all having a good time, it was such a vibe and Colorado is generally just epic.
Top three must-haves when traveling?
1. Good multivitamins / healthy food, I fell sick twice on my last tour and it’s not a good state to be in when you’re on a bus 24/7.
2. A good camera. Everything rushes by so fast. It’s important to capture moments before they disappear.
3. Probably the most important thing for me is just surrounding myself with good people or friends. The experiences had whilst traveling/playing shows mean so much more to me if they’re shared.
Can you tell us the story behind “Come Home” and how the collaboration with Shallou came about?
My manager knew I loved his music so he set up a session. Joe (Shallou) and I met for the first time in LA having both come from opposite sides of the world (Chicago and New Zealand). We wrote “Come Home” that day, off some chords that Shallou had put together and some lyric ideas I had. We swapped roles halfway through and I finished off the music and he sung the song, It came together so quickly which is a rarity for me. Perfectionism tends to hinder my output, so it’s good having someone else to bounce off.
The song idea arose from a conversation about a situation we were both facing, which was whether to return home to our established, comfortable, but possibly mundane life, or move to LA and make the risky, messy, selfish, alluring, and possibly heartbreaking choice to put everything into making our music and art.
What can your fans expect in 2017? New music?
Of course. Some vibey / weird new videos, an EP, tour dates, etc. All the above.
Any closing thoughts?
I’m sitting all alone in a small village on the side of a massive lake in the center of New Zealand writing the finals tracks for the EP and it makes me realize how grateful I am to publications such as yours for the interest, and of course all the people who listen for letting me pursue what makes me the happiest 🙏🏻
BAYNK will be heading out on tour supporting Hayden James this coming fall. Get your tickets here.
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