Audriix – I Do

By starrymag | November 18, 2024

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) I know that you are described as a pop music artist, but how would you describe your sound?

A) Upbeat hooky synthy pop. I’m a multi-instrumentalist and life-long musician since I was three years old, so my own musicality informs my sound as well. I’d consider my music a mixture of Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift’s storytelling with Sabrina Carpenter and Dua Lipa’s super catchy melodies and synthy soundscapes.  My goal with any song I write is that if someone hears me performing it for the first time, that by the end of the song they are able to sing along.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) I’m influenced by Sia with the range of her songs–dynamic range and vocal range. I like to include that kind of dynamic range in my songs where the music starts at a lower register and then opens up to huge soaring choruses, and where it’s really fun for me to sing.  I’m also influenced by One Direction in terms of how absolutely infectiously catchy their songs are, as well as 90’s and 2010’s catchy pop. Olivia Rodrigo is really a master at meaningful and beautiful lyrics that feel really conversational and honest, and that inspires my approach to writing lyrics. And finally, outside of pop, I’m a huge fan of musical theatre and classical music and am definitely influenced by that as well.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your hit song “I Do.”

A) “I Do” was inspired by my personal experience of being engaged to someone who was narcissistic and toxic. The troubling aspect of this particular form of psychological abuse is that it creates cognitive dissonance in survivors—where your mind has two conflicting thoughts at the same time, which I know is something many people can relate to. In my case, the two thoughts are, “I love him” and also, “I’m being mistreated.”  On top of everything, the breakup made it difficult for me to attend weddings anymore. Part of the inspiration for the song came from thinking, “Maybe people will stop inviting me to their weddings if I write a song about it.: The song includes several wedding references, including, of course, the title.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

A) My hope was for the song to be empowering and help people who haven’t been able to leave a bad relationship yet be less judgmental of themselves. I think fans connect with the song because so many people can relate to the cognitive dissonance of loving someone while also knowing you deserve better. Sadly, it’s a very isolating feeling and makes you feel crazy for not being able to just leave the relationship. From the outside, a lot of people can look at someone in a toxic relationship and think, “Why not just be done already?” But it’s never that simple. It’s hard to understand unless you’ve been through it yourself. I think this is why “I Do” resonates with so many people — it helps people feel less alone if they’re going through a similar experience. My hope was for the song to be empowering, helping people who haven’t been able to leave a toxic relationship to be less judgmental of themselves.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

A) Being a storyteller is at the core of my songwriting process. I’m constantly capturing a list of song ideas on my phone, and I usually write about what I’m feeling that day.  A songwriting session almost always starts with me just telling the story of what is going on in my life and we’ll get a solid idea of what we want to write about from that.  We’ll then typically discuss what kind of track/vibe the song needs and the producer will start making a simple track we can write to. Usually, we’ll write the lyrics and melody at the same time, and more often than not, I’ll try to write the chorus first before the rest of the song.  I also think trusting your instincts is important in songwriting. I find the best songs are the ones that come out fairly quickly and overthinking too much takes away a lot of the heart from a song.  While my music is a poppy synth sound, I also love including real musicians in the process, and some of my new music that will be coming out in the new year has a pop singer-songwriter spin. I recorded in Nashville with some incredible real musicians!

 

Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?

A) A great deal!  Because I’m a musician, I’m incredibly involved in the production of my music, from the overall vision to the recording to the post to the tweaking after up through mastering.  While I’m not the one sitting at the computer actually producing the music, I have a really clear vision of what I want so it’s very much a collaboration between the producer and me.  I’ll often have reference songs to help articulate what I’m going for, and I like to get really specific with detailed feedback in the production.  Especially on the vocals, I’m usually the one who comes up with the harmonies as well (and I love to layer lots and lots of harmonies)!

 

Q) You have a cover of “O Holy Night” coming out. What made you want to cover this Christmas classic?

A) “O Holy Night” is my favorite Christmas song!  I just think it is a stunning piece of music, and I love how it starts so small and builds to an enormous climax.  It’s also very fun to sing, getting to play with dynamics and a big vocal range.  I think whether or not someone is religious, it’s a really emotional song about peace and hope which I thought was a really lovely message to convey.  I was already in Nashville recording new music with some amazing musicians, so I decided to take advantage of the musicians being there to bring the magic of this to life.

 

Q) Will there be a full album or EP coming in the near future as well?

A) I just released my album Twisted Fairytales in August.  I’m currently back in the studio working on new music for the new year, which will include standalone singles as well as a full body of music.  I have a new upbeat pop radio single I’m especially excited about as well as some more acoustic singer-songwriter tracks.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

A) My favorite place I’ve ever performed was Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado!  I played a sold-out show there on tour this past summer.  It always was a bucket list to play there, and it was even more magical than I could have imagined!  FirstBank Amphitheater in Nashville and Walmart Amphitheater in Arkansas were also spectacular venues. Playing at the Fillmore in San Francisco a couple years ago was special because it’s such an iconic venue in my hometown!  I’m really looking forward to performing at Eden Roc in Miami for the EDM awards in March.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) My dream collaboration list is complicated because it includes not just other artists but also songwriters and producers. First, I would love to collaborate with Ben Platt. He’s one of the most talented vocalists/performers I have ever seen, and he has such incredible musicality.  I’d also like to write and sing with Charlie Puth because he is such a student of music, and I have a huge appreciation for that. Harry Styles would be a dream collab because I’ve always been a huge One Direction fan, as well as Keith Urban and Jason Aldean because I am a country music fan.  Finally, I’d really like to work with some incredible pop producers such as Julian Bunetta, Ed Drewett and Evan Bogart as I’ve admired their work for years.

 

Q) What artist/musician are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?

A) I’ve been listening to a lot of Benny Benassi recently and got to collaborate with him on his remix of my song “I Do,” which was incredible.  I even got to go to his Halloween show in San Francisco and be in his DJ booth to close his show with our remix.  He is so talented and so kind!! Contemporary pop music is my favorite, so I listen to all of the super poppy artists, including Dua Lipa, Sabrina Carpenter, Dove Cameron and Renee Rapp. I’ve recently been listening to a lot of Keith Urban, Granger Smith and the Top Gun Maverick soundtrack.  And, finally, I’m listening to the Wicked original Broadway cast album in preparation for the upcoming movie!

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) I want to convey that every individual fan is important to me. I still believe that one person’s recommendation to another is how a devoted fan base grows. My goal is to have my fans along the ride with me, and not just for a moment or for a song, but for the long haul because they have an emotional investment in my career, and I have an emotional investment back to them. I wouldn’t be able to have a career without the support of my fans, so I have a huge amount of gratitude.

 

 

Watch the Video For “O Holy Night”