As Dust In The Sunlight release their fantastic new remix EP, ‘Dust in the Sunlight Remixed’ the band tell Chris Sharpe about the artists involved in the project, how they perfected their production skills during the lockdown and why hearing a man on a mic was an emotional experience.
Words by Chris Sharpe
Discovered via http://musosoup.com
Chris) Your journey as a new band is going to plan so far by the looks of it. What do you feel have been the game-changing moments so far and can you offer advice to new artists on this?
Annie) Thanks, things have been going very well and we’re incredibly grateful to the people who have been helping make that happen. We’ve both been in this game for a long time working on lots of other projects - I think that shared experience counts for a lot.
Billy) I’d say to new artists - stick to what you love doing and don’t do it for anyone else other than yourself. If you don’t genuinely mean it, or believe in it - it’ll show. We’ve been writing for years and this project is a product of us writing songs that we both want to hear and enjoy.
A game-changing moment recently for me was hearing that Robbie from The Big Pink was going to remix Dust In The Sunlight, that was surreal. We’re so pleased with how it turned out.
A: It’s easy to get caught up in the deluge of other ‘jobs’ that come with being an artist these days - so much admin, social media, keeping on top of finances. If I’ve learnt one thing this year, it’s that you’ve got to prioritise time for actually doing what you love. The creative process; working with other people to build something beautiful.
Your EP, have you taken care of the recording, producing and mastering or have you had a hand with this?
B: Our EP was produced by Aviv Cohen, an old friend of mine from Southend. He had a huge part in shaping the sound of those songs and we’ve loved working with him. During lockdown we both got very much into Ableton, so our music moving forward from the first EP has captured a lot of that.
A: We’ve both been keen to get better at producing our own music. Lockdown provided a really good space for that and we both dived in. It’s still brilliant working with other producers and engineers - they bring so much to the table - but it’s also really nice to have that creative freedom alongside it.
The remix EP has a great vibe, each track is a stand-alone banger. How did you make contact with the artists and what was the process like?
A: We were really lucky to know most of the remixers through personal connections and via our label, Project Melody. When we first heard the remixes, we couldn’t get over how different they all were, and how each one took the song in a whole new direction. We couldn’t pick a favourite, which is why we decided to release them as an EP.
B: The remixers are really varied, from established artists in their own right (The Big Pink / Mr Cutts / Peaking Lights), to very talented friends that we’ve known and worked with before - Tom Donovan (Monster Florence), and Sydney-based band Mid Ground. I wouldn’t have considered doing a remix EP before, but these songs genuinely feel like an entirely new body of work. It wouldn’t have felt right just releasing one!
How as COVID affected your music journey, have you found it restricted or has it made you push yourselves as an artist in a different way?
B: I’ve really missed gigging. It’s been strange to release music without properly playing it live, but there have been positives. It’s been great to connect with fans in different ways online - from doing little live sessions to deconstructing how we wrote our first EP. (See vid below)
A: It was definitely weird releasing our debut EP during lockdown, but we made the most of it! There were some technical challenges along the way, but we both used the time to get better at production and editing skills and it allowed us to focus on writing new material - nice to have some headspace for that kind of thing.
Are you excited to gig again?
A: Very much so, I’m missing it a lot! There’s nothing quite like that connection with a live audience.
B: So much! I recently heard someone speaking over a PA (just a security guard in a food market), but hearing the amplified sound made me well up. Almost felt like a gig! Haha.
Who are you listening to right now?
B: Willie J Healey’s new album has blown my mind, so I’ve been rinsing that. And oddly I’ve had R.E.M on a lot, and I’m re-watching Friends. Maybe subconsciously I’m yearning for the 90’s. Life was definitely simpler back then...
A: Angel Olsen, Skyler Skjelset, The Japanese House, Matt Berninger’s new solo tunes, older stuff like Cocteau Twins and Billie Holiday… and I have Adrianne Lenker’s new single on repeat.
What's the plan for the rest of the year and beyond?
A: We’ve spent all summer at The Qube - our studio space in West London - which has been an incredible creative haven, allowing us to dedicate time to writing and producing new songs. We’re putting some pieces together for a new release… so watch this space.
B: One or two more releases - possibly a curveball! And just lots of writing and honing our production skills - then even more music. Maybe a gig?! Man, who knows?