Topping the charts: Lostboy on the evolution of music production
Lilah Keown shares exclusive interview with UK producer and Grammy Award winner, Lostboy
According to thestrad.com, 83% of young adults in the UK, ages 18-24, claim they could not live without being able to listen to music! So it's no wonder why the multibillion-pound industry has been booming, with the UK holding the grand title of being home to the third-largest domestic music market in the world.
With so many new and inventive tracks and artists entering the spotlight, it's almost too easy to forget all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes in order to produce a hit song. Behind every successful tune, there's a producer meticulously crafting the sounds and vision that enable the song to artistically bloom and achieve the particular soundscape that artists are looking to create. With so many fascinating aspects that go into creating a well-produced song, a lot of people are left unaware of the insights that go into the creative process of producing a popular track.
“Then it ended up, you know, number one in the UK for 8 weeks or something mad. Which was just Insane!”
(Lostboy, UK Producer)
I had the opportunity to sit down and speak to 31-year-old Grammy Award winner Peter Rycroft, better known as Lostboy. Peter has been a producer within the UK music scene since 2010, having worked with massive artists such as Calvin Harris, Ellie Goulding, Ann Marie and Rita Ora.
The silent architectures
Producers such as Lostboy understand the pressures that arise when entering into the music scene, especially with artists wanting to uphold particular images and constantly wanting to create innovative content. Bathed in red lighting, he sits relaxed, reflecting on artists who struggle to push out their desired brand image. “ I have had experiences of that not really aligning, but again, you very quickly realise when that is not quite lining up, and with the ones where that isn't lining up, it's pretty hard to sustain that for anyone.”
(Peter Rycroft, Grammy Award winner)
In order to help singers uphold and express their creative image, Peter emphasises the importance of not trying to control the creative process, but instead being able to serve the artist's vision while still adding in his creative input and skills. This approach is what allows Lostboy’s work to remain so adaptable and original. “I think ultimately I'm there to serve the artist; I have to remember that. So I'm definitely trying to get my ideas across, but there's no point in me forcing it because they're going to walk away from the session, and if it's not something they want to do, it's never going to see the light of day, and it's a waste of everyone's time.”
Creativity to composition
Experimentation is a massive part of the production process, as it allows Peter to observe all the different routes a song could potentially take before deciding on its final assembly. Lostboy bounces back to the memories of the creative process that went into his song “Miracle”.
“The Calvin Harris song that I did with Ellie is my favourite in terms of the journey that song had because it started off as a ballad, and then it ended up being a sort of slow, weekend, dark kind of industrial dance style with the male vocal.” The visionary continues, "It started off as a ballad and ended up being darker," he recalls, illustrating with his hands how the song evolved in the studio. “At one point, the track was slowed down, then sped up, becoming unexpectedly trance-like.” "We were all terrified of that, initially. “Either this is going to completely flop, or it's brave enough to do something," he chuckled.
Lostboy’s gamble paid off; waving a hand in disbelief, he recollects this moment. "And then it ended up, you know, number one in the UK for 8 weeks or something mad. Which was just insane."
Taking risks is an inevitable part of being able to create something that's groundbreaking. Many of the producer's biggest successes stemmed from moments of creative hesitation, where a song’s direction was unclear, but pushing forward and experimenting with a passionate group of artists led to the unexpected gems.
Starting your journey
Lostboy’s journey into entering the UK music scene shows how utilising powerful tools such as adaptability, creativity and collaboration can help blossom a successful career and create a real impact on the future of music composition. Many of today’s accomplished producers started off with nothing more than a passion for music and a laptop. The digital age has now made accessing opportunities and tools more convenient than ever. For aspiring producers, why not start experimenting from home? Some available platforms include GarageBand, audio tool and soundtramp
To access more exclusive interview content, visit covfeedcu