Interview with Dodo about "Breakup Call"

You’ve rapidly emerged as a music producer with a distinct sound. How did your upbringing influence your journey into the world of indie, electronic, and lo-fi music?

It’s quite interesting, because I my upbringing didn’t influence my musical journey. Music is something that just popped into my life randomly. I just always loved listening to music and my taste evolved as I grew up. Initially I listened to bands like Guns and Roses and now it shifted to more lo-fi and rap, but this might also change over time.

Can you describe the moment you realized that music was more than just a hobby for you?
I always treated music more than just a hobby. When I was 14 I was playing in a band and we were touring and playing at festivals. I think that was the time when I’ve realised that music is something I would do for the rest of my life, because I love it and it makes me happy. I’m so grateful that I am able to make music. Besides that I own a music marketing agency as well so music is my life now 100%.

“Dodo” is a name that evokes curiosity. What’s the story behind adopting this as your stage name?

Dodo is my nickname in ‘real life’ as well. I don’t know, people called Dodo forever. I don’t even know why. But this is a name that represents me fully. When I was choosing a name I was thinking a lot about what my name should be, and I told myself that Dodo is the best choice.

Your latest single “Breakup Call” is generating buzz for its emotive storytelling. What was the inspiration behind this song?

Initially I wanted to make a layer back song, which is moody and vibey. I came up with this beat and then sent it to Szonja, who is singing on this track. She came up with the lyrics. There was no particular influence behind it. It’s funny because there wasn’t a major breakup in her life, but she thought that these lyrics are fitting perfectly the song.

Can you describe a challenge you encountered while producing “Breakup Call” and how you resolved it?

There were a lot of debating if we should make the song more complex, maybe adding more layers to it, adding a guitar part or just mixing up the vocals more. It was quite hard to navigate trough all the ideas. We’ve kept adding more and more elements to the song, but we’ve seen that it’s only messing up everything. Than we’ve though we should keep it simple, and it payed of in the end.

In “Breakup Call,” you blend unique sounds and rhythms. Can you talk about the production process and how you achieved the final sound?

I always loved break beats. Tame Impala, Tyler, The Creator, The Alchemist are major influences and I love how they are processing drum sounds. I always gravitate in that direction. The Rhodes piano is a legendary instrument and I though it would fit perfectly the vibe of the drums. My main goal is to make the track as rich and crisp as possible, I use loads of analog processing to achieve this.

Collaboration can be a key part of the creative process. Is there anyone you worked with on “Breakup Call” that significantly influenced the track?

Yes, Mayer Szonja, the singer on the track was a great partner making this song come alive. We’ve worked hands in hands on this track and the creative flow between us was amazing. The track wouldn’t be this great without her.

Can you give us a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the recording session of “Breakup Call”? Any memorable anecdotes?

The recording session with Szonja was quite brief, we recorded everything in just 2 sessions. I think the most memorable one was, when we’ve came up with the final part of the song. It was pretty funny to record a ‘phone call’ when in reality Szonja wasn’t talking to anyone.

What has been the most memorable feedback or reaction you’ve received from a fan regarding your music?

There were many great feedbacks, but I think the most memorable one was when someone came up to me and told me that I’m the reason that they started to make music and I’ve motivated them to release their songs. This is something that means a lot to me.