After taking more than two years off from releasing music, Jordan Andrew is back with “Midnight”– although it sounds nothing like the music he was making before.
Jordan Andrew flew into the music scene two years ago after his 2015 EP blew up. The EP was very much based on the production and could be easily classified as electronic music. Now, with his new music, Jordan is singing and he’s presenting a very Lo-Fi vibe. I was able to chat with Jordan about his musical transition, the time he took off, his future endeavors, and his ominous social media presence.
What does “Midnight” mean to you?
This record means a lot to me because it paints a vivid picture from my life. My last relationship really inspired the writing. Both of us were traveling a lot, and things weren’t working out.
We still had crazy feelings for each other, but neither of us knew what we wanted.
The song goes through a crazy transition just 20 seconds in that really engages the listener then seemingly continuously rises and falls. What was your motive or inspiration behind this?
That first transition is actually a decision we made while mixing at the very last minute! We had 2 demos of “Midnight,” the regular track and a pitched down version, and there were different parts we liked from each. When we thought about combing them, it felt perfect because it really grabs the listeners attention right off the bat.
Does “Midnight” mark a transition phase for Jordan Andrew? With your last album covers just being a black image, “Midnight” looks and feels like it’s the start of something new.
This record was a huge transition in style for me, but felt like a new start for my project. While taking over a year off from releasing music, we made hundreds of songs in secrecy. After one of the first sessions for “Midnight” it finally felt like the right time to come back.
Who are some of your artistic inspirations? Have they changed significantly over time?
Frank Ocean & Tyler the Creator are so inspiring and are some of my all time favorite musicians. After moving away from commercial electronic music, a lot of my inspirations changed up. Over time I’ve been more drawn to artists that focus on a body of work, but listen to almost everything!
I saw a playlist you made a few days ago that included some Zach Villere, Joji, and King Krule. Is that the direction you’re heading with your music as well?
They inspire me so much, and are all huge influences on my sound! It’s really exciting to see other young artists taking creative risks
You’ve explored a lot with electronic music throughout the years, do you feel your sound has evolved to a more mature point or are you always exploring new sounds and sub-genres?
My production style is constantly evolving, but over this past year it’s been feeling way more refined. I’m always trying to incorporate new sounds & genres into my music, it makes the process more fun!
Should we be expecting more vocals in your songs?
Really excited that from here on out, i’ll be singing on all of my songs 🙂
Your social media is pretty ominous, do you feel like you’re letting the music do the talking or is it a revolt against society’s current obsession with social media?
I want the music to be my first impression, but it’s a little of bit of both! After years of obsessing over social media, it just started feeling like a waste of time.
Can you tell me anything about the short film you’re working on?
The short film is something we’ve been working on for a while, and will be out within a few months. We took a lot of creative risks on this project and we’re so excited to share the final product!
What’s your DAW of choice?
We track with ProTools in the studio, but all of the production & arranging is done in Logic!
How do you build your songs? Do you have a process or does it come to you in waves?
With most of my new material, the writing normally comes first..but it changes with each record! Starting my songs on the piano and than slowly transitioning them into full productions, is refreshing. Most of my ideas come in waves, so it’s really important to keep the songwriting process feeling as organic as possible.
You said it took months to record “Midnight” mainly due to you wanting to make sure you got the vocals right. Was the making of “Midnight” different for you? Did you feel like this song marked a significant change for you in the recording process?”
The process for “Midnight” was a lot different than most of my other songs.After taking such a long break, we felt this immense pressure to set the standard for my new music. It took us months just to make sure everything was perfect, but it was so worth it!
How do you define your sound if you had to stick it in a category or label it?
Labeling my music has always been a struggle because it never fits under one category! The style of songs like “Midnight” haven’t really been identified yet, but we’ve been calling this new sound Lofi-R&B. You can hear familiar R&B vocal styles in the harmonies over an instrumental with loci-hiphop production.
Tell me about Mystic Select; when did the idea come to you? How is it different from other collectives/labels?
The idea first came to me about 4-5 years ago, and we finally launched in July of 2015. Mystic is a family first, and the core of our group is built on friendship & good music. Our goal is to provide passionate artists with a platform to get there music heard!
Any upcoming projects, shows, or events to look out for?
Be on the lookout for new music, visuals, and live show coming in 2018 ♡
What’s something not many people know about you?
I’ve been doing martial arts since 3 years old!
Most people don’t know that 🙂
You can find more from Jordan Andrew on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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