When 21-year-old music producer Maxe joined forces with pop sensation ELI in the creation of “Echo“, the result was nothing short of amazing. With the success of ELI’s latest single, which garnered over 50 million streams, the contribution of Maxe to the mix meant the track would be phenomenal. I had the pleasure of interviewing Maxe and ELI about their work on this incredible song.
Hello, this is RiMo from Fresh Music Freaks. I’m here with two very talented artists Maxe and ELI who just released their song “Echo” which is amazing. How are you both doing today?
Doing great, thank you!
Can you please tell me how this collaboration came about?
ELI: Maxe invited me to the studio to hang and I came up with some ideas. Together alongside the amazingly talented Madeline Juno, we wrote the song in one day.
You both have created a heartfelt song that garners reflection regarding the value of relationships and the impact they have on your life. What inspired the lyrics and how did you find such a perfect balance between the vocals and the instrumentals in this track?
Maxe: For me, school was one of the most defining times in my life. I always wanted to write a song about the feeling of making memories with my best friends without being cheesy.
Your video for this track includes both of you performing as well as truthful representations of everyday life. Who did you work with (director) and how would you describe the process you took in creating it?
Maxe: The director we worked with is Robert Wunsch. Great guy! Super exciting to see other creatives operating in their field.
You have had the opportunity to work on other projects. How did you make the next step to music production?
Maxe: I started producing music when I was 13 or 14. My old piano teacher always brought his laptop with him and showed me the first steps of music production. After a while, I had more and more interest and thought it was fun. Making beats and recording myself is how I learned how it works and this was the thing I did mostly in my youth.
You’ve gone on tour and experienced working with other artists while traveling. What was that like for you?
ELI: Touring is the best thing in the world!!! To share your ideas with friends and other creative people is amazing! It often gives you a different perspective which is super important I think! Learning is the best way to move forward in life :-).
Do you attend industry events to meet and work with other artists?
Maxe: Hell yeah!
How many hours a week on average are you spending in your studio?
Maxe: I’d say I go to the studio from Monday-Friday, 6 hours per day.
Explain your songwriting process, ex: do you write the melody first then lyrics?
Maxe: It depends, most of the time I have a concept and some melodies ready. Lyrics come later usually.
How would you describe your music?
ELI: Urban Pop music.
What kinds of music do you like? What are your influences?
ELI: I’m definitely influenced by bands/artists like Justin Timberlake, Lauv, Bazzi, Green Day and Khalid. I’d say my sound reaches from old school Rhythm and Blues to modern Pop music.
As the end of 2019 nears, what are you most excited about for 2020?
Maxe: New music!! I’m finally releasing music that’s 100% me!!
Do you have any advice for other young musicians out there?
Maxe: Have trust in life. Things are going to work out when you believe in yourself. One thing I always said was: I’m going to do this music thing for a living. I don’t know how, but I will! Often it’s not about how, but about trusting the universe that things will work out!
Thank you Maxe and ELI!
Check out Maxe: Spotify | Facebook | Instagram
Check out ELI: Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | SoundCloud
*Featured Image of Maxe and ELI Via Maxe FB *
