The incredible Kelli Leigh, a powerhouse vocalist and songwriter behind some of the biggest dance tracks over the last 10 years is our guest this week.

Kelli Leigh shares her journey as an artist, songwriter, and vocalist, exploring the highs and lows of the music industry, offering invaluable insights on how she's carved out her own path in the industry. She offers practical advice on songwriting, vocal techniques, and maintaining creativity in a demanding industry.for both established and emerging artists.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Kelli Leigh’s pre-recording rituals for vocal and mental preparation
• Techniques for overcoming self-doubt and staying motivated
• The importance of finding your unique sound and voice
• Navigating the challenges of being an uncredited vocalist
• Strategies for building a successful career as an independent artist

This conversation provides an honest look at the realities of pursuing a career in music and the importance of advocating for yourself as an artist.

BEST MOMENTS

“I wouldn't be here chatting to you today if I hadn't decided to back myself."

"Believe in yourself deeply, because the days when no one else will, you're the one. And your own self belief will be the thing that makes you keep going and step forward."

“How can you, as a creative, create from the ground? It's like, when you're down there and you're so low, how are you supposed to reach places of highs to bring that energy? He was like, you need rest. You need to take this time out and heal yourself and get yourself into a better space so you can rise back up again.”

“Don't wait for someone to open doors. You do need to start creating them. You need to be putting yourself ..... online. And I talk about a lot about self releasing. You know, I was an independent artist for years. I still am an independent artist even though my current single is signed to an indie label itself.”

“The devaluation of singers on dance music has to stop. It's not cool. It doesn't make you look cool. It makes you look like a dickhead, in my opinion.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

You Know My Voice Podcast

EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT

Camden Cox

ABOUT THE HOST

Lex Luca is a London-based DJ, producer, and tastemaker, known for his infectious energy both behind the decks and in the studio. With releases on Snatch!, Nervous, and his own label In Tune, Lex has garnered support from industry heavyweights like Pete Tong, Annie Mac, and Claude von Stroke. A former BBC Radio 1 producer, he brings a wealth of experience to his craft, delivering a unique blend of house, disco, and techno that has taken him from London to Ibiza and beyond. Lex founded OpenDAW Songwriting camps, bringing together independent musicians to collaborate. And now, as the host of OpenDAW Talks, Lex shares his journey and insights with the next generation of music creators.

CONNECT & CONTACT

OpenDAW

Lex Luca

Email: hello@opendawtalks.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ros T is an electronic music producer from Scotland, whose debut album Teach Me reached #1 on the iTunes chart earlier this year. Ros shares his experiences growing up in a tight-knit island community and how it shaped his musical perspective. Ros talks us through the creative processes behind his music,, the challenges he’s faced, and the pivotal moments that have defined his career.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Ross's unique approach to music production and how he balances emotion with technical skill
• The story behind his hit track "Out the Fire" and its journey to success
• Insights into the making of his debut album and his collaboration with Perfect Havoc
• How he manages his creative process and maintains productivity in the studio
• The impact of personal loss on his music and how he channels emotions into his work
• 
  

"I need to feel something from it. And that's where a lot of my stuff's quite emotive in that, because I need to feel something from it."

Ross T is carving his own path in the industry, this episode is packed with valuable insights and inspiration, from one of the industry's most respected. Get inspired to push your own creative boundaries.

BEST MOMENTS

Without [my mum's] knowledge and love of music, like, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. There'd be no album, there'd be no anything.

Forget about all that rubbish, focus on the music and by all means, promote yourself on socials. But the music's the most important thing.

All you need to do is just make the one tune that connects. Like, you could have 50,000 followers, you can have 20 followers, you could have started making music last week, you could have been making music for 40 years. If you just make that tune, if that tune is good enough, you send it to the label and the label does hear it and it is that good, they will sign it.

Focus wholeheartedly on the music, just enjoying it and doing that before you start really being like, I need to get signed and then free. Don't worry too much about saying I need to be signed because I was unsigned for years, happily just doing my thing

I can't really make happy music because it's, like my outlet, I suppose when I fully get over some stuff. Maybe I'll be like, right, sweet. I can make some really happy stuff.

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Check out our Spotify Playlist

EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT

Episode Dave Lee

ABOUT THE HOST

Lex Luca is a London-based DJ, producer, and tastemaker, known for his infectious energy both behind the decks and in the studio. With releases on Snatch!, Nervous, and his own label In Tune, Lex has garnered support from industry heavyweights like Pete Tong, Annie Mac, and Claude von Stroke. A former BBC Radio 1 producer, he brings a wealth of experience to his craft, delivering a unique blend of house, disco, and techno that has taken him from London to Ibiza and beyond. Lex founded OpenDAW Songwriting camps, bringing together independent musicians to collaborate. And now, as the host of OpenDAW Talks, Lex shares his journey and insights with the next generation of music creators.

CONNECT & CONTACT

OpenDAW

Lex Luca

Email: hello@opendawtalks.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever wondered what it's like to have complete creative control over your music? In this episode, I sit down with the legendary Dave Lee, a true icon in the electronic music scene, know best for his pseudonym Joey Negro to explore the ins and outs of his 30 year career.

Dave shares his journey from the early days of Glam rock to becoming a powerhouse in the house and disco world. He opens up about the freedom he now enjoys in his career, making music on his own terms and bringing his wildest ideas to life.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Insights into Dave's creative process, from initial ideas to finished products
• The art of remixing and re-editing classic tracks for modern dancefloors
• The importance of trusting your instincts and being honest with yourself about your work
• Tips for emerging artists on navigating the music industry and protecting their rights
• Strategies for overcoming creative blocks and finding inspiration in unexpected places
• The value of owning your music rights and building a strong back catalog
• 
  

Whether you're an aspiring producer, a seasoned DJ, or simply a music enthusiast, this episode is packed with valuable insights and inspiration, from one of the industry's most respected figures.

BEST MOMENTS

"I would say the most exciting thing that's happening is that I've got to a point in my career where I'm kind of doing what I want."

"Just to follow your gut. Follow your gut instincts about things. If you've worked on a piece of music and you don't think it's right or you think it's great or there's somebody you're working with, you're not really sure if it's, you know, the synergy's there or you're not happy. You know, I just think, follow your gut instincts."

"I've always been a finisher. I remember the guy when I was signed to a publisher in the early nineties, he said that you're a finisher and I finish off track. My problem is not, oh, I've got lots of half finished tracks on my hard drive."

"One thing is important to know is what you're good at, what you're bad at. And I can play chords, but I know I'm not great. You know, I'm not. My taste in chords is better than my ability to play them."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Check out our Spotify Playlist

EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT

Roger Sanchez

ABOUT THE HOST

Lex Luca is a London-based DJ, producer, and tastemaker, known for his infectious energy both behind the decks and in the studio. With releases on Snatch!, Nervous, and his own label In Tune, Lex has garnered support from industry heavyweights like Pete Tong, Annie Mac, and Claude von Stroke. A former BBC Radio 1 producer, he brings a wealth of experience to his craft, delivering a unique blend of house, disco, and techno that has taken him from London to Ibiza and beyond. Lex founded OpenDAW Songwriting camps, bringing together independent musicians to collaborate. And now, as the host of OpenDAW Talks, Lex shares his journey and insights with the next generation of music creators.

CONNECT & CONTACT

OpenDAW

Lex Luca

Email: hello@opendawtalks.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve Bug uncovers the secrets behind his enduring career in this episode of OpenDAW Talks. The German DJ, producer, and tastemaker has been a driving force in the electronic music world since the early '90s, consistently pushed boundaries and set trends. In conversation with Lex Luca, Steve opens up about his musical journey, from production techniques and mixing secrets to the art of DJing and running the wildly successful label Poker Flat Recordings.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Unlock the secrets of Steve's creative workflow and production methods.
• Discover mixing techniques that elevate your tracks to professional standards.
• The importance of staying true to your musical vision
• Strategies for overcoming creative blocks
• Tips for aspiring DJs on reading the crowd and building a set
• Gain insights into building a successful label and cultivating a loyal fanbase.
• Explore strategies for staying true to your artistic vision while navigating the industry.

“To build a long lasting career. It's important to stay true to yourself. If you like trancey commercial music, if you like big festival stuff, and that's what's you, what, what gets you going, go for it. This is, this is your music. Play it out.”

“I think a good DJ is someone who can really start at some point and then build it up, break it down again, build it up again going in this direction. Go that direction. Play some house. Play some melodic house and techno. Play some, maybe rather hard stuff. Play some deep stuff, like, go all the places.”

“In general, that's maybe one of the things I really like about making music is that you never stop learning. It's just great to explore and get better at things, and I just love it with every new track.”

“To really come up with something that is going to break through or has been, like, bigger or seen is like always something that is different and then maybe it's copied afterwards, but you've been the first and it's getting more and more difficult every year.”

“Really stay positive. Don't let others bring you down and believe in yourself. And again, find the right people that support you. And yeah, don't be put off by not getting any feedback from labels, stuff like that, just keep on going.”

“You're not going to be a great dj from day one. No one was. Take your time.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Check out our Spotify Playlist

EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT

Dave Lee

ABOUT THE HOST

Lex Luca is a London-based DJ, producer, and tastemaker, known for his infectious energy both behind the decks and in the studio. With releases on Snatch!, Nervous, and his own label In Tune, Lex has garnered support from industry heavyweights like Pete Tong, Annie Mac, and Claude von Stroke. A former BBC Radio 1 producer, he brings a wealth of experience to his craft, delivering a unique blend of house, disco, and techno that has taken him from London to Ibiza and beyond. Lex founded OpenDAW Songwriting camps, bringing together independent musicians to collaborate. And now, as the host of OpenDAW Talks, Lex shares his journey and insights with the next generation of music creators.

CONNECT & CONTACT

OpenDAW

Lex Luca

Email: hello@opendawtalks.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is your guide on how to elevate your music. This week we welcome Canadian DJ and producer Sydney Blu

Sydney has forged an impressive career over the last 20 years. She worked herself up from DJ’ing on her local after hours scene to touring around the world.

She taught herself how to make music and has gone on to release her tracks on some of the key labels from Knee Deep In Sound, Elrow, Desert Hearts and Deadmau5’ Mau5trap records.

She has her own label and legendary Party series. She also recently set up the Change The Beat, a platform to increase the number of female, trans and non-binary producers.

There’s a common theme along Sydney’s journey; creativity, passion, drive and a love of making music.

Sydney’s done a lot! And this one is full of wisdom. We get into her creative practices and rituals, her music making process and favourite plug-ins. We how she handles rejection, rebrand yourself when you want to change your sound and loads more.

https://www.23by23.com/

https://www.instagram.com/djsydneyblu

https://soundcloud.com/sydneyblu

https://www.instagram.com/opendawmusic

https://www.instagram.com/lexluca

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we have the founder of Music Production For Women, Xylo Aria in conversation.

Xylo’s also a talented artist, producer and songwriter and she shares loads of tips and tricks for you guys to incorporate into your own music.

We discuss a whole range of topics from imposter syndrome, and the importance of just showing.

Xylo shares how she pushes out of comfort zone as well as her approach to writing songs and why it’s important to finish them!

This is a super inspiring talk and I hope you get some value from it

https://musicproductionforwomen.com/

https://instagram.com/musicproductionforwomen/

https://instagram.com/xyloaria

https://instagram.com/opendawmusic

https://instagram.com/lexluca

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you looking to ditch the day job and make money doing what your love; making music? Have you heard of sync licensing but not sure how it works or how to get into it?

You need to check out this week's episode of OpenDAW Talks - we have special guest, sync agent and sync educator, Eric Campbell in conversation.

Eric runs the sync agency Sus3Music and runs an education platform CNTRL Camp.

As music producer and song-writer, Eric’s music has been featured on Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Love & Hip Hop, Real Housewives and more.

He has also been an on-set songwriter for TV shows Greenleaf and Step Up Highwater and scored a commercial for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s energy drink, Zoa.

All of that and his songs have been recorded by signed recording artists including Musiq Soulchild, Bootsy Collins, Jekalyn Carr and Roshon Fegan.

Eric shares a wealth of knowledge about sync licensing. He talks all about how to get into sync and he breaks down his creative processes. He also delves into his methods for referencing, talks about the challenges of moving to a new city and how he overcame these obstacles. And he provides some insights into networking.

If you’re wondering what Sync Licensing is, how to get into it and how to get paid. This one is most definitely for you.

Enjoy

Lex

Eric Campbell Instagram

Sus3 Music

CNTRL Camp

Lex Luca Instagram

OpenDAW Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

GRAMMY Award winning producer and DJ Mark Knight joins Lex Luca for a conversation full of wisdom and insights and inspiration.

Mark has notched up over 200 million global streams and has been a cornerstone in electronic music for nearly two decades. His chart-topping hits like 'Man With The Red Face' and 'Alright' and his collaborations go beyond house music, having lent his production and songwriting talents to the like Faithless and Florence & The Machine Calvin Harris and David Guetta, Jennifer Lopez, Flo Rider, Black Eyed Peas, the list goes on...

And that’s before we talk about his Toolroom brand, a record label, radio show and now education platform, which literally started out in the shed of his parent’s house.

Mark has combined an innate passion for music, a clear vision, an exceptional entrepreneurial mindset, self awareness & the foresight to build a strong team around him to create his own unique path to success.

Are you struggling to finish music? Download our free guide; 7 Hacks To Finish More Music

Follow OpenDAW Talks on your favourite podcast platform, leave us a review and for more information and resources head to http://opendawtalks.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.