Rebecca interviews the producers of Izzy Fortuin's upcoming single

This week I had the opportunity to interview Michael Tedstone of Manike Music, a Leicester based brother-sister composition team who have been working with Izzy  Fortuin on her upcoming single ‘Home is where my heart is’. 

So Michael, with the intense competition out there in the music market what was it about Izzy that made you want to work with her in-particular?

Izzy has a very unique voice and in the overcrowded arena that is the music industry you need a sound that sets you apart. I think anyone that has listened to an Izzy vocal performance could identify it as being Izzy. Izzy also has a great attitude, she always plays to win and whenever we get her into the studio she's singing better than she was in the previous session. Izzy is a really complete package, she's got a great look, she's got a lovely personality which really shines through in photo shoots but she's also got an edge to her, which allows her to make really great pop music.

 Izzy's already been in the studio to record her début single, how have you found working with her?

Working with Izzy is really easy - she's got a real talent for singing but she also knows when to put her head down and work at nailing a verse or chorus. Sometimes when a line or phrase takes longer, some singers can become disheartened but Izzy keeps going and won't leave the studio until she's 100% happy with the track, even if it means a session running over. 

Can you give us an idea of what kind of material we can look forward to in the near future?

For upcoming material it's down to Izzy. It's really important to her that she feels a connection to the song she's singing. So it's not as simple as just choosing a song or hook that Izzy wants to work on or we want Izzy to work on - it's got to be something that she can put herself into. If she's not feeling and understanding what she's singing about then it's unlikely that the listener will. Whatever Izzy works on next no doubt it'll sound fantastic and have the inherent hookyness and great sounding vocals we expect from Izzy.

Can you give us a run down of the process you went through in writing and producing Izzy's single?

When working on the Izzy's single 'Home is where my heart is' we started with a very bare bones track. We knew how we wanted it to sound but really we had to build it round Izzy. Izzy has such a unique voice that anything we did prior to getting some rough vocals down would be pointless. We discussed at length with Izzy's label (Mor Music Group) about who she was, where she was going, what makes her sound special, we took that and tried to put it into the production elements of the song. Backing vocals where performed by Maryann (co-founder of Manike Music) and we had weekly recording sessions with Izzy, working on the melody and discussing the lyrics.

         

What are the advantages of working behind the scenes on a single?

Working behind the scenes on music albums, EPs and singles has its plus points and negative points. We don't get to perform the music live which can be an amazing feeling - hearing the reaction of so many people to something that you've written is beyond anything else. However there's something to be said for taking a melody, which to begin with is just some sounds strung together and making that into a fully produced song with strings, brass and backing vocals. It can be a massive hill to climb sometimes but when you get to the top it can be as rewarding (and less tiring) than the gigging, the promotion and performing side of things.

Do you prefer the dynamic of working with artists like Izzy or working for a company?

In terms of who we prefer to work with, artists like Izzy or a company, I think we like to mix it up. Working with companies is great, it can bring in the income that we need to make sure we can continue doing what we love but there's something special about working with artists like Izzy. It can be a lot more work, collaborating directly with artists but it really pays off when it goes right. It can be really rewarding.

You have a very different approach to pop that dominates the charts currently, what inspires you to produce a more natural style of pop?

I think our style of music writing is built on what classic songwriters have done in the past. We believe that at the root of song, it has to have a great melody and lyrics that mean something. Without that, the song is disposable - something that get people tired of quickly. Performers like Izzy deserve to be singing for as long as they can be and we not only as writers but as the public that buys and listens to music should be supporting them in every way we can. Hopefully there are pieces of our writing that listeners can take away and relate to. It's a balancing act sometimes, we have to make sure that the way we produce a song is polished and relevant but also make sure it’s not getting in the way of the writing and the performance because that's what counts.

And finally what tips can you give to aspiring artists who want to get into the music industry?

         

I think the best tip to give aspiring artists is just to keep going, keep performing, keep writing songs. No one became a recording artist by watching other people do it.

To find out more about Manike Music or to listen to their previous tracks you can visit www.manikemusic.com