Interview: Producer PD Discusses His Journey with Becoming a Producer, His Work Style, and His Creative Process.
By. Alicia Zamora
Alicia’s Studio Sits Down with Producer David to Talk about the Challenges He Faces as a Producer, Working with Friends, and Producing More Music.
A Conversation with David
Alicia: Welcome back to Alicia’s Studio we have our eight special guest
David: Hello guys my name is David! Also known as PD. I’m a music producer and yeah I’m a musician and instrumentalist.
Alicia: Diving into the first question what made you want to become a producer?
David: Soo.. good question.. Back in ‘17’, I got inspired by this producer Martin Garrix- he’s a DJ. From there I was like “Oh how does he produce music?” and “What does the process look like?” I started researching and dived into music production and have been producing music ever since.
Alicia: How long have you been doing this for?
David: For about six or seven years. I went to a music school as well. Berklee college of music
Alicia: Oo okay so you studied music?
David: Yeah, I did study music!
Alicia: What would you say has been the biggest challenge as a producer?
David: The biggest challenge for me… I would say hmm.. Growing up, I was getting inspired by different cultures, so I was a little stuck in finding my own sound because I just kept making music in different styles and genres, which I don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing. But maybe being versatile could be a good thing. But I also want to focus on having my own sound to develop my own niche.
Alicia: How many artists are you producing for at the moment?
David: OO I would say roughly around five or six that I’m closely working with but also I moved to LA about a year ago so I’ve been looking into collaborating with more artists and producers.
Alicia: Oh okay! So what does the process look like for you?
David: So my personal favorite workflow is when the artist drafts up a little demo or stuff like that and they send it to me and then I’ll make some music, cook up some stuff, and then send it back to the artist and from there, it’s back and forth. That’s the vibe that I’m most comfortable with. But also it usually depends on how the artist works as well. I can always be flexible and see how we can work it out.
Alicia: How long would you say you are in the studio for?
David: Well I mean I do studio sessions. I prefer maybe five times per week. Recently I was in the studio like four or five times this week. It also depends on how busy I am. When I’m more chill and relaxed I do two or three days of sessions. Each session is like four to six hours and I’m just making music with all my friends and amazing musicians.
Alicia: Who’s your dream artist to produce for?
David: My dream artist to produce for? Sheesh… Hmm what is my dream artist?
David: Okay if I have to name one, I would say right now is Jordan Ward because I love his music. He is so amazing! His writing and his vibe are so good. But you know it always changes. Like today I’m inspired by Jordan Ward but the next day you know maybe another person. But yeah I’m just going to keep making music with the best people.
Alicia: Okay and if you weren’t a producer what would you be doing right now?
David: I mean I’ve been getting into graphic design, like some drawings, you know it’s my hobby. Sometimes I want to get my mind off music for a little bit so I think I’m picking up some drawing skills and it’s very very cool. So I would say that I would be an illustrator.
Alicia: When creating tracks do you ever feel overly pressured that it messes up your flow of work?
David: Overly pressured?
Alicia: Yeah like is it ever too much at once to the point where it messes with your flow of creating new tracks?
David: Not really. I’ll say it’s been pretty smooth. I mean it depends on the vibe with the artist or the person I’m working with. If it’s a little bit stressful it could be a little stressful but usually, it’s fine.
Alicia: Since you’ve started how many tracks have you created?
David: Like music tracks?
Alicia: Yeah approximately how many. Just a guess *laughs*
David: I mean.. I’ve been cooking every day, just beats and music as well with artists. But number wise I would say around a couple hundred or even a thousand. I mean I make tracks every day so it’s definitely a lot.
Alicia: I see you're a producer for Thomas so how does it feel working for a friend?
David: It’s so easy working with Thomas. Were really good friends as well so the vibes when were working in the studio together everything just flows.
Alicia: Do you sing?
David: I mean I sing a little bit. I see myself trying to sing more in the future but not as an artist, as a producer. I would love to put some of my vocals in.
Alicia: Do you have any upcoming projects?
David: I mean of course me and Thomas are always working. Me and Thomas are working on a song we don’t know when it’s dropping but sooner or later it will come out. I have other projects with other artists as well but I will definitely post it on my social media.
Alicia: With the interview ending, I wanted to thank you for letting me interview you! Feel free to say whatever you’d like!
David: Thank you guys for having me! Please check out the songs that I’m working on with Thomas! I have my link on my Instagram. My Instagram handle is @pff_dai