essa Maynard is a Dutch producer working within pop and future bass. She grew up in a small town, where her passion for music was born. Being a classically trained flautist from an early age, Tessa developed the musical skills to establish herself as an electronic artist. Her music explores a distinctive melodic style combined with futuristic percussion and synths. The fresh and futuristic soundscape she creates sets the stage for the singers she works with.
Her recent release 'We Are The Stars' with singer-songwriter Alexander Kazakov out now on LSA records is a future-pop track that evokes intense emotions. We caught up with Tessa to find out more about this talented new producer.
Tessa, tell us a bit about yourself, where you are from and what you do.
I am Thirsa and I grew up in Zeeland, The Netherlands. It’s a small part of The Netherlands with a lot of beaches. I got into music at an early age, because I started learning to play flute. My first one was the small wooden one. After I learned reading notes, I moved on to the “actual” flute and played that instrument for 5 years. I followed lessons at a music college and I have two certificates in music theory and playing the flute itself.
You are an accomplished flute player. Tell us a little about your musical background, did you study music from a young age?
I was always fascinated with tracks from the radio. This convinced me to look more into the production of pop music. I started with producing in Garageband since 2017. After a few weeks, I switched to Logic and I mastered all functionalities really quickly. Right now, I am an experienced user in Logic Pro X and I also have experience in FL Studio.
How did you make the crossover from classical music to electronic music?
I made the crossover from classical music to electronic music, because I wanted to focus on more mainstream music. Classical music is still a genre that deserves a lot of respect, but it is not a genre played on the radio. Music from nowadays combines techniques from classical music with new sounds. I find it fascinating to see the combinations made and it’s inspiring to see that classical music still lives, even now it is not mainstream anymore.
What artists do you look up to in the industry and draw inspiration from?
There are a lot of artists I look up to in the industry. I love Ariana Grandes music. She has an amazing atmosphere in her music combined with an R&B vibe. I love to use R&B elements in my songs, because it makes a song interesting. Another artist I love is Dua Lipa. Her music is funky and unique. I absolutely love the vibe from her album future nostalgia, because she combined organic sounds with a futuristic vibe and digital sounds.
Tell us about the process for creating your new single 'We Are The Stars' with singer Alexander Kazakov.
We Are The Stars is a project I immediately fell in love with. I had an idea in my head, but I could not work it out till I heard the vocals. The first version of the track was made with vocals from a vocal pack. They sounded dreamy and magical. That is what created the feeling of the song. The pluck lead with the chords in the chorus makes the track sound magical. Because I knew the track needed some original vocals, I posted it on a website that sets up collaborations. Alexander reached out to me, because he loved the track. After I heard his voice, I was sold and his lyrics were amazing. Now, after a few months, we have the final version of the track and the result is astounding.
You also run your own record label. Tell us about the label and the other artists you work with.
In my free time I run my own label called Mystery Freedom Records. This is a label focused on Dance Pop, but we come from a house background. The label was founded in April 2020 and since then we released around 80 tracks to the stores and we have worked with artists like Marnage, Joâo Faria and DJ ZII. We recently decided to rebrand and focus on commercial tracks that can be played on the radio. This opens a door to expand the label on a whole other market. One of our other goals is connecting artists and setting up collaborations.
Follow Tessa Maynard on Instagram by clicking here.
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