Super Drift and Maisie May collaborated on a tune ‘La Mer’ that was released on December 2. Super Drift is led by John Drift, a producer and composer located in Dubai. John began recording as Super Drift a little over a year ago. The song was recorded in Dubai, then Maisie May contributed vocals from her Brooklyn, New York home. The song tries to combine 80s synth pop with more current electronic pop genres. The song was inspired by a popular beach region in Dubai known as ‘La Mer’.. Maisie then provided her own version via her lyrics.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey Super Drift, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What have you been up to over the past year in this big old mess?
Hi Kamil. Thanks for having me! I guess like most people, I have tried to make the best of it. In my case, it meant working on series of songs I had lying around. ‘La Mer’ is the first one of those. There is an EP and Album in the works as well.
How was the collaboration with Maisie May?
Working with Maisie was amazing. She is extremely professional and can get to a solid topline very quickly. I like her lyrics as well, and I just felt her voice suited the chilled feel of the song.
Your latest song is 'La Mer'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
Well, ‘La Mer’ is a beach area in Dubai, where I live. The song was mainly inspired after taking a walk there while the city was slowly opening up. It was very empty, and it almost had that kind of ‘abandoned amusement park’ vibe. Something nostalgic and slightly sad and I kind of tried to convey that in music, while also keeping it a bit upbeat. Maisie then did her own interpretation of the song through her lyrics.
How do you feel about the fact that you've released your first song?
It feels really good. I have released instrumental stuff in the past, but this is the first time I have done anything with vocals. I think I am still learning here, but overall; I like the outcome. It is very ‘poppy’ and 80s sounding, but that was kind of the intention.
How useful has social media been for you?
I got mixed feelings about social media. There are advantages obviously, one being that you can communicate directly with fans. I really enjoy that part. But sometimes I feel that it is a bit overestimated how much social media can help when it comes to promoting your music. Surely, you are better off having a presence than not, but I think you need to find the right sources and profiles who can help push you forward. If you do that, it can be really helpful.
What is the biggest challenge of being an artist?
I would say earning a living. At least I got a well-paid day-job, but a lot of musicians out there are really struggling. You earn virtually nothing on streaming, so you are dependent on live shows, merchandise and selling physical albums or cassettes. Virtually all of those channels have been hit badly by the pandemic.
What is your creative process like?
I guess that is a bit hard to answer. Sometimes I get ideas from just messing about with my synths. Other times, like with ‘La Mer’, ideas come from some experience or emotional situation. I am very sensitive to harmony and melody, so I usually have those things worked out way before I think about beats, bass or groove. Those elements are often the very last thing I do.
If you could go open a show for any artist who would it be?
That’s a hard one to answer, as there are so many great acts around. I think it could be great opening for the CHVRCHES.
What is the best advice you’ve been given?
Stay true to you own vision. In the end you can only really be ‘you’ and sound like ‘you’, so don’t spend too much time trying to be or sound like someone else. Yes, do learn from others, do get inspired and do take cues from other artists. But in the end, you need to take all this inspiration and try to make it your own. That is a bit of journey, but it is an exciting journey if you stick to it.
What are your plans for next year?
Getting my full album out. That is really the main priority for me at this stage.