Moonrunner83
Canadian artist/producer/songwriter Moonrunner83 reveals new single “In My Head” in collaboration with singer/songwriter King Protea.
“As soon as I heard the track, I instantly heard the “in my head, in my head” lyric. I loved the idea of exploring something sweet and nostalgic, a love that is truly patient and not afraid of the dark parts of our minds. The track offered the perfect landscape for that,” explains King Protea.
Heavily inspired by the 80s, Moonrunner83 has collaborated with numerous artists such as Megan McDuffee, Vik Kapur, Emma Rowley and many more.
Released via indie label FiXT Neon, “In My Head” will be featured on his upcoming new record, due for release later this year.
“In My Head” is now available on major streaming platforms.
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
I'm a retro-loving synthwave enthusiast, multi-instrumentalist, and producer from Calgary, a western Canadian city on the prairies that exploded during the '80s. The effects of that era can still be felt fairly strongly here. But it's the perfect blend of old and new — skyscrapers glistening in the sun with the Rocky Mountains off in the distance.
How would you define Moonrunner83, the artist?
Moonrunner83 started as a passion project. I've been doing music stuff since I was a kid. And always for someone else it seemed, be it pop rock, to support myself as a full-time touring musician, or trying to break through on Canadian Billboard. At the end of the day, I started Moonrunner83 to make music I like to listen to. Other people started listening. And here we are.
"In My Head" is your new single. What's the inspiration behind this song?
As Moonrunner83 developed, I have drifted toward a sound more rooted in polished popwave. In My Head is a reversion to the sound that started it all — dreamwave mixed with pop elements. Much like the city I live it, it's a blend of the old and new. The roots and the future. The instrumental is quite similar to the vein of my first record Datsun Sundown.
What made you want to collaborate with King Protea on this single?
She just has such an interesting voice. I saw a couple of her videos on YouTube and listened to some of her stuff online. I was like "let me mix her." The results turned out to be pretty astounding.
What do you like the most about this song?
I really love the panning in her verse vocals. Normally, I mix verse vocals right down the centre and save the wide panning for the chorus so it explodes with width when it hits. Here, I slightly panned doubles left and right which gives the vocals a really cool stereo image while still preserving that fat, wide sound for the chorus. It's powerful. I love the changes.
What made you want to release "In My Head" as a single?
In My Head embodies all the stuff I really like in a song: solid production, great writing, hooks all over the place (the verse and chorus are loaded with hooks), and a soaring chorus. I think Moonrunner83 fans of all shades will really like this one.
What are you looking for in artists when collaborating with them?
I'm always open to collaborating with talented people. Great writing is mainly what I'm looking for. Everything else comes secondary. I'm a sucker for the right four chords, the right melody, the right hook, the right words, or the right riff. It all comes together from a couple elements.
As a producer, what biggest lesson have you learned so far?
Make your productions your own and embrace that. As a young producer, I watched a million videos, read a million books, and messed around with a million techniques. Eventually, what really worked for me wasn't copying or imitating anything anyone else did — it was to develop my own sound that I would stamp on my productions. Moonrunner83 productions sounds distinctly like Moonrunner83 productions and I'd have it no other way. Find that balance between compelling content and clear, beautiful production. People don't want to listen to amazing songs that sound dreadful or dreadful songs that sound amazing dreadful. Strike a balance. And do it your way.
What softwares and equipments do you usually use to make music?
I use Bitwig Studio. The workflow is crazy fast. And it's really light on resources. It's brand new compared to all the other DAWs out there. They've really done something special by bringing together all of the elements of other software that works and none of the stuff that doesn't. Then they've added a bunch of elements that make Bitwig like no other piece of software. Everything else is mostly out of the box. And not for any particular sound, but more because it's fun to have your hands on a real instrument, turning real knobs. When I'm having fun, I'm inspired. And that's super important. I am also fortunate to have some gorgeous new and old synths in my collection: Roland System-8, Roland System-1, Roland Juno-106, Roland JX-3P, Roland JD-XA, Sequential Circuits Prophet Rev2, Oberheim Matrix-1000, Korg X50, Korg Micro X, Arturia Mini Brute, and a Behringer Model D. I also have some beautiful microphones from Advanced Audio, a little family run microphone company from here in Canada who make some remarkable clones of famous vintage mics. I use a lot of Warm Audio outboard signal processings as well: EQs and compressors. I prefer to front load mojo on the way in and just use native plugins in the box to polish everything up at mixdown.
In your opinion, what makes a "good" production?
Vocals are king. Get the vocals right and you've nailed it. Everything else comes secondary. Then it's all the ear candy: clever transitions, great drum programming, punchiness, clarity, a solid low end, impact, warmth, and all those wonderful descriptors that really don't mean anything. Haha.
What advices would you give to new producers?
You don't need much to get started. Grab a laptop, a MIDI controller, and a microphone. And grab Bitwig. That's all you need. Make music that makes you happy.
What appeals you the most about making music?
I love the visceral feelings I get from music. And I hope to evoke those feelings in others.
What are your thoughts on today's global situation? How are you holding up?
I'm an interesting creature. I love being inside. I love making music. I love being in my studio. I love films. I love reading. And I love spending time with my cats. Don't get me wrong, I am a very social person and I love being outside. But I'm happy to mellow until this thing blows over. I'm generally a really happy kid — under all circumstances. I'm getting by swimmingly.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
More cats. Definitely more cats.
What message do you want to give to the world?
Live in your dreams. And do what makes you happy in life.
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