Interview: 5 minutes with Seapora

Annie Jacobsen, better known as Seapora, is made of music. She was involved in musical theatre and dance as a child, and created her first original piano composition at the age of 12. “I remember my parents having to kindly ask me to stop singing at the dinner table and all around the house” she laughs. She went on to experiment with vocal performance, modern dance, and studied musical theory in college.

Seapora has become synonymous with ethereal soundscapes and soulful vocal leads. Moved by the power of the auditory sense, Seapora uses her music to experience and capture mood, and through musical composition she connects with the world. Inspired by the likes Bjork, Robotaki, Tycho, Enya, Deep Forest, and Goldfrapp, her music creates a fusion between the industrial, fast moving city culture and the natural landscapes of the forest and ocean. Seapora, originally from California, credits the topography of her homeland for the resonance she feels with the natural realm as well as big city living.

We caught up with Seapora on stage energy and performance euphoria:
(Be sure to stream Seapora’s latest single ‘Travelling’ below!)

Set the tone for us. Why the arts?

I am a creator and I love to connect with people through original artistic content, from music, to dance, to performance. I believe the arts are the best way to heal and express deeper meaning as well as touch on political subjects of the time to evoke a message to the masses.

Which comes first when you’re producing – the sound or the idea?

The sound, then lyrical content and track concept/idea. Sometimes I start out by creating a melodic lead and then build around it or I start with the drum beat and build around that driving pattern.

Does your material feature any collaborations?

I love collaborating with Somatik and Thattix on this album!

What’s on your current playlist?

X&G – Mancha, Robotaki – Animation, Chrome Sparks – The Meaning of Love, Perkulat0r – Cosmos, Odeza – How did I get here, Sweatson Klank – Art Deco, Sade – Cherish the Day, Pines – Tell me, Glass Animals – Gooey, Urple Eeple – Lost in Motion, Flume – Never be like you, Glass Animals – Youth, Kendrick Lamar – Humble

Tell us about the chemistry you have with your fans on stage.

I live for the synchronistic energy that can be felt and created on stage with the audience and fans. When somebody is feeling the music and expresses it through dance or sound it invigorates me to give more energy back out to the audience and a cyclical exchange begins to brew. Its amazing and I live for these moments on stage!

What techniques do you experiment with to get your original sound?

Definitely vocal chops and manipulations are part of the sound design as well as layered synth patterns and intricate beat structures.

Take us through a day in the recording studio.

I start out each session with a cup of hot tea to soothe my voice. Then we get setup in the vocal booth, and usually pick out a nice tube mic. The way the session runs often depends on who the recording engineer is. Most engineers like to work section by section, redoing parts until they are prefect. Peter, on the other hand, likes to run the track through from start to finish to capture the emotion of the song and comp large takes later.  We’ll sit down once we have plenty of takes and comp them together, and once we have a great master take we’ll lay down a perfect double to thicken up the vocal. Then we will record background vocals, and freestyle some vocal ideas to be chopped in and mixed around later!

Was there a specific moment in your life where you thought, “this is what I want to do”?

Yes, when I wrote my first original piano composition in middle school and performed at my school’s graduation. When I was on stage performing my piece, I felt lost in euphoria and passion. I knew from that moment on that this was my calling.

What do you keep close by while you’re playing a set?

My computer, audio interface, APC, wireless mic, keyboard and definitely water.

What gets your creative juices flowing?

Hiking in nature, dancing to other great tracks and seeing other live acts from around the world.

Take us through your collection of gear, tech or software that accompanies your creative expression.

Logic, Ableton, Protools, APC, Prophet 6, Moog

Any side projects you’re working on?

Royale – collaboration with Urple Eeple

How have you refined your craft since you entered the industry?

I started out primarily as a writer and vocalist and got into production later, which allowed me to be able to craft my own sound and work with other artists collaboratively on the production side.

Breakdown the news for us: what can we expect from you this year?

I am super excited about the release of my new album Seaflow this year and I look forward to performing the new album along with other original tracks live. I also have some other Royale tracks in the works to be released later this year with Urple Eeple!

Seapora’s upcoming album Seaflow is set for release on 9th April via Chillage Records.

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