Hi, I'm Laura Brehm. Ask me anything!

New phone who dis?

Hellooooo

Hey guys what's up?!

I don't think many people know who you are and what you do. Mind introducing yourself more?

I'm a vocalist, songwriter, musician, producer, and artist. I have mainly worked within the EDM realm, releasing on labels such as Monstercat and NCS. I also make alternative/folk solo music. You can find my music on all online platforms if you search my name!

Some notable collaborations: "Monody" with TheFatRat, "We Won't Be Alone" with Feint, "Dreams" with Rogue, and "Summer Never Ends" with Anna Yvette

Hey Laura, long time fan here, I love all your music and vocals, and I just wanted to say you're a huge inspiration to me. The Breathe EP is some of my favourite work from you, as well as your Future Holds EP with Evoke. I love it all so much.

My question is, how do you warm up and practice for a vocal performance or recording? Any specific techniques you use that can be put into place for other people? Also, what's a good way to widen your vocal range?

Also, bonus question, how long have you been playing guitar, piano (and anything else) and singing for?

Thank you very very much! Love you loads! x

Hi! Thanks for the love. :) I'm glad you like my work!

I have found some really good tutorials on YouTube to learn how to properly warm up, train your voice, and expand your vocal range. My favorite channel so far is this one: https://www.youtube.com/user/EricArceneaux . Check out the professional vocal warm ups playlist on there; super simple and really effective. Another way to get better at singing is just to sing as much as you can, and to sing songs that you love!

I have been singing since before I can remember, probably around 2 years old. I have been playing piano since age 5 (classically trained), and then I picked up a guitar at age 13. I'm almost 27 now. :)

Thanks for your questions!

Why was Diamond Sky so shit?

Because Laura Brehm ghost produced it. And Elliot wrote the vocals. <3

I see what you did there. Clever girl.

In all seriousness Diamond Sky was the first song I heard with you and I simply loved it! Keep doing what you do!

Thank you :)

I loved your collab with Anna Yvette. Will you be working with more female vocalists in the future?

I'm glad! Yes, I will continue working with Anna Yvette and I would love to collaborate with Danyka Nadeau, Veela, Charlotte Haining, Katie from Koven, Q'AILA, Daniela Andrade, & MYLK!

how come you decided to post in /r/iama rather than a more specific subreddit like /r/monstercat or /r/edm /r/electronicmusic etc?

Because I'm not just talking about electronic music here. Perhaps next time I do one I'll post in one of those! :)

That'd probably work out a lot better for you

Thanks, I'll consider that. :)

Hey Laura I'm a huge fan! We Won't Be Alone is one of the first songs that got me into EDM. One question: aside from yourself, name an (in your opinion) underrated song/artist we should all listen to more?

Thanks!! Ah man, there are so many underrated songs and artists out there! One artist I've really been getting into is Sofie Letitre. Check out her EP 'Take To Heels' on Spotify. :)

I've always wondered, when working with a vocalist, who comes up with the lyrics? Does the vocalist sing them first then the producer makes a track around it? Or does the vocalist just sing on top of an already made song?

It depends! Sometimes a vocalist is hired for the performance of a song already written. Usually though, a vocalist writes the lyrics/melodies because they are a songwriter as well.

I have done collaborations where I have written a vocal on top of an instrumental that is already composed, and I've also sent producers a vocal as a song for them to produce around. It's very case to case.

My preferred method is to be in the studio with the producer and make the track together from scratch.

have you ever thought about reaching out to owl city for a collab?

Yes! I love that idea. Perhaps I will have to reach out to him sometime soon.. :)

In your mind, what song was your "big break"? Is there a single song that you can attribute to really pushing you into the limelight of the electronic music scene?

It had to have been "Waking Dreams" with TwoThirds back in 2012, because that was the first song I released on Monstercat. After that, "Dreams" with Rogue, "We Won't Be Alone" with Feint and "Monody" with TheFatRat were all huge pushes. :)

Waking Dreams is such an amazing tune.

Thank you!! <3

do you generally plan to sit down and create music from scratch or do you only start the process when you have a pretty solid inspiration/idea to go off of?

Good question! I definitely sit down and just hope that I create something a lot of the time. I can usually come up with an idea, but whether or not I use that idea for a song that I actually release is another question. When I have solid inspiration, that is when I KNOW that I'm onto something that I'll really like and want to release. That is the best feeling, and I wish that it could happen all the time. Inspiration and creativity have a funny way of showing up when you least expect it as well. :)

Who's your favorite last hero, me or Garrett?

You're both equally my favorites <3

what's one thing most of the fans don't know about you?

My other field of interest is psychology and it's what I studied in college.

What is your opinion on pineapple on pizza? And what is your favorite videogame?

I don't like pineapple on pizza, or ham!

My favorite video game is Mario Party on N64. :)

Thank you for anwsering!

No problem!!

Hey Laura! Do you have any plans on doing more covers? They are awesome.

Yes!! I plan on doing a lot more live performance videos for my YouTube channel. I'm going to continue the EDM goes Acoustic series as well as do covers of songs by other artists. I'm glad that you like them!

Yes! Please could you do a live performance of 'words'? That'd be awesome!

Yes, I will do one for "Words"!

Cant wait! Love your work btw! :D

Thanks <3

What was your biggest challenge in creating you new album? Were there any points during production where you had to go outside your comfort zone? Love the album btw, been playing everyday since release <3

Thanks!! Glad you are enjoying it! My biggest challenge was learning how to mix properly. I learned how to mix vocals, piano, guitar, banjo, and synths separately and then all together. It took a lot of trial and error, because I have mainly worked with just recording/engineering my vocals. If I had done full production such as drums, bass, and more of those elements, that would have been way further outside of my comfort zone! So, I think producing a folk EP was a good place for me to start. :)

When you say mix properly do you mean technically? I've always wondered how you decide how loud each instrument should be, and how much that changes through the song. How do you decide what makes is the best mix -trial and error?

I guess I wouldn't say technically, because it depends on the track and I don't believe there is a 100% right or wrong way to do it. I mostly just followed my ears, and went with what I felt sounded right after trying different things. :) It's good to know the technical aspects, but I think the "rules" in music are meant to be broken.

Do you have a personal favorite song you've made so far?

I think my solo song, "Fall in Love", is still my favorite I've made to this day. I wrote it a long time ago, but it was probably the most inspired song I've ever written. :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBzD9VCaI1A

still my favorite too. randomly stumbled upon it on bandcamp right after boarding my plane heading back home and my jaw literally dropped.

Thats awesome. :D !

What can we expect after the remix ep? (:

New EDM collaborations, and a new solo single before the end of the year. :)

Who are some people you dream of collaborating with?

Imogen Heap, Royksopp, Zedd and Ellie Goulding to name a few! :)

Yes, Zedd, please!!!!!!

:D !!

[deleted]

yesss !

what's a really valuable production concept that you've recently learned?

I'm still a beginner when it comes to production, so this may be pretty basic/general but I've learned that everything needs to sit well in the EQ. If it's overcrowded, the sounds becomes muddy! Even slight adjustments to the EQ on each instrument can go a long way to clean up the sound.

Your song suppressant with yh is one of my all time favorite songs. What was the inspiration behind that song?

That song was written by yh and I just performed the female vocal bit for him, but I believe his inspiration behind it was how love can be like a drug that makes you lose sleep.

Any plan on a song with tristam? I'd love that :D

I don't have a plan to collaborate with Tristam, but I would certainly like to! I'll have to reach out to him sometime soon and see if he'd be interested. :)

what are your go-to compression and reverb plug-ins?

So far I have only really used the compression plug-in and the Space Designer reverb plug-in that comes with Logic Pro X. :)

gotcha. space designer has some good stuff. check out the cla-76 and cla-2a compressors from waves. they aren't too expensive and they sound really good on vocals. and h-reverb is really versatile but pretty complicated.

Awesome, thank you! I'll look into those.

What inspired u to write songs like parallel and dance of love? Was it from past memories, a person on your mind?

"Dance of Love" was inspired by more of a feeling than a person. The feeling of taking a chance on love and being ready to go in search of it. Also, the beauty of the process of love.

"Parallel" was inspired by a person. It's a relationship/friendship that acts like a mirror; someone who shows me who I am without judgement. Someone who is always on the same wavelength as me.

Hey Laura!

Is there any particular song that you have worked on that still gets stuck in your head? Maybe just a song that you find yourself humming or singing in your head randomly?

Cheers (:

Hey! "Dance of Love" keeps getting stuck in my head lately more than any of the other tracks from the Breathe EP for some reason, and the main synth melody from my track with Feint "We Won't Be Alone" seems to still stick around. Haha :)

I know you just released your Breathe EP (which is amazing by the way), but I was wondering if you plan on releasing another full album (a stupid question probably, but just want to know)? Please keep up the great work.

Thanks! Yes, I will be working on a new full-length solo album. :) Some of the writing is already done for it!

That is awesome to hear. Thanks for answering my question.

No prob!!

I love your songs. Do you plan on doing more songs with Rezz? Any plans on collabs with Veela?

Thanks I'm glad! I don't have plans to do more songs with Rezz or to collab with Veela at the moment, but I'm sure it's highly possible! Love them both.

Where is your most favourite place in the whole world?

Hey Matt! There are 3 so far: England, Colorado, and Hawaii. :)

What about you?

heya! italy definitely has a place in my heart- also a big fan of liverpool ☺️ love the new ep!!

I want to see Italy ! Yess Liverpool is amazing. Would love to go back there. Thank youuu <3

Is your right foot more ticcklish than your left knee?

If you ever got an oatmeal raisin cookie when you ordered a chocolate chip cookie would you remove the raisins and pelt the dumbass server who wronged you?

Do you want free banjo lessons? Can I give you free banjo lessons?

My right foot is more ticklish. I wouldn't order a cookie at all because I don't really like sweets other than chocolate covered strawberries. And I would never make someone give me banjo lessons for free!! I would pay for that. :)

I love your work, any plans on working with ephixa again? I loved "losong you"!!!

Thanks!! Yes. :) He did a remix for one of my songs which will be on the Breathe Remixes EP. We also have another collaboration that is finished and we are sorting out the release for it.

Favourite song from the EP?

"Parallel" because it's the most experimental.

It's now stuck in my head. Thanks haha

Hahah XD

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! What's your source of inspiration?

:) <3 !! Mainly, all things ethereal. Dreams especially. Also: love, other music, films, novels, and being outdoors are huge sources of inspiration.

Hey, just wanted to say I love your voice! Who's your favorite Monstercat producer outside the ones you've worked with?

Thanks!! I'm a huge fan of Tristam, Grabbitz, and Pegboard Nerds to name a few! There are so many amazing producers on Monstercat.

Dear Laura, Do you have other hobbies apart from making music?

Yes. I love spending time being active outdoors. I also love watching films, reading, and studying psychology.

I'd kill for a Laura Brehm X Tristam colab, any chance? (:

I sure hope so!! I'll have to reach out to him. :)

Hello!

I am sorry if this question may be a bit hard, but what was one of the most difficult things you've faced in your career, and how did you work through it?

Good question! One of the most difficult things for me was overcoming anxiety. Although this wasn't mainly something that had to do with my career, it definitely affected it, and the pressure of my job added to the anxiety that was already there. I had a lot of self-doubt and I would be too much of a perfectionist. I've overcome it by realizing that making mistakes is how you learn and grow, that perfect doesn't exist, and that you can always try again.

Are you planning on working with Anna Yvette again? :D

Yes, definitely!! :)

Hello, Laura. Love your voice:) What are your favourite movies or cartoons?

Edit: grammar

Thank you! :) I love so many movies! Star Wars, Across the Universe, The Hunger Games, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Donnie Darko are some of my favorites. I'll watch just about any film though. My favorite cartoon is South Park. I'm also getting into Rick & Morty!

Whats your favorite song?

I have so many favorites for different reasons, but if I had to choose overall, it would be "Blackbird" by The Beatles.

How does someone contact you for a collaboration, and how do your collaborations happen? Do they just send you a track and you put vocals to it?

Through email, or through personal/industry connections. Either I get sent an instrumental for me to write lyrics/melodies to, or I send the producer a vocal that I have written as a song for them to produce around.

Hey Laura!

Couple questions:

Do you think vocal performances in the EDM-world are underrated?

What do you think of the notion that the scene is pretty much dominated by male producers, and do you feel that there's a bias there?

Also I wanted to say that I've been a huge fan since valkyrie :D

I believe that vocals can easily be overlooked in EDM. A lot more of the attention is placed on the producer and while they definitely deserve it, the vocalist/songwriter should get an equal amount of praise. It just so happens that most producers are male and most vocalists are female, for whatever reason that is.. and I think that unconsciously puts some bias in our minds. I don't think people intentionally or maliciously make this an issue. I hope that in the future less emphasis is placed on the physical gender of the artist and it's just all about the music.

Thanks, I'm glad you like Valkyrie! :)

I love your vocals!!! When's more content coming out?

The Breathe Remix EP will be out August 25th, and then I have several new EDM collaborations that will be released through to the end of the year as well as a new solo single!! :)

Is it true that you could sing before you could speak? Did you know what you wanted to be as a child? Did it blew your mind the moment you touched the keys?

Wow I have a dream in my mind. Guess I shouldn't be sleeping😀

YES! <3 hahah :D

Generic question, but what is your favourite song on the Breathe EP? My fav is Breathe <3

Yay, I'm so glad! I think my favorite is "Parallel" because I had the most fun experimenting with that song. :)

As someone who is obsessed with logos and design, I have to say your logo looks great! What was the inspiration that went into it?

Thanks!! Graphic artist Seth Grym did my logo (http://grymlife.com/). He had the idea that since my last name Brehm has a few of the same letters as the word dream, he could make Brehm look as though it could be the word dream as well. :) I also wanted the logo to include diamond shapes in the A letters and got that idea after I did the song "Diamond Sky" with Elliot Berger.

Hi Laura, big fan of your work/collabs first off. Keep it up! What would you say are your long term goals you have right now?

Thanks!! Glad you like my work. The biggest long term goal would be to tour the world!! Also just to continue being able to do music for a living. :)

Any chance of a future collab with Draper again?

Also what is your current favorite track?

Keep up the amazing work! <3

Yes! We have a new song in the works that we started writing while I was in London. :) My favorite current track is probably "All I Can Think About Is You" by Coldplay. And thank you!!

Excited to hear that! You two always do great things together :D

Thank you! :D

Hey Laura! I've been a fan of you for a while, i especially liked your work in Valkyrie I and III, and really enjoy singing along to them, but i have no chance of reaching the higher notes, and am generally off-key alot, what's the easiest way you've found to practice in these areas?

Also, are you planning to collab with Feint or Draper again any time soon? They've all been consistently great and would love to see more.

Hi! I'm glad you like the songs from the Valkyrie trilogy, I had fun recording those. :) If you play guitar or piano or know someone who does, it may help to have them learn the song and then sing along to it acoustically, changing the key if need be. If the notes are too high for your range, you can always lower the key to better suit your voice. Also, try searching for vocal instructional videos on YouTube. One of my favorite channels is https://www.youtube.com/user/EricArceneaux . Hope that helps! I definitely plan on continuing to work with both Feint and Draper. :) Glad you like our collabs!

What type of music do you find is the easiest and most enjoyable to work on, uptempo or downtempo? Also, who is your favourite producer to work with so far? Huge fan, looking forward to hearing from you!

I find that writing to downtempo tracks comes a little more naturally than uptempo, not really sure why! It also definitely depends on the track itself. :) It's hard to pick a favorite, because I have enjoyed collaborating with each person for different reasons!! <3

Why don't you like bacon?

Not sure why.. there's just something about the smell. Is this James btw? Haha

Hey Laura, I just want you to know that one of my all time favorite tracks is your collab with Draper, Night Rider. Keep doing what you do because your voice brings joy to a lot of us!

Quick question, do you have any hobbies? If so what are they?

Hey! So I did two songs with Draper, one of them is called "Pressure" and the other is called "All I See". :)

And thank you, I'm glad!

My hobbies outside of music include hiking, yoga, reading, watching films, and learning about psychology!

Hey Laura! Love your vocals, they're always equally beautiful in every song! You're a talent!

What is the craziest/best thing to have happened to you in your time singing so far? Any stand-out moments?

Thank you so much! I appreciate that. :) The craziest moment so far was probably getting the chance to do a solo acoustic set opening for the legendary band Heart when I was only 19 years old. That was the most nervous I've ever been in my life, but then once I started getting through the set, it was also the most thrilling feeling I've ever felt. :)

Hey Laura! Love all of your work and I'm excited for everything you have in store for us. Dreams with Rogue really got me into the electronic scene, it's such a masterpiece.

Quick Question, but are there any music labels you're aiming to release on in the near future?

Thanks!! I'm so glad. :) I will continue to release on my own label, Electric Bird Records, but I would also love to release a few EDM collaborations on labels such as OWSLA, Dim Mak, and Ultra as well as continue to release with Monstercat and NCS!

Hey Laura! I'm a big fan of your music (listening to Waking Dreams aways puts a smile in my face), and I've been following you for 2 years now. What do you like doing aside from music? Any books or movies that you like? Also, congratulations on the new EP, it's awesome.

Thanks I'm glad you like it!! I love reading books that are about psychology. I'm a huge movie buff so I'll watch just about any film, but I especially like independent ones. I also love to spend time outdoors being active and hanging out with friends. :)

Out of all the Monstercat artists you've collabed with, who was your favourite to work with and why?

And also, just wanted to say you have the most beautiful voice I've had the pleasure of hearing, by a mile. Seriously, like listening to an angel singing.

It's so difficult to pick a favorite; I have enjoyed working with all of them!!

And thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoy listening!

Hi Laura, I'm a huge fan and nothing can be said differently apart from that your music is simply wonderful and Breathe I feel is a masterpiece.

So my question (or questions) to you is what made you want to go into the EDM scene apart from other Genres? And where have you learned to incorporate that into your own style of music as you seem to blend EDM with Folk, Pop, and even Alternative?

Thank you so much! Going into the EDM scene isn't something I planned, it just kind of happened! And I'm glad it did. :) Before I did vocals for EDM, I had already been working on my solo music for 5 years and that is where I got my folk/pop/alternative roots. You can find my first 2 solo albums from this time period on my Bandcamp page. The albums are called 'Day to Day' and 'Dreams': https://laurabrehm.bandcamp.com/

Hi Laura, I'm a really big fan of you from Italy. I'd like to ask you: Do you have any plans for a world tour, sooner or later? :))

I'm glad you like my music!! I don't have plans for a world tour in the near future, but it's something I will be working on! :)

What is your favorite song?

"Blackbird" by The Beatles.

How was the Breathe music video planned out, was it mostly your vision or the Directors?

The vision for the music video was a collaboration between myself and the director and producer, as well as input from the rest of the film crew. The director, Adam Rosenberg, is the person who made all the little details really come together as far as the acting and story-line goes.

What would you say, in your experience, are common big mistakes people make when mixing vocals?

Putting too many vocal effects on them, and having them not sit up front and prominently in the mix.