Tag: FINNEAS

Spotify’s LA Recording Studio is a Creative Hub for Artists and Podcasters

December 22, 2022

Studio photos by Brad Devins and Sean Michon

When we talk about making Spotify the preferred destination for artists, we sometimes mean it figuratively—alluding to the reach of our platform, the programs we have for up-and-coming creators, and beyond. But when it comes to our LA office, At Mateo, we also mean it literally. Our hub in Los Angeles is a state-of-the-art music- and podcast-recording facility with doors opened wide to creators for audio innovation and celebration—and there’s something for every creator at every stage of their career. 

Chris D’Angelo, Spotify’s Head of Production & Studio Facilities, and William Garrett, Senior Music Producer/Studio Development Lead—two of the space’s biggest champions—have been thinking about how to best use the space since its inception. And now that it’s open, they’re realizing even more ways to make it attractive and accessible to creators well into the future. 

“When we first sat down to design the offices, we wanted to enable music, video, and audio production to happen right here at the Spotify offices in a really great environment,” Chris told For the Record. “And so we really talked a lot about who would be coming in and what type of artists, what type of creators, what the employees would need to do, and what the community that we were building in would want, need, or expect from us. We spent a lot of time thinking about how each constituent would need to use it.”

Read on to see how Chris, William, and the team’s thoughtfulness has come to create a space where creators feel at home. 

Let’s make music

Get Ready for the 2022 GRAMMYs With Spotify Singles From the Best New Artist Nominees

April 1, 2022

A gilded gramophone is a coveted item among many musicians, whether they’re an up-and-coming artist or a legendary rock star. And with the 64th annual GRAMMY Awards show taking place Sunday, April 3rd, nominees across 86 categories will be anxiously waiting to hear if that gramophone is meant for them.

As is tradition, Spotify is celebrating the rising talent nominated for the Best New Artist award—and this year, we’re doing it with a special edition of our Spotify Singles program. We collaborated with six of the 10 nominees for Best New Artist to bring exclusive new music to the platform for fans to enjoy. Each singer took to the studio to record two new tracks: a reimagined version of one of their own hits and a cover of a song that serves as a tribute to a past Best New Artist nominee. Gear up for the awards show by giving these tracks a listen.

For his contribution to this new batch of Spotify Singles, singer-songwriter and producer FINNEAS created the first-ever recordings from Spotify’s new Los Angeles–based studio. “I was honored to finally be able to get into the brand-new and beautiful Spotify Studios to record these songs in these special arrangements,” said the LA native. In the reimagined version of his track “Medieval,” FINNEAS offers up an intimate, piano-driven ballad that lets his strong vocals remain front and center. He also used this opportunity to cover 2012 Best New Artist winner Bon Iver’s “Flume.”

 

For her Spotify Singles session, British singer-songwriter Arlo Parks recorded a reimagined version of her song “Softly,” giving it a maximalist flair with orchestral additions. She also covered 2021 Best New Artist nominee KAYTRANADA’s “You’re The One,” allowing her soulful, breathy vocals to flip the original dance track into an R&B jam. “Syd’s voice in ‘You’re The One’ always had this effortless beauty to it in my eyes, and I wanted to cover it to expose the romance and yearning behind the lyrics,” explained Arlo. “It was also an honor to be able to sing my new song ‘Softly’ too. This was a chance to highlight the beginning of a new and beautiful chapter in my career and celebrate being nominated for Best New Artist.”

 

Country phenom Jimmie Allen shares a new version of his debut single that propelled him to Nashville stardom: “Best Shot.” The singer also gives listeners a twangy, acoustic cover of “Un-break My Heart” from 1994 Best New Artist nominee Toni Braxton. “It’s super cool when you’re recognized for doing something you love,” shared Jimmie. “As for ‘Un-break My Heart’—I love the song; it’s one of my favorite songs ever. I’ve always wanted the opportunity to sing it, and this is my chance—hopefully Toni approves.” 

Fans of Jimmie can learn more about the Delaware native on our podcast Spotify: Mic Check. In the episode, Jimmie opens up about overcoming barriers, the influence of his family, and the evolution of country music.

 

Acclaimed artist Japanese Breakfast also recorded new songs for Spotify Singles. The Best New Artist nominee reimagined its hit “Be Sweet,” funking it up with a disco beat and call-and-response vocals. The group also covered Bon Iver’s track “Skinny Love,” giving it a folk-rock spin with orchestral additions. “We decided to record Bon Iver’s ‘Skinny Love’ because it felt like a very surprising cover for Japanese Breakfast. It’s so moving and sparse,” said Michelle Zauner, lead singer for the band. “We felt we could add some interesting instrumentation to the track and celebrate our fellow labelmate.”

 

British chart-topper Glass Animals rerecorded its newest single, “I Don’t Want to Talk (I Just Want to Dance),” for Spotify Singles by incorporating a tinge of psychedelia into this new rendition. They also covered Lorde’s “Solar Power,” giving the mellow original a big, sunny blast of hand-clap-filled pop. “I chose ‘Solar Power’ because in a time when we were all stuck indoors a bit, this song made me feel like I was on a beach,” explained band frontman Dave Bayley. “We all needed a bit of that! It’s a stunning song, and then I just had a version of it in my head where it was faster with a gospel choir behind it . . . so . . . we made it!”

 

The final Best New Artist nominee releasing exclusive new tracks through Spotify Singles is Arooj Aftab. The Pakistani singer, composer, and producer reimagined her song “Baghon Main” with a stripped-down, twinkling version that highlights her hauntingly powerful vocals. She also covered 2020 Best New Artist nominee ROSALÍA’s “DI MI NOMBRE,” transforming the Spanish superstar’s single into a Qawwali-inspired version all its own. “I’ve always felt a very strong kinship to flamenco music, and recently having visited the south of Spain, even more undeniably so. It’s always been in my periphery to make something with that energy,” shared Arooj. “The opportunity to cover a previous Best New Artist nominee pointed me directly to ROSALÍA. And while it was a very ambitious choice, I had a great time versioning [‘DI MI NOMBRE’]!”

Arooj’s nomination marks the first time a Pakistani woman has been nominated for a GRAMMY award. The artist is also no stranger to Spotify: She was named the ambassador of Spotify’s EQUAL program in Pakistan for the month of March, which was amplified with a corresponding billboard in Times Square. To hear more from Arooj, check out her recent interview on Spotify: Mic Check. In the podcast episode, she opens up about her historic GRAMMY nomination and Pakistani culture.

 

Hear these Spotify Singles and more from this year’s Best New Artist nominees below. 

Spotify’s Latest U.S. RADAR Artist girl in red Turns the Volume Up Ahead of Her First Album Release

March 3, 2021

Marie Ulven, the 22-year-old Norwegian singer-songwriter better known as girl in red, was walking her dog Luna in her Oslo neighborhood when a group of teenage girls started singing at her. Marie started dancing while continuing to walk—they were singing her 2018 song “i wanna be your girlfriend,” one of her two standout tracks that have now accumulated over 150 million streams on Spotify. “I’m in love with you!” one called. 

Since the release of “i wanna be your girlfriend” and “we fell in love in october,” girl in red has continued putting out melodic, dreamy tracks about mental health and romance at a rapid pace, with several singles and two EPs over the last two years. Fans have flocked to her Spotify profile by way of social media, where she’s become something of a queer icon. Her music has landed on several Spotify playlists, including Lorem, Bedroom Pop, New Music Friday, and Out Now. And now, as Spotify’s fifth U.S. RADAR artist, girl in red will also be discoverable to new fans through the genre- and globe-crossing emerging artists program. 

Spotify created RADAR to help artists across all stages of their careers use the strength of our platform to deepen connections to their audiences. As Spotify’s latest RADAR artist, girl in red will be featured in the RADAR playlist, create a Spotify Singles recording, and release a forthcoming biographical mini documentary. She’ll also receive promotional support for her upcoming releases, including today’s billboards in NYC and Oslo, plus a full suite of marketing  and social promotion. 

“We’ve been closely watching girl in red’s steady ascent over the past few years—she’s built a tight-knit community of devoted fans in a remarkably organic way, based on her self-assured songwriting and deeply personal lyrics—all as an independent artist,” says Ned Monahan, Spotify’s Head of Global Hits. “We’re beyond excited for her debut full-length, and look forward to helping with her global ascent via RADAR.”

girl in red’s RADAR spotlight comes at an opportune time. As she announced today, girl in red will release her first full-length studio album, if i could make it go quiet, on April 30. After several years of bedroom production, the songwriter is now looking forward to the beginnings of a lifelong career in music. “I’ve had a little bit of a realization making this record. I just gained so much respect for people who’ve dropped their eighth studio album. I want to be like that artist—one day—who has eight records because they just love making music.” 

For the Record caught up with Marie after a busy day in which she reviewed the music video for her newest single (and FINNEAS collaboration), “Serotonin.” Read on to hear her thoughts on dabbling in rap, covering Maggie Rogers for Spotify’s Studio Oyster program, and Spotify Canvases.