PRODUCER OF THE WEEK: Vibe
Our Producer of the Week is 24-year-old producer Vibe, who was actually recommended to me by a friend! Vibe is our second female producer featured on this segment, so I was extremely delighted to interview her and learn more about her unique experience in the music industry.
Vibe is originally from Northern VA, but she has lived in Richmond for about 5-6 years now. She moved down to RVA for college in 2016, where she attended VCU and completed a business degree in Integrated Marketing Communications. Vibe was introduced to the music scene around Richmond in 2019 when she started interning at one of the biggest studios in the city. That's where her story of working professionally in music started, and the rest is history!
Vy: How long have you been producing?
Vibe: I have been producing for 3 years now. Producing was one of the things that I learned working at a studio, coming second to Audio Engineering. Yes, I am a female audio engineer as well...as crazy as it sounds!
Vy: Where do you draw inspiration from?
Vibe: There are so many things that inspire me to produce! My inspiration ranges from hearing current music I love, feeling nostalgia from songs I heard in the early 2000s, and just seeing other people create from such a pure space. Knowing that production is really where the songs start inspires me too. I love that I can create something, give it to someone else, and they can take it to places I never thought of. It's just beautiful.
Vy: Briefly describe your sound as a producer.
Vibe: If I had to describe my sound, I would say that it is a melting pot of vibes. I don’t stick to one genre or one particular style of music. I like to push myself to explore whatever I am feeling at the moment. I hate putting labels on how or what I create. I just love creating.
Vy: What is your work process like?
Vibe: It really depends on whether I am working with another producer, making it from scratch, or sampling. Usually, I just open my computer up and bring up a VST to start playing something in and see what inspires me. If I am lacking inspiration, I'll start with a loop and go from there. It's usually melody first and drums second when it comes to my production.
However, sometimes I will start with a loop, completely do the drums, and then delete the original loop and create something around the drums I’ve made, call it reverse production if you will.
Vy: Who is your dream artist to produce for?
Vibe: I really want to work with upcoming female rappers, so I’d have to say Latto or Rubi Rose. I just love supporting women and watching them climb. Working in a studio where most of the clientele were rappers taught me a lot in terms of creating in that world as well.
Vy: What is it like navigating an industry that is predominantly male dominated?
Vibe: I can’t lie and say that it's easy, because it's not. I know that a lot of women, myself included, feel unseen sometimes. There have been times where I’ve walked into a room and no one acknowledged me, or they assumed that “I just must be someone's girlfriend or a groupie.” Sometimes, a lot of males in this industry only give you the time of day when they are trying to get something… if you know what I mean.
What I've learned and what's helped me is to really just focus on my craft. Getting my skill to a level where it doesn’t really matter what anyone says because I, myself, know how much work and time I’ve put into this to get to where I am.
"It might sound cliche, but the work will speak for you." - Vibe
Vy: What advice would you give to other women looking to pursue a career in the music industry?