Interview: ayokay
Ever wonder how the behind-the-scenes productions are created for your favorite tracks? Detroit-born singer, songwriter, and producer Alex O’ Neil (professionally known as ayokay) is here to tell us all about it. From his breakthrough into music in 2016 with viral collaborative effort “Kings Of Summer” featuring Quinn XCII to his behind-the-scenes work on many popular tracks and albums, he has yet to slow his momentum.
“Because I work on all sides of the music-making process, I can see through the eyes of all the different players. I know what a songwriter would think of a lyric, while also knowing what a vocalist would think about if that lyric is something he/she would really say. And then I know what the producer would think about how to make the vocal match and/or contrast the tone of instrumental,” He shares. “I think because I dip my toes into all forms of the process, I’m not particularly “exceptional” at any one of them, but I have an exceptional intuition and know when something is right when I hear it.”
Photo by Angelina Golt
“Kings Of Summer” was his first breakthrough single amassing over 125 million Spotify streams and RIAA gold certification, the artist has acquired a plethora of singles garnering streams in the millions. Some fan favorites include “Stay With Me (feat. Jeremy Zucker),” “Sleepless Nights (feat Nightly),” “The Shine (feat Chelsea Cutler),” and “Cassette.” Following his digital success, he sold out a headline tour and is a highly acclaimed producer for many pop hits. From collaborations with Quinn XCII to Jeremy Zucker to Chelsea Cutler, ayokay has produced some of the best hits pop music has seen.
“Kings of Summer was the first song I ever released. Most artists have years of growth and exploration as they release their initial music and grow their fan base before really getting any mainstream visibility. They have time to craft and solidify their identity as an artist. Having my first song blow up so quickly put me in the hot seat before I had really developed that identity. So when I listen back to my music from the years following Kings of Summer, it has shifted and morphed and grown so much from project to project, since I was growing and changing and figuring myself out as I released it. Personally, having that song take off was true marker for me realizing music could be a career, not just a hobby. It brought the first money I had ever made from music, and it got me signed. So in terms of that, it jump started me and bypassed me years of the “struggle” of a starving artist.”
His latest release, “Better With You,” comes in tandem with a new music video featuring an emotion evoking story told in just three minutes.
“[The video] finds its protagonist driving deep into the woods at night, arriving at the home of a mysterious pink-haired woman who’s escaped from the outside world. In her solitude, she’s created an elaborate computer system that allows her to enter into another reality — a world that the protagonist soon becomes immersed in. Gorgeously shot and intensely thought-provoking, the result is a compelling meditation on isolation and human connection.”
“Escapist Dream Pop,” is how ayokay describes his unique brand of music. He shares that, “It takes a listener (or me while I’m making it) on a journey, and allows that person to let go of reality for a second and sink back into the art. I like my music and the visuals that accompany it to tell a fictional story in a cinematic way. It usually revolves around the head space of a “dream” because in a dream, there are no rules, there is only imagination. And as an artist, that’s a fun space to occupy.”
To keep up with all things ayokay, check out his website here and follow on Instagram @ayokay
Interview by: April Bredael
