Welcome to Sound Advice, the series spotlighting artists’ creative process and their SoundCloud journey. We’ll get the inside knowledge straight from the source on how musicians, producers and creatives are leaning into everything Next Pro offers to elevate their sound, reach the right audience and catapult their careers. Sound Advice is now available in audio format on the SoundCloud Stories profile.
Our guests on this episode are Forester, an indie folk meets electronic duo formed by David Parris and Xander Carlson. The pair met in high school on the Westside of Los Angeles where they discovered a mutual love of artists like Flume, Avicii and Bon Iver. Fast forward a few years later, and these two have released four albums under the name Forester and brought their lush, atmospheric sound to places like Outside Lands Festival and Red Rocks. More recently, they’ve become friends with EDM pop superstar Kygo; they’re signed to his Palm Tree Records label and have been touring with him around the world.
When we caught up with Forester, they hadn’t slept much – the night before this interview, they partnered with SoundCloud to DJ a special outdoor show during sunset on a mountaintop in Santa Barbara, California, continuing their track record of bringing you uplifting sets from breathtaking locations. In fact, the pair is known for exploring environmental themes in their work, whether partnering with nature preservation groups or literally bringing their production set-up into the wilderness to write and record music. In our conversation, David and Xander had more to tell us about how the natural world influences their music, how they as Forester have developed their sound over the years, and how they’ve used SoundCloud to connect with fans and further their artist journey.
LISTEN TO THE AUDIO EPISODE OF SOUND ADVICE, FEATURING FORESTER:
LISTEN TO 'MOONLIGHT' BY FORESTER:
THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE OF SOUND ADVICE:
- How members David Parris and Xander Carlson first met, and what led them to begin releasing music together as Forester.
- What inspired the duo to focus on creating live performances and film videos of their DJ sets of their audience using nature as a backdrop.
- How partnering with SoundCloud to create a experience for fans came together, as well as insights on their approach to location scouting and how they prepare for a live set versus a DJ set.
- Having a DIY mindset and throwing their own parties to learn more about performing live, experiment with ideas and create community, especially in the Westside of Los Angeles.
- How attending Coachella - shout out to the Sahara Tent! - was a formative experience and reinforced their vision for their live sets as Forester.
- Having different influences across indie folk and electronic helped the duo shape their own distinctive sound, touching on artists including Gregory Alan Isakov, Bon Iver, Of Monsters and Men, Mumford & Sons, as well as Kygo, Flume and Avicii.
- The details behind their creative process as Forester, and how nature became an organic focal point for them to draw inspiration from through their music.
- Using SoundCloud for music discovery, from looking at Reposts and Likes to checking out label and curator pages to leaning into the SoundCloud algorithm's recommendations.
- Building a social media ecosystem with SoundCloud and sharing previews, exclusive remixes and more across different platforms to engage listeners.
- The role that private tracks play in Forester's creative process such as with sharing demos and organizing music.
- How Forester references Insights on SoundCloud to make informed decisions, such as utilizing geographical analytics to help determine what tracks they should include in a particular setlist based on location-specific listener engagement.
- The making of their 2024 album, 'Moonlight,' as well as how they selected collaborators and remixers for the project.
- The pair break down how they approach preparing for live sets, including their best advice for fellow artists looking for guidance on the technical aspects of a live show, from making sure microphones don't feedback to carrying and setting up equipment.
- Forester details dream collaborators, as well as dream venues and locations to play, further showcasing their dedication to their craft and laying the groundwork to make their goals happen.
LINKS AND EXTRAS:
Follow Forester's journey on SoundCloud.
Listen to Forester's 2024 album, 'Moonlight,' featuring collaborations with Wye Oak, The Nicholas, Leo Stannard and more.
Dive into the catalogs of some of Forester's key influences, including Flume, Avicii, and Bon Iver.
Check out 'Moonlight' (The Remixes) featuring remixes from Alex Baker, Day Wave, Angrybaby and Icarus.
Listen to the Buzzing: Electronic playlist on SoundCloud.
Follow the official Sound Advice playlist on SoundCloud.
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF SOUNDCLOUD
- Learn more about using DMs to connect with fellow artists and potential collaborators.
- Learn more about searching your own Likes on SoundCloud.
- Learn more about using private tracks on SoundCloud.
- Learn more about getting started with Insights on SoundCloud.
- Learn more about Advanced Insights, available to Artist Pro subscribers.
- Learn more about unlimited uploads, available with a Artist Pro subscription.
- Learn more unlocking access to unlimited distribution, available with Artist Pro.
To discover additional features a SoundCloud Artist Pro subscription offers, visit here. To catch up on past installments of Sound Advice and make sure you don’t miss out on future episodes, visit here.
CREDITS Hosted by Vivian Host. Executive Produced by Mike Spinella. Produced by KC Orcutt. Audio Engineered by David “DibS”. Coordinated by Trevor McGee.
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