Interview - Andy Leech Music

Electronic artist Andy Leech has been releasing fantastic music, from atmospheric to dubstep, for the past 6 years. I got the chance to speak to him about his music and his influences!

CB– Hi Andy! Cheers for taking the time to talk to me today! First of all, for those people who haven’t heard of yourself or your music, can you give us a little intro?

Andy - Hi! I produce and release electronic music under my regular name ''Andy Leech''. I have been doing it now for around 5 or 6 years! I love most types of music, both electronic and performance based. The main reason I started making electronic music in the first place is quite a funny one (but not at the time.) I broke my arm about 6 years ago and while It was healing I couldn't play my guitar which sucked! I was so bored one day, I literally typed into Google ''how to make electronic music'' I quickly found out that all you need is some software (DAW). I instantly downloaded a demo of FL Studio and even though I hadn't a clue what I was doing, I was addicted instantly. The rest is history ...like I say, I have been doing this for a good few years now and I have improved vastly since I began. Nowadays I make mostly chill/melodic based stuff like ambient and dubstep, which I release myself via Bandcamp.

CB - Your main DAW is Ableton, is that correct? How do you find using it? Talk us through how you go about creating a piece!

Andy - Yes I exclusively use Ableton Live 9 for all of my productions now! The only other program I use is 'Melodyne' for pitch correcting vocals and other melodic elements. I actually started out using FL Studio but moved over to Ableton a couple of years ago. I don't think that one is superior over the other, it all just comes down to preference. I think all DAWs are pretty much the same once you dig below the surface a little. The reason that I chose to stick with Ableton is simple the fact that I find its user interface so easy and intuitive to use. It may not be the prettiest program to stare at for 10 hours at a time, but that suits me down to the ground seeing as I am very easily distracted ...no unnecessary bells and whistles!

CB – I know this may seem like a “deep” question, but where do you get your inspiration from for your music?

Andy - I really wish I could give a super interesting answer but the truth is, I just start out by jotting down simple little melodies that bounce around in my head. If I can program them into something that sounds half decent, I will elaborate on that idea and process it into something that I feel is interesting and enjoyable to listen to. All my songs essentially evolve from a small fragment of an idea. As for outside influences, my main influence is probably the band – ''The Smiths'' ..which may be surprising as they are a guitar based group from the 80's. I really do find all of their songs a goldmine of inspiration because firstly, I love their music and every song is different and features complex melodies and harmonic content. Of course there are a good few modern-day artists that inspire me. There are literally too many to list but I mainly get inspiration from producers who's work features nice melodies and cool sound design.

CB – What are your plans for 2016 in terms of your music?

Andy - My plan for this year is to just keep the ball rolling and making as much music as I can whilst having fun doing so. Having fun and enjoying yourself is the most important thing while composing, and in anything else for that matter! I plan to continue to grow my audience and interact with other producers and to collaborate. I recently did a remix for my good friend Aaron's band – ''Whiskey & Tonic'' and they really liked it. So much so that him and I are now planning to put together a 3 track EP in the not so distant future.

CB – You’re from Kirkcaldy yeah? How do you find the Fife music scene?

Andy - I have been living in Kirkcaldy for 3 years now and the music scene here is thriving with a diverse palette of artists and bands. You only have to walk a few yards down the road before you see loads of flyers and posters advertising upcoming gigs at the various local venues. Lots of different musicians play here, from metal bands to rave nights and everything in between. There really is something for everyone. It's great.

CB – Any advice for other producers of electronic music who might just be starting out?

Andy - There is one golden piece of advise that I can give, and that is: Always have fun and enjoy yourself when you are making music. The moment you become frustrated of bored, just do something else for a while. I really wish somebody told me that when I was beginning because all it will result In is a finished product you are not happy with. Your mood really does reflect in your music more that I care to admit. The problem with being a beginner is that you always feel inclined to rush ahead to try to make a finished track as soon as possible. I was extremely guilty of this and you just have to learn to pace yourself, but if you keep at it, you will get better every day! The only other advice that I feel will serve people well is: watch video tutorials on YouTube when ever you can. It sounds trivial but there are so many talented people out there who make videos for free. I feel that is invaluable.

CB – Anything you want to say to fans of your music?

Andy - I just want to say a big thanks for all of your continued support! It really means everything to me and as always, I definitely appreciate feedback on everything I do. Also, I have just released a new ambient track called ''Eternal'' which is now available to purchase on Bandcamp. (I will drop a link below.) My music will always be free to stream on Soundcloud too. Thanks so much!

To keep up to date with all Andy's latest releases, head over to:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/andyleechmusic

Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/andyleechmusic

Bandcamp: andyleechmusic.bandcamp.com