Shoffy Talks Quarantine Plans, Leaving Finance for Music, and New Remix Competition [Interview]

By wazup on May 28, 2020 Comments Closed / 75 views

Shoffy Talks Quarantine Plans, Leaving Finance for Music, and New Remix Competition [Interview]

Three months ago, indie pop standout artist Shoffy was riding the high off the release of his third studio album, Flash, via his own Otherground Records imprint. He was set to embark on a headlining tour that would include his first ever performances in Europe.

But instead of exploring a different city every night, Shoffy is now sitting alone in his apartment in Los Angeles. In the midst of a global pandemic, he’s staying busy by recording music in his home studio and listening to classical guitar, Frank Ocean, and Taylor Swift.

To press pause on the monotony of social distancing, Shoffy today announced the launch of a new remix competition, hoping the experience will bring him closer to his listeners across the globe and spark some much-needed creativity, he told EDM.com.

“I think this’ll be a pretty new experience and an engaging way to connect with people,” the 29-year-old said. “It should be pretty fun just listening to everything and seeing the different spins on it.”

Optioned up for the competition are two standouts from Flash, “Tricky” featuring Sabrina Carpenter and “I Can’t Help” with Sarcastic Sounds. The former includes Carpenter’s light soprano voice floating above a carefully plucked, guitar-based melody, while the latter is a sleepier, more passionate take on the Elvis Presley original, “Can’t Help Falling In Love.” Both include the artist’s signature relationship-centric lyrics and pop-inspired electronic synths.

With full control over the original song stems, which Shoffy is providing to each entrant, remixers will have a rare opportunity for total creative freedom. This will help his fans imagine each track in their own ways, he said.

“Make it the coolest thing you can do and don’t get too caught up in a particular style or genre,” the producer advised. “Just do what you think sounds the best and make it your own.”

These are word of wisdom straight out of Shoffy’s own playbook. Hitting the big time in 2018 with his smash single “Cool Again,” the producer has grown a reputation for being immensely innovative and fresh. With more than 250 million streams to his name, his sound bounces between upbeat, pop-inspired melodies and a more drop-based song structure common in electronic music, such as “Bedhead” featuring Anna Clendening or the tropical house-inspired “Homebody” with RAC.

“I can’t imagine doing one genre my whole career and being stuck to that,” Shoffy said. “I try to just make stuff people can find themselves singing in the shower or whistling to. Stuff that’ll stick with you melodically.”

Keeping his followers on his toes is what Shoffy does best. In December of 2016, the artist left a cushy job as a financial analyst to pursue music full time, worrying his parents and inspiring all of his coworkers at the time to ask for Ableton lessons. With more than 20 years of singing, guitar, and piano already under his belt, Shoffy quickly carved out a unique sound that would find a home in the sweet spot of both indie and pop playlists on Spotify. He became a prime example of the real, tangible success that can be found in the music industry wit hard work.

Now, Shoffy dips into all things pop, dance, electronic, and R&B and draws inspiration from both the complex and the mundane, whether that’s watching a movie on the couch with his girlfriend or thinking about his year spent abroad in France.

Music written about these relatable experiences is what earned him such a diverse and devoted fan base in the first place. They already send him their own unofficial flips of their favorite songs and use the sample pack he recently released on Splice. With today’s competition launch, those dedicated listeners will finally have the chance to have their ideas heard by Shoffy on an official platform.

“Music is so universal,” he said. “There are so many people who want to pursue music or just learn more about how to produce. That’s one of my favorite things, when people reach out saying my music inspired them to make music. That stuff is crazy to hear and makes it all worth it.”

The winner of the remix competition will win a Nintendo Switch and have their edit officially released on all streaming platforms. You can enter here.