Interview by Claire Liu - Illinois, USA
Last month, Project Said had the opportunity to hear from multi-talented producers/songwriters WD and Lotus Flow about their new collaboration and release with popular Korean-American artist AleXa. The song is entitled “Juliet” and was released on June 9 as a digital single with a wide variety of remixes and versions including a Spanish version, Disco mix (for which #JulietDiscoChallenge has taken storm), and a City Pop mix. We’d like to express our immense gratitude to both Lotus Flow and WD for taking the time to answer our questions and can’t wait to follow all of their future releases!
Could both of you please introduce yourselves and your roles for Juliet?
WD: My name is WD, I am a record producer and songwriter. I’m originally from Chicago and now based in Los Angeles. For “Juliet”, I ultimately executive produced this single, and helped with arranging and writing some lyrics. This is our first major project that we worked on together and it was one of the best experiences to date.
Lotus Flow: My name is Lotus Flow. I am a producer and songwriter originally from China, and currently based in Los Angeles. I worked on the production and arrangement for AleXa’s single ‘Juliet’, which is a story-telling vibe ballad song.
How did you get a start in music? What drives you to keep working in music?
Lotus Flow: I had 10 years of classical piano training since I was 5 years old. I found out I was really interested in music production and listened to a lot of urban genres music in high school, so I decided to attend Berklee College to learn jazz and electronic sound design when I was 17. During college, I signed with Universal Music as a producer and songwriter in China, and I had many chances to work with lots of musicians all over the world through writing camps. These industry experiences made me wanna become a multi-genre producer. From there, I moved to LA after I graduated, and I met my friend WD who brought me into the world of K-Pop, and we started working together a lot in 2023. Having talented people and great vibes around me is always my motivation to keep working in music.
What keeps me motivated in the industry is knowing that I am one of a few female producers on the scene. I’ve been to events, sessions and all I heard was that being a female producer is very rare. I want to ultimately inspire young female musicians, songwriters and producers out there and make it known that if i can do it, you can too.
In my experiences, I had to go through many hardships and struggles along the way. Earning the same respect from other producers is not easy, so I have to prove more than others that I belong here. To keep it plain and simple, don’t let anyone gaslight you into thinking you can’t make it, just be with the people that genuinely support your vision.
WD: My first memory was when my parents bought me my first midi keyboard and guitar when I was super young. From then on, I started to create random songs in my room. Years later, I decided to move to Los Angeles and started to gain more traction within the music industry. From producing for new artists on YouTube to helping my friends out with any musical project they needed. I eventually found a core group of friends that I've been working with for over a decade now. Through the ups and the downs, we're all striving in the industry now and I feel super thankful to be in it for so long.
What drives me everyday is knowing that every single song that I had a hand in, really makes a difference in others lives. If that's creating opportunities for my team or that's relating to the listeners all around the world. I want to always thank everyone that helped me along the way, cause i wouldn't be here without them.
How would you describe your musical style?
Lotus Flow: My sounds have a very urban, modern pop feeling in general. My music style is influenced by some electronic genres like UK garage and drum and bass. Also, hip hop, R&B and even film scoring. But my music can be very flexible depending on what project and artist I work on.
WD: I truly believe that my musical style is based on the mood I am in. I tend to create off of the vibe of the room. It also depends on who I am working with. To answer your question, my style is what the project needs.
What did the process for Juliet look like? How did it start and what was the main priority/goal in making the song?
WD & Lotus Flow: I initially had talks with AleXa’s team about working on some upcoming songs and it was the same time they were all in Los Angeles. So we met up at the studio while discussing and listening to some ideas. Weeks later, we started to polish the song more and then we went back and forth remotely and eventually finished the song.
What's your favorite memory from collaborating on this song together?
WD: My favorite memory from this project was pretty much working alongside Lotus Flow, who I believe to be one of the best young producers in the industry. Along with my talented friend Shawn Halim and amazing songwriter Boran. Specifically, adding the strings to the record with Lotus Flow.
Did you go into the process with an idea for the different remixes/versions of the song? Which arrangement of Juliet is your favorite to listen to? Which was your favorite to make?
WD & Lotus Flow: The decision to create those different remixes was after the original version was set to release. We didn't have a hand in those but we love them all. I personally enjoy the Latin version and the sped up version.
Are there parts of the songs (possible time stamps) that you hope listeners will pay special attention to?
WD & Lotus Flow: This is a very great question, and it took me some time to think about it. I would have to say the first chorus, because we always wanted that section to be stripped down acoustically and wanted AleXa to showcase her vocals.
Are there any upcoming projects that you can tease or hopeful projects you'd like to try in the future?
WD & Lotus Flow: We can’t really say anything about upcoming projects, but we can tell you who we would love to work with in the future.
Lotus Flow: Tinashe, The Weeknd and Doja Cat are the top 3 artists that I would love to work with if possible. Also, there is a female electronic producer called KITO who I really look up to, and I would wanna work with in the future.
WD: There are alot of artists I would love to work with but here are my top 3, NEW JEANS, Jon Bellion and BIBI in the future.
What piece of advice would you give to young producers and musicians looking to get a start in the industry?
Lotus Flow: I feel like there is no one night success in the music industry. If you want to be an industry-level producer, make sure you are super passionate about making music, because the journey is basically about challenges, frustrations, rejections and loneliness. Try to create, learn new techniques and listen to new music consistently, so whenever the opportunities come, you will be well-prepared and confident to show your talents. For me at the beginning, I did a lot of recreating of tracks that I liked, and tried to figure out what elements they used in the song just for practice. Doing so, that made me improve very quickly. After knowing each genre very well, you can try to combine different things creatively, then you can develop your own music style.
WD: So my advice for any young producers and musicians out there is that if you don’t have patience, this isn't the industry for you. You will get more no’s than yes’s and at the end of the day, it's all about getting that 1 yes. Always continue to reach for more, never get too comfortable. Always collaborate more, and find a team that has the same goals as you do. Try to be open minded and find different ways to be involved in many different projects. I know it may seem hard at first but there's always A WAY. If I can make it from nothing, you can make it. Lastly, find yourself a Lotus Flow, someone who is one of the most hard working, loyal and wants to see you win. Ultimately, let whatever great situation you land dictate where your next move will be. Don’t force anything yet keep moving forward.
Connect and follow Lotus Flow and WD at the following links:
Lotus Flow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lotusflow__/
WD Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writtenbywd/
Watch the “Juliet” MV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQlo-muRXOU
Listen to the full digital single on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2HgeMEh50JZkZhtjquQpug?si=HN-yiGecQradSIm1ar4sVA