Zsüd: Producer, singer, songwriter. She loves experimenting with cinematic and electronic elements, wandering not too far from pop genres. She studied classical piano and music theory as a kid, after getting her Master’s degree in engineering she returned back to music from the electronic angle. She studied music production and sound design, now is co-leader of imPro, Budapest School of Music and Technology.
Interview conducted April 23, 2021
By Dan Locke
Zsüd’s first LP ‘REWIRING’ is out now with 11 songs. They are like grabbed pieces of a diary, some are based on daily emotions, others contain abstract philosophical questions. The album moves on a wide range of genres, orchestration and mood. The glue in this wide scale is change itself – reaching our deepest core and rewiring ourselves from that point. The main function of the album is documenting change, as the different stations can be very familiar to the listener.
You are a producer, singer, and songwriter. What is your upbringing?
I studied classical piano and music theory as a kid, and music production and sound design after uni.
How did you discover music?
I don’t know, it was just there, it was kind of a slow process. I didn’t grow up on my Father’s vinyl’s if that’s what you’re asking.
How did you start to write music?
When I got my first guitar I just started to mess around with the chords.
How did you get your first guitar, and do you still have it?
We went on a Europe trip by train. I was so afraid the time we spend on the train would be thrown out; I bought a guitar so I could learn it on the way. I don’t have it anymore though; I gave it to one of my good friend’s sons.
What is your guitar of choice now? Year, make and model?
Zsüd
Honestly, I don’t know, haha! I am still not a big guitar player, I have an electric and acoustic one, but nothing fancy.
How did you get your name?
My ex-boss gave it to me as a nickname.
Describe your music.
Electro-pop.
What was your first performance at like?
I was terrified as hell, but I hope people liked it.
Royalties never appear like magic. Royalties are only sent to you through work undertaken by a PRO to ensure that their members are getting paid. If you’re not yet signed up to a Performing Right Organization like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC, you may not be receiving all the royalties you deserve?
That’s right, it is important to make these registrations.
Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP?
I have registrations in Hungary so far.
What makes a good songwriter?
That’s a good question, you have to be a good storyteller and be able to communicate emotions, I think.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
Uuuh…. I think it was ‘Ta-ta-ram’ (don’t let the title fool you, it had actual lyrics), I did record it, but please don’t make me listen to it, haha!
What is the process of writing your music?
I don’t have a fixed method; I like to keep it changing. Sometimes I start from the lyrics, sometimes from the melody or from a sound design element.
Tell me about your album Rewiring?
Imagine you are sitting with a ball of cereal and contemplating on life and everything. If you pay attention to your thoughts, you will see that random jibber-jabber and the deepest philosophical questions appear in the most random order. REWIRING is made from catching all these thoughts.
You have experimented with cinematic and electronic elements in your song 2 AM. How did you discover that element in your musical style?
I listen to quite a lot of series, as background noise, I guess that’s why using cinematic elements is kind of natural to me.
In the video why so many production assistants?
Haha, they helped with a lot of things, but we didn’t know how to call them. The whole setup was on a moving vehicle, it needed a lot of assistance.
How was it to work with Gainlab Studios?
I love the Gainlab gang! They are hardcore music nerds, always working on something amazing, for example they just launched their own compressor.
What is your favorite track on your album?
Dear Future Me.
What are you’re feeling about streaming music?
As a user I love it, as an artist, not so much. I would love to see a streaming platform where people can connect to the musicians and support them directly.
The symbol # is known as the number sign, hash, pound sign and a sharp sign in music. The symbol has historically been used for a wide range of purposes Since 2007, widespread usage of the symbol to introduce metadata tags on social media platforms has led to such tags being known as “hashtags”, and from that, the symbol itself is sometimes called a hashtag.
Are people forgetting that the # is a part of music?
Guess so, but I don’t see it as a problem. Things are constantly evolving. People don’t necessarily need to think # as a musical sign. Musicians should.
Digital vs. vinyl?
Both.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
Clint Mansell – Together We Will Live Forever. That song made me sit back at the piano after four years.
If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
For sure it has effects but I don’t think it has killed live music. Huge shows, maybe. I am actually kind of excited about what’s going to come next. 2020 is a collective trauma and we need to heal together. Music can be an important part of that.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
Making music, haha!
How do you stay healthy during the lockdown?
Trying to watch my input (material and immaterial as well).
What is “White God”?
It is a movie directed by Kornel Mundruczo. I was invited a couple weeks ago to BLEND, a music and film festival and I had to compose music for a piece from that movie while it was streamed online.
Tell me about your home studio?
Honestly, I do most of my work sitting on a couch with my headphones on. I have a couple of speakers, a piano and some gadgets at home, nothing fancy.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
Not really. I love painting and sewing, but I did them before, so they didn’t need to be discovered.
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In October that is going to change at least on Facebook. Facebook is cracking down on livestreamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses.
The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience […] This will include [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only. How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?
I actually agree with this one, musicians shouldn’t give their music for free, it becomes noise on content level. Online concerts also need a lot of preparation, I hope they evolve to a form where they get the attention they deserve.
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merchandise to them at the show?
That’s a hard one. If you are extroverted and good in communicating on social media, good for you. I think everyone needs to find the channel they are most comfortable with.
Is pay to play still a thing? Now pay to play also means thinks like playlist on the internet and opening slots for a major band on tour.
I guess so, I don’t think they will disappear soon.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
I’m kind of old fashioned on that one, but I’m curious to see how that will evolve.
Governments around the world are hearing the call of thousands of music creators and included protections for the music community in the omnibus bill. In addition to extended and improved unemployment benefits and small business loans for freelance creators, the package includes several bills which the Recording Academy, its members, and the larger music community advocated for. From the Save Our Stages Act, provided a lifeline to performance venues and promoters, to the CASE Act, which creates an avenue for smaller creators to defend their copyrighted works, Congress has ensured that both music creators and those who act behind the scenes to bring music to life are given the support they need during this difficult time.” Do you think this will save music venues?
That’s different for every country and I don’t own a venue so I don’t know.
Did you know that the Grammys MusicCares can help artist? The MusiCares COVID-19 Relief has helped thousands of music industry artists and professionals during these difficult days. This is the most recipients helped, for any single event, in MusiCares’ history. The need remains great, and these unique times remain critical for music people. It has taken a community uplifting one another to get through this pandemic, and MusiCares has pulled together a list of additional organizations and resources to further support you. RELIEF RESOURCES. Have you applied for it yet?
Nope.
In the past if a musician stop doing music, they find a new career. For example, David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants. If you can’t do music, what would you like to be doing?
I have been so many things before I started to make music, so I am not afraid of the time when I will be something else. I would love to do a lot of things, painting, renovating furniture, 3D modelling, graphic design, event planning, pick one.
What is your happy place?
In useful work.
A lot of musicians such as Stevie Nicks, Bob Dylan, Taylor Swift, Journey, Def Leppard, and Shakira have sold their catalog rights within the last year. Bob Dylan sold his entire catalog for a reported $300 million. Once you get to the age of about 70. Publishing is far more lucrative than the mechanical royalties paid to artist based on sales, airplay and streams. A good example of this is Michael Jackson brought the rights to the Beatles catalog in 1985. And in the late 80’s the Beatles Revolution appeared in a Nike commercial.
The lump sums being offered by publishing firms are more tax friendly concerning estate planning.
Do you think you would be willing to sale your back catalog if someone like Universal is will to buy everything, such as all the rights to all your songs?
Hm, I am not really driven by money, so I don’t think so. If I have another project on my mind that needs that kind of money – maybe.
Spotify’s ‘Stream On’ event on Monday (February 22), the company confirmed that more than 60,000 new tracks are now being ingested by its platform every single day. This means people are added new tracks uploaded to its platform every 1.4 seconds.
The figure, announced by Spotify’s co-Head of Music, Jeremy Erlich, means that across the course of this year, approximately 22 million tracks will be added to Spotify’s catalog. Spotify confirmed in November last year that its platform now played host to around 70 million tracks.
Therefore, it’s reasonable to assume that, by the end of 2021, SPOT will be home to over 90 million tracks. And that in the early part of next year, it will surpass a catalog of 100 million for the first time.
But still back at the beginning of the year Spotify deleted 750,00 songs, mostly from independent artists. What do you think what that could mean to independent artist?
I don’t think it will make a huge difference – it is already quite hard to find your audience, you have to keep focusing on that, not on what other people are doing.
Sony Music in November and Warner Music Group in December, The ByteDance-owned video app revealed on (February 8) that it has struck an “expanded” global licensing agreement with Universal Music Group. Now that TikTok is now fully licensed by all three major record companies, will you start using TikTok more?
Maybe. We’ll see.
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