The EDM Prodcast

The EDM Prodcast


#160: Ali Story on Investing In Your Career & Balancing Work with Music

September 13, 2021

EDM Foundations → https://edmfoundations.com

This week, Ali Story sat down to chat for the EDM Prodcast.

Marie aka Ali Story is a Tech House producer based in Northern Ireland, who is known for infusing her songwriting chops into a groovy dance music context.

In this episode, we cover how she really invested into her career during lockdown last year and how it paid off. She covers how she went all-in after losing her job and that once she had momentum, things kept growing.

We talk about her recent releases, Smile, and Higher Love, and how she uses the classic piano house sound in a modern context. During this, we talk about how she got signed to Axtone (Axwell from Swedish House Mafia's label) by being persistent and trying to get signed by many different labels.

Marie's story is an inspirational one of persistence, collaboration, and going 'all-in', and as you'll notice, she's very switched on with the business and promotion side of things, thanks to her background in marketing. So if you're a producer who's looking to grow your music project, tune in.

Links:
Smile → https://axtone.lnk.to/SMILE
Higher Love → https://loveother.lnk.to/HigherLoveLO
Addictive Keys → https://www.xlnaudio.com/products/addictive_keys
Spotify For Artists → https://artists.spotify.com/

Connect with Ali Story:
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/alistorydj/
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/alistorydj
Twitter → https://twitter.com/AliStoryDJ
Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/artist/4ek5ExkJLsIHouFsiQyPpx?si=c68679b54952448d
Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/alistory

Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
2:58 Interview start & Ali Story's background
7:58 Do you need classical training?
11:25 Going 'all in' on music
15:40 Did working in marketing help your own social media and promotion?
19:02 Keeping your sound diverse
21:54 You don't have to be the best at everything
26:34 The last 10% of the track
30:45 Objective feedback vs subjective feedback
32:38 Combining underground and mainstream influences
34:25 Writing with the club in mind
38:05 Your sound evolves over time
39:50 The success of 'Smile' and working with Axtone
43:12 Spotify for Artists and editorial playlists
46:51 'Higher Love' and working with vocalists
50:35 How the 'Lily Mckenzie - Lovers & Friends' remix opportunity came about
55:38 What's coming up next?
59:36 How do you balance music and work?
01:01:49 Listening to audiobooks
01:05:47 If you have a time machine, what would you go back and change?
01:12:24 Where can people find you online?

EDMProd:
Website → https://edmprod.com
Instagram → https://instagram.com/edmprodgram
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/EDMPsite
Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/edmprod
Spotify → https://sptfy.com/edmprod

Aden Russell (Artsea):
Instagram → https://instagram.com/iamartsea
Facebook → https://facebook.com/iamartsea
Spotify → https://sptfy.com/iamartsea
Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/iamartsea