Name: Quentin Lepoutre aka Myd

Nationality: French

Occupation: Producer
Current Release: Myd's new single "Domino" is out via Ed Banger. It is taken off his latest full-length album Born a Loser. Listen and buy here.

If you enjoyed this interview with Myd and would like to keep up to date with his work, visit him on Instagram, Facebook, twitter, and Soundcloud for updates and information.

Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

I find my creativity and inspiration in accidents.

I created setups that are weird, unstable or unique enough for the spark to appear. It can be the meeting of people in studio, using old analog tapes, mixing the musical genres. That's how I create the seed that will make my art grow.

For you to get started, do there need to be concrete ideas – or what some have called a 'visualisation' of the finished work? What does the balance between planning and chance look like for you?

I visualise my goal when I start a project as if I were driving a boat. You have a course, and it'll get you to focus and going in the right direction but you have to stay aware of an exciting island you'd love to stop on. Also you're dependant on the wind, the waves and all the unpredictable hazards that you might encounter. But If you know you are going in the right direction, you'll feel good.

Is there a preparation phase for your process? Do you require your tools to be laid out in a particular way, for example, do you need to do research or create early versions?

I see creativity as breathing. I have phases of inhalation, I go to museums, I dig records, I meet people. And there's the phase of exhalation where I stay alone in studio, I'm by myself and I just create.

In the phase of inspiration, I feel like a painter creating his palet. My way is to find the right tools (instruments, synths, drum machine ...), organize my studio, think about possible featurings etc ...

Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating?

I need to be 100% peaceful to welcome my inspiration. I do lots of sports, I medidate, I eat good food. I need to empty my mind to allow fresh ideas to enter.

What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise or reading poetry play?

If you want to be 100% you need to know perfectly your first tool as an artist: yourself. That's why you should know perfectly your mind and your body and adapt your activity to what you need.

Do you feel overwhelmed ? A little drop of CBD Oil
Do you feel like shit after a weekend of touring? Let's run 10k
Do you need to tie up your mind ? Meditation and Palo Santo.

What do you start with? How difficult is that first line of text, the first note?

For me, once I'm in studio, the process is, and needs to be really fun and playful. That's why I wake up every morning so happy! I'm enjoying going to the studio.

The real question I'm asking for years now is: why is finishing a song always so hard?

What makes lyrics good in your opinion? What are your own ambitions and challenges in this regard?

Lyrics, like the entirety of an artistic project, need to be aligned with the artist itself. My lyrics needs to say something about me, my life, my way of seeing the world. No need to be too cheesy!
 
For example I can talk about disappointment in many ways: It can be as personal as the end of a relationship or as simple as "I woke up this morning and the bakery was closed" (I'm French btw).

That's why I never work with other people to write my lyrics. The first idea needs to come from me.

Many writers have claimed that as soon as they enter into the process, certain aspects of the narrative are out of their hands. Do you like to keep strict control over the process or is there a sense of following things where they lead you?

Once I'm on the tracks, I'm in a bubble. I never remember the details when I try to think about how I made this hook, how I found this melody etc ... This bubble state is very precious for me, that's when I feel really connected with my emotions and my tastes.

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you personally feel as though writing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more "mundane" tasks?

To be honest, you're always better at what you like to do. Every morning I'm doing coffee but I'm not particularly excited about making it. I could buy myself the most expensive coffee machine, but I still wouldn't be the best barista.

I'm waking up every morning really excited about going into studio and writing down new chords, melodies and lyrics. I didn't chose to be a musician. I don't have the choice.