Sunny Dexx has been making waves in the BandLab community and beyond. He recently dropped his first full-length EP, Dexxworld, racking up over 150,000 streams on Spotify.
We spoke to Sunny about his creative process, how BandLab’s been a part of his journey, and how he’s celebrating a major 2019 – with an even bigger 2020 ahead.
Listen to “Never Fall” off Sunny Dexx’s debut EP, made with BandLab.
You just released your EP on Spotify and various streaming platforms. How has BandLab played a part in that?
BandLab is the core of my project. I basically record all my songs in BandLab before I eventually go to a studio. And it’s back to BandLab once I’m done in the studio! On a technical level, I use BandLab to practice my flow, play around with different plugins, and figure out what note I need to be recording in.
I post a lot of unreleased material on BandLab because I feel like the crowd there is more genuine than other websites I’ve used in the past. It’s a great place to obtain genuine feedback on a song or beat if you’re looking for an outside perspective.
Let’s wind back time for a second. How did you get into making music? How long have you been doing it for?
I started teaching myself the piano off of YouTube tutorial videos and an online Virtual Keyboard in highschool, as my family didn’t own a piano. Eventually I saved enough money to buy a 49-Key MIDI Keyboard!
Teaching myself how to play instantly became my favorite part of the day. I eventually hopped on to FL Studio as well, making beats and showing them off to my friends. We freestyled together and laughed at each other failing terribly – but we had a LOT of fun.
I got into a lot of different music over the years including Hip-Hop, Afro-Beat, Future Bass, Deep House, Dubstep and so much more. Eventually I started building a portfolio under the alias SUNNY DEXX, releasing my first song, “Lonesome” in May of 2019!
By that time, I’d already put together 35 songs and almost completed my first EP. By the end of May, I just thought, “let’s do this thing” and released my EP on Spotify, iTunes, Soundcloud. Plus, a newly discovered site: BandLab!
I submitted Lonesome on one of the ongoing BandLab contests and came in 4th place. I was pretty ecstatic. Winning any place in a contest with my very first song was the exact sign of affirmation I needed to tell me that I was doing something right! It gave me a boost of confidence as well as a wake up call that I needed to work harder. So I went back to the lab, worked on my craft. And two months later, all the hard work I’d put in paid off in full. I won 1st place with my song entry, “THOT”!
We’re glad the contests gave you that creative stimulation! So, talk to us about your typical process for writing lyrics.
I like blending genres without being boxed in to a specific style or sound. For me, the most satisfying creative challenge is when you bring new elements to the drawing board, create new patterns. Create your own new trends instead of following suit. Personally I started by writing and studying different flows and rhythms from other popular Hip Hop artists, but then you have to put your own flavour on it and show people who you are.
One thing I’ll tell you though, I write down everything! Whether it be an idea, a couple words that rhyme, a chorus that pops into my head or the beginning for a verse, I write down EVERYTHING! Stuff comes in useful at surprising times. All that inspiration is yours, use it.
What are your 3 recording essentials?
A pair of Sennheiser HD 280 PROs. When you’re listening back to your tracks you want good fidelity, I like these ones.
The AKAI Professional Electromusic Interface Expander I02. Great for portable setups.
And I am nothing without my 4TB Portable Hard Drive! My music life is on there. Always back that stuff up!
Releasing an EP is an amazing milestone. What’s your advice for other musicians in the community who’re working on their songs?
Stay on your daily grind. BandLab provides you with 50% of the tools you need to become a successful artist, but it’s up to you to use those tools to your advantage and put in the remaining 50%.
Connect with Sunny Dexx on BandLab, and listen to his debut EP DexxWorld!
