We recently had a chance to catch up with Norwegian music producer Peder Etholm-Idsoee, and rock and roll power duo David Stewart Jr (vocals, bass, guitar) and Chava (drums, live loops) of the band Migrant Motel, for an interview on their collaboration and upcoming releases.

As a producer Peder draws upon a wide range of skills to help shape and co-create projects with the bands and artists he produces. A highly trained multi-instrumentalist and brilliant songwriter who’s known for his work on a lengthy repertoire of hits, such as Nico Farias’ single ‘Que Los Mares No Se Enteren,’ which took home the Song of the Year Award from the 2015 Latin Billboard Awards, Peder’s passion for experimentation and innovation has been key in the success of many artists.

As much as Peder brings a diverse range of influences into his work as a producer, so do the guys of Migrant Motel. With David Stewart Jr. coming from Peru, and Chava hailing from Mexico, they’re collaboration emits a heavy rock and roll sound that is made even more intriguing by the modern synths, musical arrangement and various cultural influences.

Released last year, Migrant Motel’s album “Volume One,” which Peder produced, offers everything from hard-hitting power ballads and wailing guitar solos through songs such as ‘Snapshot’ to more jazz and blues driven songs like ‘Bottleman.’ Likened to a modern version of Lenny Kravitz’s ‘Are You Gonna Go My Way,’ their powerful single ‘New Religion’ appears on top Spotify rock playlists, such as Dirty Rock and New Noise. A strong and compelling first album that brings in elements of the old and the new, “Volume One” showcases the band’s musical range and magnetic energy, not to mention their potent lyrics.

While some artists can strike it big on their own, most artists who ‘make it,’ whether they’re in the art or music industry, having a visionary backing them like producer Peder Etholm-Idsoe. Someone who sees the bigger picture and acts as a force to ground, inspire and fuel the creative collaboration, makes a world of difference in an artist’s career, and that’s exactly what we see through this collaboration.

Thanks for joining us guys!

First, Peder can you tell us what you feel makes a great producer?

PE: The ability to be as versatile as possible. Always be open to new genres and experiment as much as possible outside of your own comfort zone of genres.  It is easy to make the decisions that you are used to and you know come easy for you, which works of course for a while, but at one point you will plateau your own development and that’s a huge point with music for me, it is always developing.

When did you guys first start working together?

PE: We started or collaboration a little over two years ago now. I saw them play at a club back in Boston, Massachusetts and decided to approach them after their set to word my enthusiasm about the band, and that I would love to collab with them.

How did you know you were the right fit for one another as artist and producer?

MM: After working on one song, “Blue,” we realized the chemistry and final product was unlike anything we’d ever done before. We immediately signed him on for a full album and dove into work.

PE: I truly enjoyed the experience after the first song we did together. Working with raw talent like these guys is always a pleasure for a producer.

Would you say Peder had a pretty strong role in shaping the direction of ‘Volume One’?

MM: Absolutely! Without his help, I don’t think we would have the success that we’re having right now. He was quintessential in the development of our sound, look and vibe.

When did you guys sign with InGrooves and how did that come about?

MM: Our manager Marya Meyer knew of InGrooves for a while and when it was time to choose a distribution method, they seemed like an obvious choice. We met a few times and really enjoyed their energy and enthusiasm for our work, so we signed off on a 3 year deal with them. It’s been a great add to the team.

I hear you have some music videos coming out for two songs off the debut album ‘Volume One’– can you tell us about those?

MM: We have re-releases planned for “Bourbon” and “Physical,” a couple very fun videos for each. There’s still a lot of life in this album that we wanna make sure to explore before moving on to new material.

What other projects do you have planned for the coming months?

MM: We have 3 brand new singles already plotted out with Peder, all of which we are extremely excited about. We can’t wait to share and give more details in the coming months.

As their producer, what was the collaboration like on the new songs?

PE: One word. Fun! Since we are so used to too working together it makes the creative process really fluid. And we trust each other when someone wants to “take a risk” with a musical decision, because 99% of the time it really works out.

Can you guys tell us a little bit about the music videos you have coming out for these songs?

MM: It’ll be a wide range since the 3 songs are vastly different. One may or may not include some very RuPaul inspired themes however! We are working with Christian Klein, a cinematographer based in LA, and his team, and are in the midst of pre-production now.

When are they expected drop?

MM: Sometime mid winter

Peder, how do you fit into the mix when it comes to ideas and the process of creating the music videos for Migrant Motel?

PE: The guys usually bounces ideas during our sessions about music video ideas which makes the whole product really well thought out. It makes the whole project really coherent.

How has working with Peder changed the game for you guys as a band since you first began working together?

MM: Thanks to Peder’s contributions in a technical and artist aspect, we’ve reached almost half a million streams on Spotify, opened for bands like Journey and Cafe Tacuba, and are preparing to tour internationally this year. Working with Peder has ABSOLUTELY changed the game for us.

Why do you enjoy working together?

MM: Peder’s ability to be creative and artistic within his production is something I haven’t seen from anyone else. His fluidity on a technical level is astounding but, above all, the care and passion he brings to each second of every song is what we look for in a great producer.

PE: The natural talent and passion the guys are bringing to the table is a really amazing motivator to “bring your best” to every session, which makes the whole process really fun every time.  Also that David and Chava are some of the nicest and caring people you will meet doesn’t hurt either.

Make sure to checkout Migrant Motel’s social media page to stay up to date with their new releases:

http://www.migrantmotel.com
https://www.facebook.com/migrantmotel/