Vocals Writing Production

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: One project we’re especially proud of was helping a client write a song for the Eurovision contest. It was a unique challenge — creating something emotionally powerful, modern, and competitive within a very tight creative framework. Another project that stands out was our work for a theater production in Salt Lake City, where we created fully mixed and mastered virtuosic piano tracks based on music from animated films. Seeing our arrangements come to life on stage — played through a full sound system, supporting dancers and actors — was a special moment for both of us. It reminded us how far music can travel and how deeply it can connect when it becomes part of a live performance.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: dumb question %

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: Our promise is to always be honest and fully invested in your music. If we feel your idea could be taken somewhere stronger, or there’s a direction that might fit better, we won’t hold back — we’ll tell you and we’ll explore it with you. When we take on a project, it’s not something we “do on the side.” During the time we’re working on your song, it gets our full focus and attention, just like our own artist projects. We care about the details, the emotion, and the end result, and we’ll always do our best to deliver something we’re proud of and you’re excited to release.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: What we love most is that we get to do what we truly love for a living. This is what we both dreamed about for years — making music every day, helping artists shape their stories, and living inside that creative world together. We’re not here just to “do a job” or chase money. Of course, being paid for our work is important and appreciated, but it’s an addition — not the main reason we do this. The best part is that we can be honest with ourselves and with our clients, and focus on projects we genuinely care about. Making music that feels real, emotional, and inspiring — that’s the thing that keeps us here.

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: The best results come when you can be honest about your ideas, your insecurities, your references, and what you truly want the song to feel like. A great provider isn’t just skilled — they listen, they ask questions, and they care about making your vision happen, not forcing their own. Also, be clear about your goals, timeline, and references. The more you share upfront, the faster we can get aligned and deliver something you love. And finally: trust the process. Let your provider bring their creativity and experience to your idea. Collaboration works best when there’s both openness and direction, so the project can grow into something even better than you first imagined.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: We live in the pop world a lot, also our work stretches across a pretty wide spectrum. On one side, we create mood music for playlists – from calm piano pieces for studying and focus to lofi/loft-style beats and atmospheric tracks. On the other side, we work on hip hop records and more classical / orchestral pieces as well. Because of our backgrounds, we’re comfortable moving between genres, so a project might start as a simple piano idea and end up as a full pop, electronic, or cinematic track — whatever serves the artist and the song best.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: As a duo, our strongest skill is how different—but deeply complementary—our strengths are. Anastasia’s strongest skill is the piano. She has over 22 years of classical training, performed internationally as a concert pianist, and released her classical album “PIANO” in 2019. She has accompanied singers, instrumentalists, orchestras, played in jazz bands and pop groups, and brings a lifetime of diverse piano experience into modern songwriting. Her melodic instincts, harmonic depth, and emotional phrasing give every song a musical foundation that feels both sophisticated and accessible. Sam’s strongest skill is sound and structure. With a deep computer science background, he understands audio, gear, and production workflow on a technical level that makes everything cleaner, faster, and more intentional. He produces heavily across hip hop and electronic genres, writes lyrics with a wide cultural and literary vocabulary, and also performs as a solo artist — which gives him insight into what artists actually want and need in their music. His knowledge of the business side helps guide projects with clarity and realism. Together, our strongest skill is our ability to blend musicality + modern production + emotional storytelling into something fresh, polished, and artist-focused.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: First of all, we bring love — love for music and love for what we do every single day. We’re very honest about our work and always focused on what truly serves the song, even if that means throwing out ideas and starting again. As a duo, our skills really complement each other: Sam brings the technical and tasteful production muscle – sound design, groove, structure, and modern sonics – and a strong lyrical side. He draws from a wide spectrum of hip hop culture and literature, which helps him write lyrics quickly without ever feeling basic or generic. Anastasia brings deep melodic instincts and classical training, with a strong sense of harmony, emotion, and musical storytelling. Together, we bring a fresh, young energy to every track. We’re constantly listening to new music, sharing influences, and inspiring each other, so what we create feels current, emotional, and very human.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: For client projects, we always start with a deep conversation. We take the client’s prompt and talk through everything in detail — the vision, inspirations, emotional tone, deadlines, and what they hope to walk away with at the end. Understanding how the artist feels about the project is just as important as the technical brief. If we’re creating a song with lyrics, we usually begin with a few melody passes, shaping the topline until the emotional core feels right. Then we write lyrics inspired by the prompt, references, and the story the client wants to tell. If the project is an instrumental, we spend time gathering a wide range of musical references to lock in the direction and energy. From there, we produce a first draft that captures the vibe and show it to the client early on to make sure we’re aligned. After that, it becomes a collaborative process: we refine the track with the client’s notes, explore ideas together, and keep shaping the song until it feels like the most honest and exciting version of what they imagined. Our goal is always a final product that the client loves — something that feels true to their voice and elevated by our creativity.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: We work out of our own studio where everything is built around a MacBook Pro 16” (M1 Max, 64GB RAM) and a super solid front end: RME Fireface 802 FS interface going into an Avalon V5 preamp, Warm Audio WA-76, and a chain of Furman power conditioning for a clean, quiet signal. For monitoring, we use Adam Audio T8V speakers with an Adam Sub8, plus an Aurea/Audient mini system for more detailed mix and mastering decisions. On the mic side we lean a lot on the Neumann TLM-103, Neumann KMS-105, and Shure SM7B, plus a handful of other mics depending on the voice and vibe. Keys and synths are a big part of what we do: Nord Piano 6, Moog Mother-32, Arturia Keystep, Novation Launchkey 37 MK4, and some extra synths, percussion, and bass for live feel. We also use Ableton Push 2 for production and performance. On top of our own room, we regularly mix, master, and record vocals in professional studios in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City that are fully set up for high-end mixing and vocal recording, so we can scale from intimate demos to release-ready records.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: As a duo, our inspirations come from a wide spectrum of artists. Sam draws from storytellers and innovators like Kendrick Lamar, Anderson .Paak, Kaytranada, Bob Dylan, and The Beatles. Anastasia is inspired by powerful performers and melodic thinkers such as Zara Larsson, Michael Jackson, and Lady Gaga. Together, we share a deep love for dance, electronic and classical music. Our influences blend into a sound that’s rhythmic, emotional, and always centered on storytelling and melody.

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: We’re a producer–pianist/songwriter duo who love taking a song from a rough idea to a fully formed world. Most often we’re helping artists with writing or co-writing (melody, lyrics, structure), full song creation (lyrics + topline + music), and full demo production. We also offer piano, songwriting, and production lessons for artists who want to grow their own skills along the way. We do light artist development, detailed song and mix feedback, and creative direction for newer artists who need a supportive, honest team in their corner. And when it’s time for polish, we handle vocal tuning, timing cleanup, comping, harmonies, doubles, ad-libs, stem cleanup, and mix feedback so everything feels tight, emotional, and ready for release.