We sit down with Etherdene, the multifaceted singer, songwriter, and producer, to dive deep into the inspiration behind her latest single ‘Forsaker’. Known for her eclectic sound that blends alt-pop, synth-pop, and indie elements, Etherdene shares the personal journey that led her to write this empowering anthem. ‘Forsaker’ explores the emotional complexities of letting go of relationships that no longer serve you, and in our conversation, Etherdene opens up about her own experience with walking away from a professional partnership. From the creative process behind the track’s shift in mood to her collaboration with talented musicians like Cory Clark and Warren van Wyk, Etherdene reflects on how she continues to grow both as an artist and producer. With raw vulnerability and strength, ‘Forsaker’ marks yet another bold step in Etherdene’s musical evolution, and we’re thrilled to hear her thoughts on this powerful new chapter in her career.
‘Forsaker’ is a deeply personal song for you. Can you tell us about the experience that inspired the track?
I wrote this song while working through a profoundly disappointing breakup of a professional partnership I had high hopes for. Because I prioritize relationships and rarely give up on a situation, it felt surreal to walk away and “forsake” it. While sitting behind the piano one afternoon, pretty mad and heartbroken, the line “brand new member in the club of quitters, the uniform compliments my eyes” came into my head, and I decided to run with that theme. The line “How you made me feel will linger longer than everything you said with my goodbye” is also close to my heart since the biggest challenge of the breakup was to let go of all the words that were said – it was tempting to lean into it and allow it to define me. I rewrote the melody 3 or 4 times – it was initially much more emotional and slow, but I wanted this to be an upbeat statement song with an empowering message to move on when things don’t work out and thrive in the aftermath.
The lyrics of ‘Forsaker’ talk about the power of letting go. What was the moment when you realized walking away was the right choice for you?
I got a ranting voicenote from the respective professional that was incredibly out of bounds. Though it shocked me to the core, I initially thought I could get over it and continue to work with them, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt a line had been crossed, and trust had been broken. I ultimately played it for my therapist, and his reaction to it made me realize walking away is a wise choice.
This track transitions from a slower ballad into an upbeat anthem. What inspired you to make that shift in mood, and how do you think it enhances the song’s message?
I’m such a sucker for sad, moody songs, and making it an upbeat anthem was a way to change the victim narrative to one of empowerment. Phanogram’s “When I was small” was the Northstar sound I kept in the back of my head.
In the production of ‘Forsaker’, you experimented with 80s-inspired synth bass arps and electric guitar. How did you approach the creative process for the song’s instrumentation?
Over the course of a few months, I tried out different synths and bass arp sounds using Arturia’s Analog Lab. Once I got to a good spot, I found Cory Clark on Soundbetter. He is an incredibly accomplished guitarist who has played with Paul McCarthy, and his style felt perfect. I approached him, and he nailed it.
How did your collaboration with Cory Clark on guitar and Warren van Wyk on drums come together? What did they bring to the track that elevated it for you?
They are both phenomenal professionals. Warren’s drums are always in a class of their own. I loved the elevation it brought to the choruses (and how Martin Cooke mixed it). And everything that Cory did was a spot-on emotional interpretation of the song’s essence. Cheeky, sad, bold, and beautiful.
As a producer, how do you balance the technical side of music production with the emotional aspects of songwriting?
In the first blissful stages of writing a song and getting it into Logic Pro, I give myself over to follow my heart and gut on what I think the sound and the overall feel of the song must be until I capture that essence in a demo. While doing this, I’ll constantly take long drives, listen to the song, and think through how to push it into the best possible version. Once the demo is done, I will share that with the session musicians so they can add the drums/guitars/bass. While waiting for that, I’d track my vocals and edit it. When I get the instruments back, I go into the technical side – making sure that every new instrumental part works with the existing keys, that all the parts complement each other, and that everything is perfectly in time. I’d often move the guitar parts, bass, or keys around. The latter part is grueling – but with my design background, I’m used to grueling deadlines and the standard for perfection that must always be in the back of your mind. With that said, handing it off to Martin Cooke for the mix is such a relief because he is such a master at his craft, and getting mixes back from him is incredibly rewarding. Also, finishing up a song makes me giddy to tackle the new one. Often, inspiration for a new song arrives right as I’m in the last phases of getting a track ready for mixing handoff – which makes it hard not to abandon everything to focus on writing the new song.
What’s the most fulfilling part of working with such a talented team, including your mixing engineer, Martin Cooke, and mastering engineer, Elliot James Mulhern?
Wow, just being able to work with them, for sure. (I’m getting emotional answering this.) Elliot is such a positive, uplifting force with whom to collaborate, it is a gift. His feedback, positivity, kindness, and ability to nail the masters are – for lack of a better word – miraculous. He is an incredible artist in his own right. I’m always excited to hand off mixes to Elliot and hear his thoughts. I’ve never met him in real life, but I LOVE working with him. He is a gem and a legend. I found Martin after having so many bad mixing experiences. Not because the mixers were mean or nasty but because the mixes I got back, with a few exceptions, always made my heart sink. It never sounded like it did in my head, and it often took a lot of back-and-forths to get it to where it should be. When I approached Martin, his rate was higher than I could afford, but he offered to make an exception for my first mix and bring down his rate. He nailed it on Mix 1, and there was no way I could go back to any other engineers after working with him. He is kind, cool, and extraordinarily brilliant. Knowing what he’s capable of has challenged me to produce more experimentally.
‘Forsaker’ explores a theme of empowerment after facing hardship. How do you hope listeners will connect with this song on a personal level?
I hope it will help them see their worth and realize that they should not allow anyone to treat them in a way that makes them question their own worth.
You’ve mentioned that ‘Forsaker’ was born from a difficult decision to leave something behind. How do you think your past musical experiences, like being in the band Kaktus, shaped your approach to this track?
Though there’s a loss in leaving something behind, moving on always comes with rewards: meeting new people, growing, and forming new partnerships. I wanted that to come through in this track.
Looking ahead, what are some goals or new directions you want to explore with your music? Are there any new sounds or themes you’re excited to dive into?
With every track I release, I learn so many new things about production that I apply to the next single. My goal is for every release to be better than the previous one. In terms of new directions, I’m excited to go into a more synth-driven, electric guitar and bass arp space. I also love experimenting and pushing my vocals.
