Blueless
We had a chat with Blueless, where she discussed her creative process in the studio, the advice she would give to her younger self and why she chose to join Outboard!
Hailing from Dublin and coming from a large musical family, Blue has been immersed in music from an early age. Mornings were spent waking up to the sound of her father’s reel-to-reel tape machine, which doubled as an alarm clock. This early exposure to music sparked a deep fascination with sound, melodies, and arrangements—developing an ear for dissecting the layers of a song beyond the obvious elements.
A lifelong collector of vinyl since the age of seven, Blueless has only ever purchased records to listen to or play—a passion that naturally evolved into DJing. In 2005, she launched Capture Records, where a distinctive signature sound began to take shape. Years later, that signature remains evident in her latest productions.
Could you tell us a bit about the process of making your track? How did it come about? Can you remember where you wrote it? What methods did you use to produce it?
My process of writing a track comes from simply feeling and translating emotions into instruments. I work with an engineer as a producer—this is very important for me because I can't produce and engineer at the same time. If I try to do both, I lose the content and the feeling. I focus on sound and how my ear, mind, body, and soul connect to the instruments. I play the parts in and have them looped. Then, I grab a pen and paper, break the song down by separating each instrument, and write each part out before starting to produce and arrange the song.
If I could go back in time and give advice to my younger self, I think the biggest impact would be if I were more confident. I'm naturally pretty shy when it comes to being in the spotlight, but my music spoke for me—that’s how I felt.
At Outboard, our aim is to establish a new way of remunerating music producers , fairly and transparently. Why did you choose to come on board?
I chose Outboard because I feel it's a great platform, especially for artists. It reminds me of my ethos when I had my own record label—transparency, honesty, being upfront, and having peace of mind that you're in safe hands. That goes a long way in this business.
What is the one thing that you always do when producing that if you didn’t, it wouldn’t be a Blueless track?
One thing I always do when I produce is start with a Rhodes piano before adding any other instruments or rhythm sections. I think I have a strong signature sound in all my music—floaty, melodic, layered, and groovy.
Do you have a ritual when composing music and how do you stay inspired after all these years?
My ritual when composing is to listen to and play some records that I love, that inspire me, and that move me—although this happens most days. It’s really about heart. I can get very emotional when writing, and that’s when the best side of me comes out. If I’m really honest, expressing myself through music is the easiest thing for me. I’ve always been like that. I used to play records or write just to understand who I was as a person.
If you could travel into the future and bring us back newfound wisdom that could help music producers make a sustainable living from their craft, what would you hope to experience?
If I could travel into the future to help producers make a great living from their craft, it would be to a world where the underground becomes the most popular and is treated fairly.
Check out Blueless - Where Are You on OTBD005