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1. Tell me about the cool stuff in your photos: Best parts? Worst parts?  My computer is awesome! I recently acquired it and it’s a beast. I also love my speakers because they handle my habit of cranking the bass up too much really well. The worst part of my studio is probably my headphones. I need to get some legit headphones that don’t bleed sound as much when I’m recording vocals. But they’re not too bad, they get the job done for now. If something isn’t working or sounds like crap I don’t keep it around too long. I’ve gotten midi controllers, tried them out, returned them. It’s all part of the process to finding the perfect gear that works for you. Producing on my computer, using Ableton, allows me to get the electronic pop sound I want but it also gives me tons of room to play. Some songs are super pop, some are more weird and use unconventional sounds and beats. I just love experimenting!

2. What is your favorite piece of gear and why?  I’d have to say my new Neumann TLM49 mic and Universal Audio Solo-610 preamp. I don’t think I can pick just one of them because they kind of go together. They give my vocals a nice warm, rounded feel and I can get that super upfront vocal sound that you hear a lot in pop songs nowadays. I struggled with finding a good mic/pre for a while, and it’s a really important component to my studio because I’m going for a very vocal driven sound, so they needed to sound really good.

3. What song of yours do you feel is the best portrayal of your particular sound/style?  I’m really proud of my song “Skills.” To me, it’s the perfect blend of dark pop and ethereal electronica. It’s bold and different but still catchy. It’s a very sexy and empowering song and one of my favorites to perform. But my sound is seriously all over the place so it’s hard to pinpoint just one song that represents Bakkuda overall.

4. What was the first piece of gear you bought and what are your thoughts on it now?  I don’t know if this was my very first piece of gear but I got an Akai APC40 when I decided to do solo electronic music and performed it all myself. It works directly with Ableton and allows you to trigger loops and manipulate sounds. It’s very easy to use and I would recommend it to anyone, but especially those new to electronic music.

5. What do you have coming up that we should know about?  I just put out a new single “Beloved” which you can check out on soundcloud.com/bakkuda. I’ll be putting out the full EP on June 1st and I’m super excited! It has a little of everything, sweet ethereal ballads, dancey pop tracks, indie RnB sounds. I can’t wait. I also have a show April 22nd at MaryJane’s in the Hard Rock Hotel SD with my good friend Natalie Emmons!