"We were fortunate enough to have produced the song that Universal Music Group signed her based on," explain Strong and Etholm-Idsoee. "The song 'Ride' was released by her independently and caught the attention of talent scouts at Universal Music Group after it went viral… they liked her as an artist, as well as the other material we had in the works, and they offered her a record deal... they re-released the song 'Ride' and have plans to release all the others we've been working on since."
Making it to No. 2 on Spotify's Global Viral and US Viral charts, the catchy feel good single 'Ride' they produced for Naïka quickly struck a chord with audiences around the globe. According to the producers, 'World Pop' was the aim for 'Ride.' And with nearly four million streams on Spotify and ranking in the top 50 on Spotify's Viral charts in the UK, Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Norway, Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Argentina, Australia, Denmark, Belgium, Ireland, Czech Republic, and Netherlands, they clearly nailed the mark with the song's international appeal.
"Jason and Peder are an unstoppable duo. They are hands down two of the most hardworking people I have ever come across, and when they join forces on a project it never fails to be a success. There is no one else I would rather work with," says Naïka.
"They have been my backbone, and a vital part of my growth as an artist and I could not see myself working without them during the development of my career. They are brilliantly talented individuals, and I feel extremely fortunate to have them in my team."
Roommates while attending Berklee College of Music, Jason Strong and Peder Etholm-Idsoee first began working together and producing music for artists and bands in the Boston area four years ago-- and it was there that they first discovered Naïka.
"Myself and my co-producer Peder Etholm-Idsoee are her two primary producers and have had involvement on all of her songs to date since the beginning of her career as an artist," says Strong.
With Strong hailing from South Africa, Etholm-Idsoee from Norway, and Naïka having grown up all over the world, the multicultural nature of the collaboration is evident in Naïka's music.
The upbeat tempo of Naïka's newest single 'Serpentine' brings to mind Latin and Middle Eastern rhythms, which combine with her sexy sultry vocals to create the perfect track to groove to.
Etholm-Idsoe says, "For 'Serpentine' we wanted to keep with the World Pop sound, that's the sound of Naïka." Strong adds, "Naïka has an interesting background. She grew up living in many different parts of the world, including Madagascar, France, South Africa, the Caribbean, Kenya, the South Pacific, Canada, Boston, Miami and Los Angeles, so her musicality is influenced by a variety of different world influences."
Several other songs that they produced for Naïka, such as 'Sleeping Pill,' 'Oh Mama' and 'Lose Control,' are due to be released over the next few months, with 'Oh Mama' expected to drop later this month.
Strong says, "I really believe in this project, this team and in Naïka, and I think that she is really an artist to watch at this relatively early stage in her career. She has everything I believe it takes to be a timeless and hugely influential icon. I'm excited to be an integral part of her journey to the top."
One of the first projects they collaborated on as producer was Nico Farias' single 'Que Los Mares No Se Enteren,' a mega international hit that earned the BMI Best Song of the Year Award at the 2015 Latin Billboards and took the No.1 spot on Guatemala's iTunes chart.
Bridging their individual strengths, Strong and Etholm-Idsoee's powerful collaborative partnership has helped several artists over the last few years take their music to the next level.
"Peder is a perfectionist. He's all about getting sounds and details to the best they can possibly be, whereas I'm more of an ideas and big picture kind of guy," explains Strong.
Aside from making the process more enjoyable, joining forces means that these talented producers have more creativity and a broader skill set at their disposal.
"It creates an easier work environment when you know you can trust that your co-producer will exceed in their tasks. We're both well trained in musical theory, instruments and have a strong understanding of the work process, which are tools we always use to come up with new ideas and sounds, and spark inspiration for us," explains Etholm-Idsoee.
"We always try to make sure that our role in our projects fill each other out as best as possible. But we also enjoy switching work positions from project to project to create a different sound since we do have different approaches to different aspects of producing. This makes our creative workflow evolve for the better."
Aside from working with Naïka and Nico Farias, Strong and Peder Etholm-Idsoee also produced Lauren Carnahan's 'Criminal,' streamed over 600,000 stimes on Spotify, and they have a few new projects in the works that will be coming out soon!
The producing duo admits, "Knowing we were able to help an artist realize their dreams is so rewarding."
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