With an admirable lack of ego, Pleigh Vader is attacking creativity like no other. The Florida-based renaissance man can lucid-dream his way through the recording process and oversee every possible angle to take before landing on the perfect tempo or mix for every record he touches. Both of his recent releases, the solo double single “Key$” and the highly-collaborative Soul Brothers EP are both prime examples of how Vader’s approach to creation makes room for the best music possible. Vader fills the room freed up from the removal of his ego with so much genuine soul, it’s almost a physical experience listening to one of his instrumentals. The smoothness behind the “Key$” instrumental brings so much light and color with it, the chopped-up sample can fill a room all on its own.
Pleigh Vader pulls from every aspect of his life and allows his creativity to flow naturally, making for a more organic sound that can bend and break itself to fit perfectly in any environment. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Pleigh Vader to discuss his creative process and how he and the rest of That Feel Records are on a bullet train to being one of the most well-respected groups to emerge from the Sunshine State.
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Check out our full conversation below;
Where are you from?
I am originally from South Florida, Fort Lauderdale area.
What kind of music did your parents play around the house?
Music was a big part of my upbringing. A lot of jazz, R&B, and gospel as well. Those were the main three until my brother and I branched out on our own and started listening to hip-hop and rock and roll.
What was the first album you bought when you started developing your taste?
My mom bought me a Kirk Franklin album, a gospel album. When I got older and learned he was more so a producer and writer, that was interesting to me as well. The first album I bought on my own was J. Cole’s Cole World: The Sideline Story. That really influenced me as far as hip-hop goes. I just listened back to that album a couple months ago, and it still holds up. Especially “Breakdown”.
You mentioned how you were interested in the fact that Kirk Franklin was producing and writing his music, did that spark an interest in the behind-the-scenes world of music from a young age?
With that, I stumbled upon that fact through conversation. That did lead me to dive deeper into production and things of that nature, kind of finding out who’s behind the scenes. That led me to discover people like Quincy Jones and Diddy, people like that. People that aren’t hands-on in terms of vocals but that are touching almost everything behind the scenes. It really sparked my interest in the song creation aspect. When I got my first MPC and started downloading apps like Fruity Loops when I was a teenager, that’s when I really started gravitating to what was going on behind the scenes musically. Creating a beat, and getting multiple artists together to be a part of one song, I was caught up in getting artists to collaborate.
How did you end up getting your first MPC?
It’s funny, a buddy of mine got an MPC that came with a DAW, that was my first experience with anything like that. A couple years later, when I was 16, I downloaded FL studios myself and got a little drum pad. We’re still using that same drum pad today, actually.
Do you remember the first beat you made that got you excited? Something where you were like “I have to show this to people”?
It was some dark violin sample I used, I looped that up and chopped up some vocals, and laid some drums down. My brother walked in while I was making it, I didn’t even think about showing it to anyone. My most memorable beat was when I started laying out some original chords but I had this Michael Jackson vocal sample which was a cappella, I believe it was from “Butterflies”. I played that for my brother and an old friend from the neighborhood. They both were like “this is hard” so that kept me going on the beat-making side.
Do you think that those initial positive reactions to your beats helped you take it seriously? Do you think you would still have the passion you have now if those first few reactions weren’t as glowing?
I feel like the relationship I have with music would’ve kept me going regardless. There was a two-year hiatus between my first drop and my most recent one. In those two years, I wasn’t really playing anything I was making for anyone, just making beats when I felt like it. I’d hear a possible sample or hear a chord progression in my head and that would inspire me to get back to it during that time. Those first reactions being positive definitely helped though. I do it for the love at the end of the day, that’s what keeps me going.
How do you feel your sound has changed overall since your hiatus?
My ear has gotten better over the years as far as sample choice, drum patterns, mixing, and things like that. Over the years that has increased, practice makes perfect. As far as the influences I mentioned earlier from my childhood, jazz, R&B, and gospel, those never left. I can hear that in anything I make, that’s always been consistent. As far as variety, I’ve gotten better at different things, I started stepping into dancehall and afro-beats, I’m always going to grow and learn new things. As far as the foundation, my sound is my sound.
How has your ear for samples evolved specifically?
As far as choosing samples and things of that nature, I’ve kind of gotten into the black market. With That Feel Studios having a record player, we have these different tools now. We’ll buy cassettes and records, opening up the window of opportunity more. Regardless of how you get the sample, it’s what you do with it. I’ve gotten better at chopping, mixing, pitch shift, and more stuff on the technical side. Basically manipulate the sample until it’s practically unrecognizable, I’ve gotten better over the years at that.
I want to talk about your first project with Bryce Avery, that’s your first proper release?
Yea it was a single, that was the first thing I ever put out. I just made my first BMI account as a writer/producer at the time. I had some co-production from KINDSEY as well. I was also helping Bryce with a little bit of writing, that was my first experience really sitting in a studio session with an engineer. Shout out to Brad, he’s the first engineer we had a relationship with, he really walked us through the process. Also Elvis at Ease Your Mind Studios helped us out with that as well. It was cool because they were asking me questions like “how did you get that key sound?” and it was surreal because I was supposed to be asking them stuff. It was really eye-opening, especially with getting cover art, promo videos, and things like that. Bryce and I were really hands-on with those aspects.
From a curation perspective, do you prefer a professional studio or an at-home setting? Does the setting matter?
As far as production, I just need my computer and my small midi. Although the experience of seeing a vocalist record in a big studio was something I’ll never forget. As far as actually making a beat, I’ve made a few in a big studio and it was cool but as far as being able to experiment with sounds and going into my own world, at home is my forte. I’ve had sessions where I’m making the beat in front of the artist and that’s cool too. As far as a comfort zone, working individually is where I feel the most comfortable.
Has the process of collaboration changed your approach to creation?
It actually did. In the beginning, when I was 16 and just making stuff, it was helping me get ideas out that I wanted to. There was a personal satisfaction to making a beat early on but when I started branching out I feel like I’ve gotten more of a focus out of that. When I’m making a beat I can see the direction I want to take it because I may have a former collaborator in mind. I start to have that in mind when making a beat, I might start even mumbling a melody and I’ll have someone in mind using that. There are still beats where I’m like “I’m going to make it like this and if someone likes it, cool” but a lot of times I’ll have someone in mind for the beat I’m making. I’ll start making multiple versions of the same beat in different tempos and pitches, I have a lot of demos and folders.
You mentioned how you’re constantly practicing music, but sometimes the inspiration just isn’t there. Have you ever had to force yourself to start making a beat and has anything come out of a session like that where you shocked yourself?
Without revealing too much, Bryce (Avery) and I are actually working on something that’s out of my comfort zone and I feel inspired by challenging myself in that way. My creative energy is coming from the fact that I’m challenged in that instance. I may not be currently feeling this project or record but I can see the potential and where it can go so I want to be a part of it. You never know, you might tap into a new level and there is a certain pressure there but the ending result could be beautiful. An artist may say “oh I can hear you making something like this for me” and even if it’s something I’ve never done before I appreciate that they reached out so I go ahead and see what I can flush out.
How did your double single “Key$” come together?
That was a fun couple of months, we actually started with the “Key$” record, which was a quick sample I layered up, I only had a two-minute version at the time. My brother at That Feel Records, GRYFFYTH actually linked up with Gxldsoul out of Indiana on a different track and I loved that track, I jammed out to it pretty much every day. I was talking to GRYFFYTH one day saying how much I like Gxldsoul’s style and the way they carry themselves. Going through their discography I came across blkk j, Dray Taylor, and a lot of dudes from Indiana. Turns out they were really into what That Feel Records was doing so GRYFFYTH just went ahead and made a group chat with everyone. Not too long after that I sent the “Key$” beat in the chat, a couple of days later they got their verses back to us and it was a rocket taking off after that. Everyone at That Feel added their verses. Ant, The Producer mixed everything, and it all came together.
As far as the intro, we’ve been getting a lot of positive feedback on that one. That came out of a session where we were working on something totally different. Once we achieved the goals we set for that day I busted my laptop out and started going through samples. Ant, Bryce, and CA$$O heard that sample we ended up using and started nodding their heads. I chopped it up and looped it and they all immediately got their pens out, and they started going to work. Once Ant presented what he wrote, CA$$O was like “That’s your track now”. Bryce laid the background vocals and at the time Ant had never released anything with him singing like that. That’s when I said “how do you feel about me adding that to the ‘Key$’ track” and he gave me his blessing. That song really only took 30 minutes to an hour and after that, we had “A’s intro”.
Why call it “Key$”? Does that have a deeper meaning behind it?
I just named the beat that, I name beats whatever when I make them, any cool word that comes to mind. The way I structured the beat made it feel like it was leading up to a door being opened, so that’s why I named it “Key$”.
Going back a little bit, how did you first connect with That Feel Records?
It’s almost like 6 degrees of separation in a way. I’ve known Ant the longest, we grew up in the same neighborhood. I think we first met when we were 9 or 10. I met Donny (Marvo) in high school, and I know everyone in different ways. When That Feels Records came together, I was already working with Ant and Bryce on Pleigh, which is a non-profit music publishing company. At the same time, Ant was working with GRYFFYTH and Donny and once they presented that to me, I was instantly on board. I met CA$$O through Pleigh, it had been a couple of years since I first met him at that point and Beloveddd came on board around then as well. This was all right around the pandemic when we finally came together and realized that we can all push each other musically.
Can you tell me about Pleigh? What is the idea behind the non-profit?
Pleigh is working to help local artists work on curating their projects down to a tee. That comes down to promotional aspects, we have all those connections to writers, producers, rappers, and everything they need to get their music sounding right sonically. We also have connections with photographers, graphic designers, videographers, etc. We just want to help other artists come up with their vision, that’s why Pleigh and That Feel go hand-in-hand, making sure that what the artist envisioned is what is released.
Both That Feel Records and Pleigh seem to be driven by a lack of ego, was that something that was learned? Was that just natural?
That’s just in my nature, being a collaborative person and wanting to bring the best out of people. I have my moments, but what’s natural is what’s best for the crew because in a way that’s what’s best for me as well. Even with “Key$” I went in with the mindset of “let me see what they want to do with this beat” and it ended up working. I’ve thought about different ways to make that track go viral but I had to ask myself “what would garner long-time fans?” so that led me to put the whole crew on that one. We’re all collaborative like that, I’ve worked with artists who put me on to other artists to work with so it always works out like that.
Can you talk about how the Soul Brothers EP came about?
That’s a group within the group, a lot of sessions with myself, Ant, GRYFFYTH, and Donny. That came out of what I mentioned earlier with that practice and comfortability at times, it started out as a challenge to not use samples. Everything on that EP was played by us, the keys, bass, and drum programming, we played everything out on a midi. We were forcing ourselves to get into an uncomfortable space, seeing what can come about it. At first, we had three instrumentals we were going to put out then in the process of mixing and mastering, we ended up coming up with two songs where GRYFFYTH laid a verse. On the second song, he and Donny laid verses then Ant and I did the hook. It’s all about pushing ourselves, producers like myself, Ant, and GRYFFYTH doing vocals and Donny has always been a versatile guy. We had a lot of cool conversations during those sessions, keeping ourselves grounded in those moments and that’s how that came together.
You talked about curation and collaboration means a lot to you and your process, do you have a favorite posse cut of all time?
There’s a couple. The first one that came to mind was “1 Train” by A$AP Rocky with everyone on it. I remember when that came out in high school and everyone was debating who had the best verse and which one was your favorite and everything like that. A lot of Black Hippy and TDE songs like “Vice City” and others had an influence on the collaborative effort. The coolest part for me was hearing so many different perspectives on one beat.
You talk about challenging yourself a lot, how far do you picture that going?
That process is really day by day, I feel like there’s no limit as to what we can do as a collective though. That’s how we’ve approached it from the start and it got us here, challenging ourselves sonically. Between the That Feel producers, we have this little producer challenge where someone will drop a sample in the group chat just to see how differently our roster of producers approaches the same sample. I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
What’s coming next for you?
I have some stuff in the tuck, there are certain records that I can’t name right now but there’s a lot coming. CA$$O and I are working on an EP together, a follow-up to his first project Pleigha Nights which I’m executively producing. So it won’t just be my beats and my production but I’ll be curating any outside beats as well so we’re working on that currently. With the reception we got from “A’s Intro”, I’m trying to get an R&B tape with Ant going, we were laughing about it but that goes back to challenging ourselves so he was like “say less”. GRYFFYTH is getting his feet wet with the rapping and he’s talking about putting something together for that so I’d have a beat or two on that. That Feel as a whole has a lot coming out, we have our first project as a full group, That Feel and Friends, we call it that because we’re getting the whole South Florida scene involved in that one. Hopefully, we can get that out by the end of the year.