Conversations with Neel Erickson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Neel Erickson

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I first got started in music back in 2017, when I found myself dissatisfied with my career path in the corporate world. I just wasn’t finding the same motivation for work that most of my peers had; I constantly found myself distracted with music, attending live events whenever I could.

There was something about the energy of live music that really connected with me, and I knew that I wanted to spend my life creating these experiences for others. So, one day I decided to give production a shot, and I immediately fell in love with the craft.

For the first year, I was largely self-taught: I watched YouTube videos, took some online beginner courses, and found my first mentor, Connor O’Brien (Palisade on Spotify). He encouraged me to move to LA to attend Icon Collective in 2019, where I learned the ins-and-outs of production, writing, and recording.

Following that, I moved to Denver and began getting into ghost production and sound engineering while slowly building up my artist project. I’ve played around with a bunch of different genres, but my main project – Harmonee – is focused on melodic house and has just launched this year.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s been as smooth of a road as I could hope for!

I think I’ve faced a lot of the struggles most artists deal with – what kind of music do I make? What really connects with me? What do I want to write about?

The only way through all of it was just to explore – I’ve written hundreds of songs in experimentation just to find out what I like vs. not. Sure, sometimes it’s a bit of a drag and I question my entire existence – but doesn’t everyone?

At the end of the day, I love what I do and am grateful for this journey – struggles included.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My personal artist project – Harmonee – is all about human connection. While the music is melodic house and techno focused, my strongest aspect is definitely in vocal production. I absolutely love the human voice (despite not being able to sing very well myself), and I’m able to work with singers to produce the best performance possible and compose a song around it. In all of my tracks, you’ll hear a captivating vocal line paired with nature-inspired soundscapes and powerful synths.

Outside of my project, I work as a mixing and mastering engineer – again, specializing in any music with vocals. I make sure to take the time to really understand what any given song needs – how to best emphasize the intended emotion in the lyrics and reflect that in the instrumental. My work has been featured on several Spotify playlists including New Music Friday.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Ha – a lot of things. I’m a super optimistic and easy going person, and I’m definitely still a bit of a child on the inside. Above all else, I love seeing other people happy and in their element – when people around me feel safe & comfortable and have a big smile on their faces, I’m bound to be the same.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://harmoneemusic.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/harmoneemusic
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/harmoneemusic
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/harmoneemusicofficial
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5bcriaD6a4mOYI2Bqr0yh2?si=LasMd8dHQZmUlgPQHsiOaw

Image Credits
Jason Carothers
Chris Rieger