Wax Motif talks creative process behind new single ‘In My Hands’ (DMNW Interview)

Australian producer Wax Motif recently dropped another banger that is a must-add to our melodic house playlists. In My Hands featuring Camden Cox boasts a smooth bass-heavy groove and has been a fan-favorite on his ongoing House of Wax Tour. 

We had the chance to sit down with Wax Motif in Vancouver, BC, and chat about the new single and how it came to be.

DMNW: What was the creative process behind your new single?

WAX:  In My Hands is definitely one of my favorite songs I’ve produced. We actually did it a few days before EDC. We went to Vegas early and were doing studio sessions that Insomniac had set up for us. They invited a bunch of people like me, Matroda, Camden [Cox], and a bunch of singers and songwriters. Camden and I had already started on this one idea that we wanted to continue. I played it for her, and she was like ‘That sounds dumb to me, let’s make something else.’ And I was like, ‘Shit, I don’t really have a plan now.’ So, we just cooked the beat up from scratch.  It was pretty bare bones, but I was like ‘If you’d like to sing to this bit, I can make it work on the rest.’ There were other writers that she worked with, Emer and Sophie, who cooked up that top line. I basically took it from there. I worked on it pretty quickly and then tried it out at EDC.  After that, it took another 4 or 5 months to get all the little synth sounds and hits to be as I wanted it.

DMNW: Did you gauge anything based on the crowd reaction at EDC?

WAX: I was trying to, but to be honest, I was so tired at that point. I had already played a few nights earlier, so I was trying to pay attention but I really don’t know if I was. I try to think back on the moment, but I don’t remember much. That happens all the time. It goes so quickly and you’re so wrapped up in things that it all turns into a blur after a bit.  But yeah, I tested it a lot after that.

DMNW: You just played Lost Lands, right? How was that?

WAX: That was pretty cool! It was my first time playing a non-house festival. It was pretty cool though, I think those kids really welcomed the break from all the dubstep for a bit. The stage was packed which was awesome. I had a really good time and I got to play some drum and bass, and some bass music as well.

DMNW:  That’s awesome! We’ve been talking to lots of artists recently who have said that Lost Lands has been one of their favorite festivals to play. Seems like everyone just loves it.

WAX: Yeah it’s kind of crazy how that turned out, huh? They call it dubstep EDC or, better yet, dubstep Disneyland.

 

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DMNW: Do you have any upcoming collaborations coming out, or anything that you are working on?

WAX: Yeah! I think the only one I can talk about is a collab with ZHU. We’ve actually done a few songs together, but there is one that he is going to use on his project. He’s going on tour right now and started playing it on this tour, so I assume it’ll come out soon. I have another collab in the works with these Brazilian guys. There are a lot of house Brazilian guys [in the scene] right now so I’m working with a bunch of them, which is cool. Their names are Doug and Greg which are like the oddest names, but they’re cool and make really good music. I’m excited about the song we have coming out together.

DMNW: You blend a lot of different genres and sounds so seamlessly. Where do you think you got that ear to be able to do so?

WAX: A lot of it comes from having to play my own music in my sets. Especially these shows where it’s like a hard ticket show, I try and play as many of my bigger songs as possible. If I went to see my favorite band play and they didn’t play my favorite song, I’d be pretty upset. Because of that, the set tends to go across genres and I just try and link it all together with the in-between stuff. I think it’s just that my discography is wide so it forces me to go in different directions. But, if I have a longer set, I can pace it out a bit better. But, with these shorter ones, I’m kind of just trying to fly through really quickly.

DMNW: How has the House of Wax tour been going?

WAX: It’s been going great! It’s like my first tour playing these high-ticket venues so, yeah, it’s been awesome. We have sold out 10 out of 16 shows so far. We have the biggest ones coming up next week which is in LA at the Shrine, and then Denver at Mission Ballroom. So, yeah, it will be cool. I think the Shrine will be my biggest solo headline show so it’s very exciting!

 

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DMNW: How has tour life been treating you?

WAX: Honestly, it’s been pretty rough. We’ve been on tour for almost 2 months now, and I haven’t really been home a lot. Maybe a week in total. But it kind of chills out after this weekend. I’m looking forward to having a bit more time between shows, because right now it just feels like  I’m always prepping for the next one. I haven’t had a lot of studio time or just general life time. It’s been amazing, but I’m also looking forward to having a bit of a break.

DMNW: Are you guys touring on a tour bus?

WAX: We were going to do a bus but I just thought flying would be better. So, we’ve been mainly flying but this weekend we were driving which has actually been pretty cool and I think I actually prefer that. Airports right now are kind of fucked and sometimes we have to arrive up to 3 hours early for customs and stuff. So driving has been much nicer.

DMNW: Do you have a favorite track to play on tour?

WAX: Probably the Mochakk remix of Express Yourself right now– that’s one of my favorites. Or maybe Atmosphere by Fisher, just because everyone resonates with it and it’s not a heavy banger.  Everyone loves a chill, mellow song.

DMNW: Do you have any favorites from your House of Wax album?

WAX: I think the ones structured more like a song like Live for the Night and Waiting are my favorites. I guess I just like them because they take more work than making club songs so I’m prouder of them. They all have full vocals, choruses, and bridges. It feels like, as a producer, it’s more of an accomplishment even if they don’t maybe stream as well or get played as much.

DMNW: What is it like having your own record label?

WAX: It’s cool! I think every producer wants their own label at one point. It’s nice being able to sign stuff that I really like, and it’s great being able to give my friends a platform to do stuff on.

DMNW: Any funny moments on the tour so far?

WAX: Yeah, last night was pretty funny. There was this girl holding up a sign that said “Fat Girls Love Wax Motif” and all of her friends were laughing and cheering. Another moment was earlier today when I got grilled by customs they thought I was high because my eyes were all glazed. The tour keeps things fun and interesting for sure.

Wax Motif has just wrapped up his House of Wax tour. We can’t wait to see what the rest of the year has in store for him and are so excited for his upcoming collaborations. In the meantime, be sure to check out his album House of Wax!