INTERVIEW: JD Farrell

Spending the last year honing his production skills and heightening his passion for sound design, Atlanta-based producer JD Farrell is ready to showcase the results of his studio sessions. Making a huge release debut in 2021 with his mammoth collaboration Reservoir alongside Sam Wolfe, the duo displayed their undeniable synergy and impressive production abilities. Sharing the decks with industry legends, including Alan Walker, Cristoph, Duke Dumont and many more, his energetic sets have taken him all around North America, and he is destined to share his authoritative sound with audiences around the rest of the globe. With his latest release, JD returns to Purified Records with Moccasin, and we caught up with him to discuss his journey so far, and new music.

What was the first thing that attracted you to the world of electronic music?

The music honestly. I’ve always been a musician and have always enjoyed electronic music. Coming up in the 90’s and 00’s it wasn’t hard to fall in love with it either! The people, show and festival experiences, as well as the general culture certainly add to the mix! Do you remember any album or concert that has changed everything?

Coming up I loved Ace of Base. 3 of their albums: Happy Nation, The Sign, and The Bridge are essentially the soundtracks of childhood. Who were your biggest musical influences growing up?

My parents were probably my biggest influences. My mother is a vocalist and instructor, my stepfather was a drummer, and my father was a pianist, so I was always around music. Aside from their motivation, I was always influenced by quality music. Genre agnostic – anything from classical, classic rock, blues, jazz, to rap, hip-hop, and electronic music. How has your journey been in the music industry so far?

Like every journey, you’ve got to start somewhere. I’m still budding but up to this point it’s been a pretty smooth ride. I’ve had the pleasure and benefit of working with some of the best producers in the world, and look forward to expanding on that as I continue to develop! What would you say is the definition of your sound?

My sound seeks to create a compelling journey from start to finish, inclusive of big, melodic, and progressive sounds that create a visceral connection. As for your studio, what is your setup currently made of?

As far as DAWs go, I work out of Ableton primarily. As far as sound, I’ve got a pair of Adam A7Xs and a KRK S10.4. For instruments I have guitars and drums, an Alesis V161 midi, Alesis sample pad pro, a Roland TB-03, and am adding the Moog Subsequent 37 analog synthesizer this week! How did you create your new track Moccasin (Purified Records)?

Mocassin started out as a drum loop I made initially, then I designed and layered some sounds and patched up the synth work. Once that was complete, I moved on to the breakdown, added pads and ear candies to brighten things up and build tension. The vocal was actually the final piece. The track was strong standalone, but it really needed a nice vocal to pull it altogether. Once the vocal was laced, I went back in, added FX and mixed everything down, then polished the final product. What was the last show you played and what was a track that really went off in your set?

Last show I played was last weekend, and Mocassin went off! Who is the one member of your team you'll never get rid of, no matter what?

Love you, Mom! If you could change something about the music industry, what would it be and why?

More enablement, less low-balling.