Interview: EQRIC’s Skills Shine On New Pop-House EP “Dark Lies”

With over 40 million collective Spotify streams on his catalog, support in some of the largest EDM playlists on Spotify, and heavy radio play on his infectious tunes, including features on SLAM! Radio and numerous other radios around Europe, EQRIC is without a doubt a massively promising and emerging dance music star. Having already released more than 10 singles this year, while receiving support from tastemaker YouTube channels such as Trap City, House Nation, Chill Nation, xKito Music, MrSuicideSheep, the Canadian talent is now ready for one of his biggest projects to date, his brand new, 3-track EP Dark Lies. 
Coming to digital platforms via Nightblue Music & Deep Universe, Dark Lies is an incredibly cohesive project, seeing EQRIC pull influence from deep house classics, while infusing them with his own distinct sound. Featuring vocals from previous collaborator Britt Lari on “Dark Lies” and “Amsterdam,” as well as Joanna on “Can’t Handle My Love,” the EP perfectly showcases EQRIC’s incredible chemistry with his collaborators, as well as his immense talent in crafting timeless house gems. 
“‘Dark Lies’ encapsulates a meaningful stage in my life, sharing an original body of work using the artistic styles I’ve developed throughout my musical career. I worked closely with Britt Lari and Joanna to write this collection of original songs, and designed the album artwork myself, to create a unique and cohesive EP,” says EQRIC.

You just released your EP Dark Lies. Talk to us a bit about the story behind it and how it came about. 

Recently I’ve been making many cover songs that have received lots of positive feedback, but I wanted to express my creativity further with some originals. I teamed up with the talented singers Britt Lari and Joanna to write this “Dark Lies” EP comprised of 3 original songs. I was going for a “dark deep house” style with catchy pop vocals. The 3 tracks cohesively tell the story of a broken relationship, using intricate ambiences and deep basslines to drive the emotional vocals throughout the tracks.

We’ve seen that you love to collaborate with multiple vocalists and producers. What makes a great collaborator for you? 

Collaborating at an international level, I’ve made great friendships over the years with other musicians across the world. For me, the best part about collaborating on projects is that I can delegate certain work to members of the team that are particularly skilled in that area. From mixing, mastering, production, songwriting, artwork creation and beyond, I strongly value unique ideas and team members who work hard to produce quality results.

How did you start immersing yourself into the world of production, and what were some of your earliest influences? 

I was enrolled in piano lessons at a young age, and began to explore other creative mediums in highschool. I stumbled across music production software at the age of 15, after hearing about an older student at my highschool producing EDM music. My early influences in the EDM scene were acts such as Mesto and Martin Garrix.

At what point in your musical journey did you realize that you can turn this passion into a full-time career?

Funny enough, music isn’t my full-time career. I am currently a university student in Canada studying Medicine. One day I hope to be a doctor; save lives during the day and make music during the night!

You’ve seen massive success releasing covers of some of the world’s greatest hits over the years. Why do you think dance covers resonate so much with people?

There’s no better feeling than stumbling across a re-worked version of a childhood hit song. New, fresh production elements working together with the old hit melodies gives a feeling of nostalgia and excitement that resonates deeply with dance music enthusiasts.

What’s the biggest advice you would give to a young producer looking up to you and wanting to build a career out of music? 

Everything is easier when you collaborate with a like-minded team to optimize the yield of your work. The first step is to make good music, but the more important step is to understand the value of working with others to effectively distribute and promote that music in the digital space.

You’ve certainly hit some massive milestones in your career, such as amassing over 40 million collective streams on Spotify and being ranked among the Top 100 Canadian musicians. What milestone is next on your bucket list? 

– Spotify has been good to me, and I hope to hit 100 million streams within the next year. I just need 1 single to take-off, to help further the trajectory of my music career into something bigger. Let’s see what the next year has in store!

Do you have any exciting plans for the future that you’d like to share?

Keep an eye out for many more releases this year, with some particularly exciting cover songs coming out in December!

Where do you see yourself in five years?

It’s hard to say, but I’m sure I will still be involved in the music industry. Let’s see where life takes me!