EP16 - Emily Underhill - "Synthsploration" with Tusks

This time, we speak to Emily Underhill, an artist and producer who performs under the name Tusks. After a self released Ep called ‘Ink’ in 2014, Tusks was signed by One Little Independent Records, and has gone on to release two albums with the label, Dissolve in 2017 and Avalanche in 2019. Tusks supported Bob’s band Alpines on tour, when Lawrence was playing keys in the live band, so the conversation picks up on many that we had sharing a tour van around Europe. Emily has been a self-producing artist from the beginning, but the majority of her tracks so far have been co-produced with longtime collaborator, producer and engineer Brett Cox. But the new EP ‘Change’ is entirely self-produced. At the start of the pandemic in 2020, Tusks had just finished a headline tour in support of the second album, so lockdown coincided with a period of creativity and experimentation for Emily as she looked towards the next release. Emily used the enforced isolation to explore and get better as a producer, learning her way around the synthesizers that had always been part of her work, but were now becoming the centrepiece. We start by discussing that time, and how it’s led to new EP ‘Change’, Click here for a playlist of Tusks’ work The Process of Production is presented by Lawrence Diamond and Bob Matthews. Lawrence cut his teeth playing and writing in Indie bands before finding international success and touring the world with his band CITIZENS! During that time he worked with a host of revered producers including Liam Howe, Mark Ralph and Alex Kapranos. Since the band ended in 2016 he’s been using that experience to help other artists develop their careers as a writer and producer while continuing to release his own music under various different guises. Bob learned his trade as the producer and multi-instrumentalist in Electronic Pop duo Alpines, whose career spans 3 albums, releases on major and indie record labels, shows with Florence + The Machine, The xx, Emeli Sandé, and a top 20 hit 'Tidal Wave' in collaboration with Sub Focus. In recent years he has turned his focus to producing other acts and has a studio in Chiswick in West London. If you have any feedback or questions, please email us: [email protected] Follow The Process of Production on Instagram @processofproduction If you like the podcast, please consider giving us a review on your podcast provider of choice! Thank you