Working in a cancer center is not a regular day job for most DJs; in fact, it’s an atmosphere that most of the general public will never understand. For DC-based artist, Eau Claire, it’s not uncommon to spend most waking hours working with terminally-ill patients.
Fortunately her upbeat personality brings an optimism and energy that is reflected in her music – a sound that inspires listeners to not stress and instead relish not being in control, if only for an instant. To her, working in a somber environment has created a reality that has reshaped her perspective on life, and her music is an attempt to balance out those serious emotions and focus her energy towards the light-hearted.
“I want [listeners] to be happy and forget about what they’re worrying about and totally get lost in it and enjoy,†said Eau Claire, in an exclusive interview with Blisspop. “My music sounds the way it does because that’s how I am, who I am, and it reflects a bit on my personality – a happy, easy-going person.â€
As a registered dietician, helping people lead healthy, nutritious lives is part of her job but it wasn’t until she began working with oncology patients in 2013 that she redirected her feelings into a more creative outlet: production. This worked out quite well for her.
At the end of 2013, her remix of Stevie Wonder’s “Uptight†hit Top-10 Hype Machine gold – going from clicks and listens to favorites and follows not long after. This success eventually led to multiple widely-celebrated remixes, including Marvin Gaye’s “How Sweet It Is,†Mike Posner’s “Cooler Than Me,†and MIA’s “Paper Planes†– a big splash  that spurred wide recognition across the industry at an early stage of her career.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/175132340″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Soon after, her allure as a top-level remixer has brought her endless opportunities to take her positive, feel-good vibe to venues across the country – even helping to revitalize the indie dance scene here in DC through her “Feed Me Disco†showcase. In fact, this Calgary, Canada native is one of Blisspop’s artists to watch out for in 2016 due to her innovative blend of pop and R&B vocals, synth breakdowns, house feels, and deep basslines.
“To be honest, I didn’t know much about genres of music. I just started creating music that was similar to what I liked and it flowed from there,†she said. “I tried touching other styles, like EDM, but it never went anywhere and I ended up coming back to this kind of dance.â€
According to Eau Claire, her vibe is one that has taken the shape of several house music varieties, largely nu disco and indie dance, developing her very own brand of “chill house.†To me, her music feels in line with other new wave break-through artists (i.e. Zimmer, Hotel Garuda, Autograf, and the like) who built their sounds off of early 2000s trendsetters Goldroom and the French Express collective.
In 2015, she released her first official remix of Pink Feathers‘ “The Feeling’s Gone†– an energetic mix that wreaks bubbly grooves, giving it an almost Madonna-esque sound. Now in 2016, Eau Claire is taking her brand of chill house to the next level with her official remix of Naomi Pilgrim’s “Sink Like A Stone†set to be released soon by Cosmos Music on an all-female remix package.
According to Eau Claire, her approach to remixes like Pilgrim’s revolves around taking the original and inserting her personality into the track – whether that’s rewriting basslines or rethinking how the breakdown can have more emotion – all while adjusting the pitch of the vocals to account for tempo, without losing the quality of her voice.
She has big plans for 2016, including a self-produced EP that she is currently working on getting out to labels. The EP even includes a single that has her very own vocals on it, called “All the Wonder†as well as another track called “Room†featuring D.C.-based vocalist Camille Michelle Grey.
With a hopeful release of the EP this year, Eau Claire will be looking to take her chill house, and personality, to the streets with an American tour this year – not to mention her “Feed Me Disco†show at U Street Music Hall on June 4 with special guest Pat Lok as well as the DC-native, nu disco connoisseurs Bête Noire as the opener.
If you can’t wait that long, check out her biweekly radio show called Feed Me Disco on Dash Radio’s “The Lab†channel – which runs at 11 PM EST. Moreover, be on the lookout for her Feed Me Disco mixes – with Volume 13 just released!
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/262483403″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Don’t take it from me – listen to Eau Claire and feel better.