German producer and songwriter Toby Gad. Photo Credit: Oswaldo Cepeda.
German producer and songwriter Toby Gad chatted about his new album “Piano Diaries — The Hits,” which was released today.
How did you approach the song selection process for the new album?
This album features my biggest songs, so it’s the Top8 of all the songs I have released in my career. Later in the year I might release a deluxe edition with a few more songs but for now this is the essence of my career as a songwriter.
Were your going for a certain theme?
I have never been trendy. My goal was to make these new versions so timeless that they will sound just as current in twenty years from now. I spent a long time figuring out piano parts to create an accompaniment that can exist with few notes, a minimalist approach, and give the vocal a lot of room to breathe and unfold so that the lyric can shine through.
What is your personal favorite song on there and why?
“Untouched.” I love the original and it took me a long time to figure out how I could translate that energy into a piano – cello – vocal arrangement. I must have recored two hundred takes over three weeks of the piano until I was happy with the arpeggios on this version.
What is your advice for young and emerging artists?
Find out why you love music and find out what makes you unique. What can you do that only you can do? Something that sets you apart. Build on that.
Explore that and share your unique love for the music and the joy of it. And everything always takes a lot longer that expected, so hang in there.
How does it feel to be an artist in the digital age? (Now with streaming, technology, and social media being so prevalent)
I feel back in the day the record labels were the gatekeepers, they were between the audience and the artist and they would curate what the audience could hear and see. This has changed radically.
Now the audience and the artist can be in direct contact and there are so many successful independent artists, it is very empowering.
Back in the day, labels would have to press physical CD’s, deliver the right quantity at the right time to all the stores, then start their promotion, hoping to direct the audience into those stores and persuade them with an eye grabbing cover to pay $20 for a piece of plastic they can only listen to after they have purchased it.
That’s crazy if you think about it now. I love that any artist now can just put their records on Spotify, Amazon and Apple via Distrokid, AWAL, and build their own community of listeners. It’s incredibly liberating and great for diversity.
My daughter and most of her friends only listen to independent artists, totally disconnected from Taylor Swift or other mainstream artists. That makes our musical landscape so much richer.
Which artists would you like to a dream duet with someday?
Pink, Norah Jones, and Adele.
What are some of your favorite mottos to live by?
Always give your best and never expect anything in return. Go out to Nature every day. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables every day.
I love surfing, kiteboarding and standup paddle boarding. I love bicycle riding. That makes me feel alive and gives me so much energy.
What would you like to tell our readers about your new album? (What’s the one thing you want them to get out of it)
When I write songs it’s often just a piano and a vocal. On this record I want to give listeners that magical first-time-feeling I had when we originally wrote these hit songs.
The purity and simplicity of these compositions, some of which are still on the radio today, performed by incredible vocalists of today.
His new album is available on digital service providers by clicking here.
To learn more about Toby Gad and his music, follow him on Instagram, and check out his Linktree page.