Interview: edapollo on Vulnerability, Singing, and the Cinematic Journey of His New Album Every Cloud..

Last week we celebrated the release of edapollo's brand new record Every Cloud.., and what's better way to honour his artistry than a discussion around his experience, process and growth as an artist. Ed, who I've had the pleasure of meeting in person, is a really chilled guy who deserves all the wins that has happened to him. Released via Beyond Records, the album is a wonderful electronic journey through emotions that has grown on me over the course of the last few weeks.

He's currently on tour, but managed to find some time and let us peek into the creative world of Every Cloud... Hope you enjoy our chat!

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Hi Ed, it's a pleasure to have you here!  If you can use only 1 word to describe how you feel today, what would that be?

Sweaty. These last few days in LA have gotten REALLY HOT!

Every Cloud.. is described as your “most personal and expansive” record yet - what shift in your life or mindset sparked that evolution?

A big chunk of the record was written during a turbulent time, where I was experiencing acute insomnia. When I couldn’t sleep I would sometimes stay up through the night, working on music and that’s when a lot of the songs were started.

I started to recover from that period simultaneously as the album was nearing completion and that’s where the title Every Cloud.. came from. It felt like I was approaching my silver lining after that rough period. 

Any reason for the ".." at the end of the title?

I liked using just the Every Cloud.. part to take those two words out of the full context of the phrase "Every cloud has a silver lining".

It’s a nod to the full phrase but i think as a listener, having the dots also leaves the title to be interpreted in your own way, which I liked.

You said the album represents “a time of change and reflection.” Could you share one specific moment that inspired a track?

One of the final songs I finished was "First Light" featuring Mild Minds, I felt like this song was a turning point where I was finding myself again after the turbulent period of insomnia.

It’s an uplifting track and lyrically it also reflects the idea of searching for light and positive change, so it sort of captures this moment in time where everything was improving.

There's a lot more of your vocal abilities on the record. How does it feel? Do you feel more exposed this way, and what was the experience like? What was it like stepping further into the role of vocalist?

It was fun using my voice more on "Fall Away", "Mixtape" & "Ghost", they’re actually 3 of my favourite songs on the record and I think it’s partly because I feel like I can express myself a little more using my own voice, rather than relying on other people to sing or sampling. It’s definitely more exposing and nerve wracking sharing songs with my voice on them but part of being an artist is exploring new ideas and using my voice felt like an important part of telling more of my story on this record.

You mentioned weaving in personal field recordings. Where and why you used them?

My favourite field recording on the record is probably in the middle section of "DNY" where I sampled my friend talking about her experiences with relationships on a phone call with her. It’s a pretty personal moment but she kindly let me share it on the track and I think it adds a real emotional weight to that song.

I always admire producers who can include talking style samples and pull them off effectively within their music. I think its kind of a brave thing to do because you could potentially be ruining a piece of music if it’s not done well but I think when it’s done well, it can really take the music to a whole other level.

I wanted that section to feel like a scene from a film and I’m really happy with how it turned out.

How do you balance intricate sound design with the emotional storytelling you aim for?

I normally focus on the fundamentals of the song first, making sure the chords and atmosphere hits me with some sort of emotional response. If I’m feeling something, then I try to create a sonic world within it that extends that emotional weight taking the listener on a journey.

Overall, I approach every song differently depending on how I’m feeling, some songs want to be more simple and others take time to refine & understand where to take it.

What advice would you give to young electronic producers today? What has changed since the times you started producing and releasing music?

I would say try to not follow trends too much and try to craft a sound that is yours. Experimenting is key. Also, try to really enhance the story behind your music through your branding and visual world. 

You’ve described the album as cinematic. If it were a film, what kind of movie would it be?

I think it would be a slow-burning, introspective road movie, the kind that’s less about the destination and more about the emotional journey. It wouldn’t rely on heavy plot twists or action, but rather on atmosphere, visuals, and moments of quiet reflection. Think of wide-open landscapes, golden-hour light, and scenes where the main character is just looking out the window as the scenery shifts - not much said, but everything felt.

Which track best represents the feeling of change you were going through when writing this?

Probably "First Light" because it felt like that was around the time I was starting to feel myself again. It's an uplifting song which contrasts to some of the more sombre moments on the record.

Is there a particular lyric or melody on the record that feels like your most vulnerable moment?

All the lyrics on "Ghost" are pretty vulnerable, I wrote most of them in the early hours of the morning, on a solo drive around LA when I couldn’t sleep one night.

I was listening to the instrumental and the lyrics & melodies just started coming out. It’s written like an open letter to someone you thought you knew, who never really existed.

What's on your playlist right now? Something we might be sleeping on.

I’ve been listening to a lot of Vegyn. His production is so creative and I think he’s really pushing the boundaries of electronic music. 

Also, my good friend Tropics who helped with the production on "Ghost" and "Mixtape" from the album just released a stunning new record called Reality Fever, check it out.

ps we covered "Circlestrum" from last week and it's a dope album [Ivo]

You’re co-headlining a European tour with Juno Mamba - how are you imagining these new tracks translating live?

It’s been fun creating a new live show around this record and exploring how to play them live, I’ll be experimenting with re-structuring the tracks to be more expansive in a live environment.

Making the songs bigger and more emotive. I also really want people to dance and have a great time, so that’s a big focus of the set, creating an audio-visual world people can lose themselves in for an hour.

What do you hope fans walk away with after hearing Every Cloud.. live for the first time?

I hope they can leave feeling positive energy and take that with them in to their daily lives. I also hope it brings a deeper meaning and connection to the album.

What's next for edapollo?

After I complete the European tour, I will be heading to San Francisco to play a special show alongside my friends Nasaya & Seb Wildblood @ California Academy of Arts and Sciences. Then I will head back to LA to finish some other music for a couple of other projects I’m very excited to be working on, can’t share much about those just yet though…

Credit Photograhy @ Liam Oz

If you like edapollo music and fancy checking out more of this kind of uplifting electronica, drop by our selections alternative dancefloor and chill electronica.