Fuego Bxndz | Keeping it Nationwide with an International Presence
Working together for only a year and a half, it is amazing to see how quickly the duo have managed to plaster their name across the United States music scene.
It took some patience and prayer, but it looks like R&B has finally made its way back to the UK. After the recent success of Mnelia’s Say Yeah, UK producers are now becoming more comfortable in experimenting with the genre. Leading this charge is Milton Keynes producer duo, Fuego Bxndz. Their new single Down For It, featuring Florida-based singer Cory Jones, is modern R&B heaven and will instantly have you reminiscing about a pre-lockdown summer.
After working alongside each other in a retail shop, Laine Hitz and 88 Rackz decided that they would rather work as music partners, and thus Fuego Bxndz was born. Working together for only a year and a half, it is amazing to see how quickly the duo have managed to plaster their name across the United States music scene. Having produced for the likes of: Freebandz, MMG, Mozzy, Montana of 300, TJ Porter, Bay Swag & many more, Fuego Bxndz are eclectic with their sound.
I got the chance to chop it up with the duo and discuss their take on a number of things, including the UK music scene and the importance of branding.
How did you both get into music?
Laine: We were both working on music independently before we even formed Fuego Bxndz. I started making music about ten years ago and I was making beats on a program called FL Studios. We were both working at a retail store and that is how we met. We talked about music, what programs we used and soon ended up sending beats to each other to work on. We were doing that for years before starting Fuego Bxndz. After a while we decided, you know, we collaborate on most of the projects we work on, why don't we form a production group?
88: I think we have properly been doing this seriously as a business type thing for about a year and a half. Yeah, it’s strange how it came about working together in the shop. I can’t even remember how the first conversation went. Oh you make beats? Oh me too [laughs], and it sort of moved from there naturally.
Rahh, so you have only been making music together for one year?
Laine: We first met in 2015. We were sending beats back and forth to each other but I think the last year and a half is when we actually set up the group and actually put pen to paper. [We] started sending beats out to established artists as Fuego Bxndz and landing placements on albums ever since then. Now we’ve started to put our own music and broaden up our image globally.
Your band name and nicknames are quite interesting, how did it come about?
88: [We] spent about a day or so thinking of the direction we wanted to start going in. Obviously I'm gonna need a logo; a name; a brand. I remember when Laine rang me and said yeah this one is fire – FUEGO BXNDZ. It just sort of came about so we didn’t sit down and brainstorm ideas. We didn’t want to overthink it.
Fuego means fire in Spanish - you know how we make good music and inspire.
Laine: So I used to go by the name Laine without the Hitz. I wanted something that I could search on Google and there wouldn’t be any similarities out there.
88: For me there was literally no meaning, it was just a random name that popped into my head.
I believe one of you is Norwegian?
Laine: Yeah, I was born and raised and grew up there. I moved to the UK when I was around 14 years old. Moved to Milton Keynes and stayed there ever since.
Has your Norwegian background had any influence on the music Fuego produces?
Laine: Of course! You know in Scandinavia, they listen to a lot of EDM music, so Techno, Dance and Electro-House. I was able to use elements of that genre and incorporate that into the music we do now.
You are versatile in your sound. You have experimented with Trap and your new single Down for It is contemporary R&B. Is it a must for a producer to diversify their sound?
88: We are very much like that as people. Trap is my style and I sit in that zone and I’ll just make Atlanta trap type beats, but Laine used to do a bit more of the commercial side of music. So when we joined together he encouraged me to experiment with R&B, Dancehall and I sort of put him onto the Trap side. We can do any genre, we are very diverse in music we make. We have been told before that we need to focus on one style by a few people, but for us we prefer to keep all doors open. Why produce one style when you can do multiple?
That is an interesting take. Many people would advise upcoming producers to focus on mastering one style.
88: I have a style, however, I just believe that being able to produce an R&B record like Down For It, and then go produce for Fabolous, do a rap record and then go and do a Tory Lanez uptempo Trap type record just opens more opportunity.
Laine: Yeah, I agree with that. The industry is highly competitive and by just being able to make one sound, you are short changing yourself. You want to be able to cater to all types of artists and produce the sound they are looking for but with your own take on it. We have our own tag on all the beats we produce. In the intro you will hear “Hit me up Fuego'' on any song we produce.
You are starting to build up a healthy following, especially in the US. You have collaborated with a number of US artists. Your first single Nationwide featured Freebandz signed artist, Test. How did these collaborations come about?
88: I built a relationship with him [Test], probably about a year and a half ago. I went through a stage of - while I was at work - literally just sitting on my phone, Instagram- finding new artists to work with. He was one of the first to reach back in an email and from there we built quite a personal relationship. He comes to the UK quite a lot, we did 5 or 6 studio sessions with him. We were meant to go to one with Future but something popped up.
You have collaborated with a few UK artists as well. Will we be seeing any more of these collaborations?
88: Yeah, any scene. UK, anything. We are down to work!
Laine: Yeah, the UK scene is definitely at a healthy point, you know we have US artists like Drake taking influences from the UK scene, so it’s definitely a good time for us now to tap into that market. Especially cause it’s right at our doorsteps, we need to take advantage of it. It’s definitely a healthy market now compared to when I first started producing beats. Producers will really only take off once they have landed placements on projects in the US, then come back to the UK. But at this point you can do well in the UK, then go to places like the US with a portfolio of the work you have done.
In regard to the UK scene, some producers have complained that there is immense pressure put on them to adapt to popular sounds such as Drill, and Afroswing in their effort to find work. Would you agree?
88: Of course, yeah, I think so personally. I’ve made Drill beats, but yeah I definitely think it moulds where a producer needs to go. Most people will think if you want to land something in the UK you're gonna have to produce one of those two genres.
With your song, Down For It being an R&B record, how will you be able to land it in the UK?
Laine: I feel we can be the first to bring that vibe to the UK. More people are doing that style, so we can be the ones to bring that contemporary R&B to the UK. There is a specific type of R&B that’s doing well in the UK, very Neo Soul and chilled R&B, but really base heavy R&B not so much. We really wanna bring that back into the UK.
I know it is quarantine and chilling, but we would like to see a visual for the song. Will we be getting it?
Laine: [Laughs] We really wanted to do a visual for it but it's gonna be hard to get anything done, you know, with the current climate we are in. A song without a visual can be a disadvantage especially if it’s a song that people are gravitating to.
With us being locked in, as producers how have you been recharging your creativity?
88: For me personally I’m quite lucky, I live in a more rural area. I can go for a walk, have some lunch come back and reset myself. I’ve got my own studio in my house which is great as I go in and out whenever I want to. I think it’s the same for Laine too.
Laine: Yeah, it's definitely the same for me. I take a step out for half an hour to reset that creativity, but one thing I’ve learnt is do not force anything. If you're not in the mood or zone to make any music, just stop then and there and come back to it tomorrow. That really works well for me. It really needs to be the right energy and right feeling to make something.
88: Yeah, just adding on that, spot on. Sometimes I haven’t jumped on the studio for two days ‘cause, you know, I haven’t gotten anything really. There is always something productive to do, if it’s not making beats it’s sending out emails, looking for new artists. There was a time before the quarantine thing, I think where it was nearly a week before I even jumped on my software. I was just organizing some beats around folders, who we sent emails to recently, but when you do get that inspiration you can come back and start making.
It’s funny when you say not forcing it. I feel there is pressure on some artists to produce mass content right now as they feel they have to.
Laine: Yeah, it’s all about being productive. Sometimes making plenty of music everyday might not be the best thing to do, you know? Maybe spend some time on the marketing side, this is like if you're unsigned and you haven’t got a management to do the work for you. Utilize your time effectively. I definitely would say the cliché “quality over quantity” really plays a part.
88: Yeah, someone once told me that it wasn’t to do with music but with something in my old job about 5 years ago. They said “look, you can have the best products but if you’re not marketing then there’s no point in even making them. You can make the best beats in the world but then you have no idea how to send them to a client’s email”. We went through a stage where we sat down and said we really need to work out a marketing strategy that’s 80% marketing, 20% beats. We have 200 beats on our drive, some have been sitting there for years, while others have for a week. We send these beats in batches. In between we jump on and create more beats, then go back to sending. For me, it's very important to build a brand and market your products.
That’s a very good point, I think a lot of aspiring producers can get caught up in producing the beats and less so on building the brand.
88: There are a lot of things that are key but building relationships is one of the biggest.
Which producers have most influenced your approach to production, and why did they have that influence?
Laine: For me, the first producer I really got into was Timberland because he was producing all types of music. He is really diverse in his work and I really wanna emulate that.
88: For me, the style of music that I started making, and still love making now, is the ATL vibes. For me, it’s the new producers like Turbo the Great. I love OG Parker’s beats - a couple of years ago I listened to a lot from him. Lex Luger is another influence. I’ll say my top 3 are Metro Booming, Turbo, and Murda Beatz.
What can we expect from you in the near future? Any EPs we can look forward to?
Laine: We are going to constantly be releasing singles for the next whole year. If people don’t know you or your music, they don’t really have the time to go through a whole project unless they are really invested in you.
88: [We’ll] continue in building the brand up!