Toby Gad is a Grammy-winning songwriter known for working with iconic names including Beyonce, John Legend and Armin Van Buuren, across his hugely successful career. Fresh for the Spring, he has just unleashed his latest single ‘Oh Lord’ with producer Chapter & Verse with #1 UK artist Pixie Lott on vocals, as well as a Dance Mix from LA-based friend and producer AFSHEEN, for an epic package that will attract both electronic and pop fans in their droves. We sat down with Toby to talk all about this latest release, inspirations and what the power of collaboration means to him…
Thanks for chatting to us Toby! Please tell us about your new single ‘Oh Lord’!
Thanks for having me guys! ‘Oh Lord’ was a track I created with Chapter & Verse and my good friend Pixie Lott, she is an amazing UK vocalist that I’m sure a lot of people are familiar with and I was so excited for us to work together again. Our original version takes on this pop form that then almost treads into a sound that is acoustic and country-tinged, using these super interesting guitar lines as the backdrop. The response has been amazing already, thankyou all for your support!
You added two extra mixes to your original that push us onto the dancefloor with Chapter & Verse and AFHSEEN, why did you decide to do this rather than a standalone single?
I always like collaborating with different artists and I’m certainly not an artist that just appreciates mainstream pop. I’ve always been linked with dance music across its various genres and I was super excited to hear C&V and AFSHEEN wanted to come onboard. For me, no single is one-sided and nor should it seem that to the listener, which is why I always enjoy dipping my toe into those different elements to really present that in an obvious, yet fresh context.
Have you always had an affinity with dance music?
Yes, I have. Although pop music does have my heart, dance music excites us so much and the sheer level that EDM, house, drum n bass etc has penetrated the mainstream over the past decade is amazing.
What leads you to your collaborators in you career? What makes an artist have that spark that invited you in?
I just have to have a connection with that artist, aswell as their ideas. I have worked with numerous songwriters, producers, managers and so on throughout my long career, of which I’m super grateful for. We could connect on an emotional level, a creative level, or even just an expressive level that helps us understand each others ideas and views. To me, that is invaluable.
Tell us more about your relationship with AFSHEEN, as you guys have been friends for a while, right?
Yes! I met AFSHEEN over a decade ago when we connected through his manager at the time. I always knew he had a talent that the world needed to hear. His production skill was something that really stood out to me when EDM and house music were spiking at the time, and still to this day is an artist I’m super connected to.
You have released dance remixes with names including Axel Cooper previously, will we see more in the future across your projects?
Yes, for sure! I am pushing into new territories that I’ve not before that I hope will come to fruition soon enough, all will be revealed!
You are the name behind huge tracks including Beyonce’s ‘If I Were A Boy’ and John Legend’s ‘All Of Me’, how do you approach your songwriting as a process? What is your secret?
It is different with every artist and every release. I am an emotional person at heart and I think that is what makes my writing style resonate so much, I always want to bring a relatability to the forefront and feed that into my songwriting as a story for the listener. There is no secret, it all comes from the heart!
You’re also gearing up to release your next artist album, Piano Diaries Vol.1, tell us about that?
Piano Diaries Vol 1 is a project that has been a long time coming for me! I wanted to take my original track that I’ve wrote across my career and bring these to a whole new audience, with recreations for a fresh generation. I have worked with amazing people including Victoria Justice, Keke Palmer, Aloe Blacc so far for example, one some singles we have already released. I cannot wait for this to be released into the world!
Will we be seeing these tracks from the album on tour at all?
You can follow me on social media, all will be revealed!
Finally, what is next for Toby Gad in 2024!
I will be playing some shows in LA and also in London in May, which I cannot wait for and we also have some new singles coming very soon – oh, and ‘Oh Lord’ is out now! 😊