Sonny Fodera joins Rebecca Judd on Apple Music 1 to discuss his only UK headline show of the year at Depot Mayfield for The Warehouse Project, why The Warehouse Project is so good, the reaction to his new UK chart-topping single ‘Somedays’, and how he picked his Warehouse Project lineup. Sonny also talks on his dream collabs, how his collaborations come about and how complete his new album is.
Sonny Fodera talks about his two nights at Warehouse Project and why it’s his favourite place to perform….
The energy in that room at the depot in Mayfield, it's just special. I was just looking at some clips today from the shows on the weekend. The energy, the vibe and reactions you can't really beat it. I don't think there's anywhere in the world that's like it. There's something special about that place, and then every DJ that you probably speak to will tell you the same thing. It's very unique. They've gone from different venues, but it's something about what they bring with the production, the sound system. It's in a warehouse. That's the whole thing, warehouse project. It's just such a special event.
Sonny Fodera talks why Warehouse Project is so good…
It's got that rave vibe about it, and I think that's what makes it quite unique from the typical club with the effects and the lighting, but they still managed to kind of add that in there, and I think that is why it's so special.
Sonny Fodera on the Warehouse Project’s reaction to his new single ‘Somedays’ and Jazzy performing…
The reaction was insane. The first night when I played it, I played it as the first track, it was so deafening. Everyone's singing it back, and then the second night, I booked Jazzy that night, she actually DJ'ed earlier in the night on the Saturday, and I'm like, "you've got to come out and sing it". She's like, "yeah, let's do it". But when she came up, honestly, I can't describe it, but I'm going to post a clip later on my socials when she came out and yeah, it was just special. Very special.
Sonny Fodera on how playing new music live lets him know if it’s going to be a hit…
The first time I ever played it [‘Somedays’] was actually at my Ally Pally set back earlier in the year, and I was like, "yeah, no, this is the new single", and I played it and the reaction, I was just like, "nah this is going to be big, this is going to be a big one!" To be honest, I had the same thing with 'Asking' - with that track the first time I played that, I think it was in a show in Liverpool, and the reaction on that was just like, yeah. I mean you can really tell, I think especially playing to people that come and buy tickets to see me and listen to my music, and you kind of know.
Sonny Fodera on why he picked his Warehouse Project lineup…
Jazzy, obviously we've got the tracks together. Danny Howard, I've got a residency with in Ibiza. Saffron Stone is on my label. Arielle Free, I played with her back to back on loads of sets and stuff. Just some good friends and great DJs, to be honest. I've seen them all play a million times and hung out with them, so I kind of know what to expect. Especially Danny, me and him play every week together.
Sonny Fodera on playing a new unreleased song at Warehouse Project…
I've actually just played a new one, That was for both nights. Yeah, this new one I've just made and I think it's the next single, so yeah. Exciting. Clementine Douglas wrote the vocal, I'm not going to say who's singing it yet… and it's a winter record as well. We're coming into winter and it's got that kind of rave vibe, progressive house vibe to it as well.
Sonny Fodera on his dream collabs (Calvin Harris, Anne-Marie, Sinead Harnett)...
I would love to do a record with Calvin Harris…We chat a lot and we had a few ideas going, I'd say vocalist, maybe like Anne-Marie or someone like that. She's near me and we've got a lot of mutual friends and I think something might be happening there. I'd like to do something with Sinead Harnett again, we’ve been chatting about that. She's smashing it and I remixed her track 'Unconditional' and that in my sets is just such an epic moment.
Sonny Fodera on how his collaborations come about…
With Clem (Clementine Douglas), it's different. I'll send her a track or something, she'll kind of go away and write it because we actually, we started writing together in lockdown and that's how everyone was working together. No one was in the studio, everyone was on Zoom or whatever doing that, or sending ideas over email. But for example, 'Somedays', Clem wrote the vocal with me and Jazzy in the studio in Ladbroke Grove. We got together and we literally wrote it there. Sometimes I'll get sent ideas. Sometimes I'll get in the studio with people. It does vary so much. Every track's different.
Sonny Fodera on how complete his new album is…
The last 10 percent is always the hardest, so I'd say 90%. I've got all the songs there. And just those little 10%, those little tweaks that you need to do at the end, like the fills and the finesse... I guess it's called. They're the bits that always take the longest. It's very club focused, radio focused as well. What I'm kind of doing and what I'm playing out really. Yeah, and I might chuck in a few little curve balls in there.
