I had the pleasure of sitting down with Eau Claire prior to her opening for Flight Facilities at the 9:30 Club. Read on to discover why this humble and easygoing producer is catching the attention of major labels with her disco inspired, feel good beats.

Ana Medvedeva (AM): I read that you grew up as a classically trained pianist. What inspired you to transition from that to electronic music?

Eau Claire (EC): I had just been broken up with and I always liked music. I felt like I had all this energy inside me that I didn't want to just use sulking over this guy. I was watching a movie, Pitch Perfect, and it triggered something in my mind...the girl in the movie, what's her name?

AM: Anna Kendrick?

EC: Yeah! She produces in the movie, and it showed a couple of clips of her DJ equipment. I was like, 'Oh, so you need software' and immediately started to do research on what it takes to do music production.

I started out with trying some of those programs, and obviously had no idea what I was doing. But that's what got me into it!

AM: You're originally from here (DC) right?

EC: No, so I was actually born in Canada!

AM: No way! Where in Canada?

EC: Calgary, but I moved down here when I was very young, probably second grade. That was when I started taking piano lessons and I took them all the way until I was off to college.

AM: This is a very generic question, but how did you come up with your name?

EC: Great question, it actually has to do with Canada. I was vacation with my family one summer, and we were walking through a market to go swimming at the YMCA. The market was called Eau Claire, and it clicked because it reminded me of home and it matches my style. It's fun, playful, and colorful.

AM: That's great! You opened for Flight Facilities three or so years ago. How does it feel to be back?

EC: I'm really excited! Last time I played it was my first time playing the 9:30 Club, and I was so nervous. I'm still nervous today, but I know that I have more experience now and feel more comfortable on stage. After a few years of DJ'ing, I have a better read on the crowd, which feels great to achieve. 

AM: That's awesome that you're playing again, especially opening for the same act. How did you decide what songs you'll play tonight?

EC: Opening is different from playing a main set, which I sometimes do with my U Street Music Hall shows. I usually have my first couple of songs picked out, which I know work for opening sets. I then usually just go from there and see how things feel.  

AM: The DC music scene is filled with a lot of producers who are super talented and "making it big". How do you carve out your own niche within that?

EC: I think there still aren't very many producers that produce the kind of music I do. I'm not purposefully trying to keep to the genre I have, but I'm keeping true to myself because that's what I like. Honestly, I don't think disco or house music will ever go away and there will always be underlying characteristics of it in music. Because I'm doing what I like to do and what makes me happy, I'm kind of forming that niche naturally. 

AM: Kind of in the same vain, how is it being a female producer? Electronic is a very male heavy genre, and can be seen as a bit of a boys club.

EC: I think that more women should produce! It's not easy in the beginning, and there's no right way to do it.

You have to put hours in. If you spend 20 minutes every couple of weeks, you won't progress. I usually need about 5 hours to work on something. 

AM: I know you have what I guess we'd qualify as a day job. How do you carve out the time to balance music and work?

EC: Planning. You have to have a balance, and you can't overdue it to a point where you're not enjoying your life anymore. 

AM: What is your day job exactly? I read you were a dietitian.

EC: Yup! I work as a cancer center dietitian in DC, so I work with patients every single day.

AM: Tell me about your record label, Feed Me Disco. 

EC: I had a couple of original tracks I wanted to release, and at the time I had a mixtape I wanted to release. I wasn't able to find the appropriate labels to release the songs, so I decided to release them with my own label.

AM: What's your biggest goal with your musical endeavor?

EC: I don't really have an end point, I just want to spread good vibes. I'm working on getting demos right now, so if anyone has any good music, they should send it to me!

AM: Sweet, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me!

For more information, please check out Eau Claire's Facebook orInstagram.

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Hailing from London, England, Mount Kimbie is catching attention with their unique post-dubstep sound.

Comprised of Dominic Maker and Kai Campos, the duo blends chopped up synths with repetitive beats to transport you into an alternative reality. The multi-faceted rhythms are accompanied by snippets of repeating vocals, featuring up and comers such as King Krule and Micachu and the Shapes.

Joined by Andrea Balency (keyboards) and Marc Pell of Micachu and the Shapes (drums), Mount Kimbie let their music speak for itself by keeping their talking to a minimum at The Black Cat on Thursday, May 24.

With sporadic lighting that left the stage dim for the majority of the performance, bouncy dancing, and attendees coated with sweat, it’s clear the influence that early underground dubstep has had on the duo. 

Mount Kimbie builds upon that influence by taking their inspiration from everyday life. Using a field microphone to record noises around them,  Maker and Campos then manipulate the recordings to capture new tones and rhythms.  

The result of their unique method is music that makes you feel as if you’re swimming in a fish tank or drowsily lounging in bed listening to a thunderstorm.

Keep your eye on these lads as they continue to push the electronic genre into new territory, as they're sure to be at the forefront of the next movement.