When it comes to music, many can only dream of the type of success experienced by the decorated producer, Colin Brittain. Whether it is collaborating with infamous names such as Travis Barker and Wiz Khalifa or seeing his creations reaching the #1 spot on charts, the talent has experienced it all. Now, in a bid to continue on his wildly successful journey through the world of music, Colin has teamed up with Papa Roach and Sueco on the sizzling new track, “Swerve”.

“So “Swerve” started as one of like 500 ideas that we demoed out for this upcoming album, my co-producer Nick did the sketch drums and brought in the sax player,” explains Colin when speaking on how the new track came about. “The track was very free-flowing and not too much thought was involved, it came together so fast. It was months later when we were sitting in an Airbnb in Cali that we started listening to Method Man and Red Man and I remember their laid-back flow really inspired the chorus hook. Then we sent the song to Jason Aalon Butler, who was in New Zealand at the time, and the energy he brought to the track really set the tone for the verses.”

Upon the release of his latest project and his entry into fatherhood, the artist sat down with Wonderland to discuss his seasoned career and working on #1 hits. Head below to read our interview with Colin Brittain below…

Hi Colin, how are you doing?
Incredible. We just had a baby- I’m actually in the hospital while doing this interview!

Talk us through your beginnings in music! Do you think your childhood influenced your decision to take up music?
I come from a very musical family- my father put himself through school by playing in a country band. Growing up, I was attached to the drum kit and later the guitar and studio, my brothers play the piano and we all sing. Holidays at our house are usually pretty epic. I have four siblings, and three of us do music. Early on, I listened to what my parents had on- always old school stuff like Pink Floyd and the Beatles and Tom Petty- later I discovered rage against the machine and Tupac, that sort of blew my mind open. By the time I was interning at a studio when I was 14, I was so obsessed with music I couldn’t think of anything else, ever. It’s a miracle I graduated high school. So yeah, I’ve never had a question on what I was going to do with my life.

What is it that you love about production in particular?
When I was a young teenager, I interned for this producer, Travis Wyrick, and my brain exploded at the hi-fi sounds coming out of the speakers. It was so detailed and powerful. My dad bought me a laptop and some rudimentary software and basically turned me loose in his house, I turned the entire upstairs of his house into a studio (one time I almost set the house on fire by leaving a tube amp on all night) I knew instantly that I wanted to produce music. It’s like I get to be my own full band and I can paint with every brush. I still find it to be my favourite way to spend my time.

Who would you cite as your biggest musical influence?
There are some key ones: Mariah Carey, Rage against the machine, Early Muse, Red Hot Chili Peppers, early Kanye, Third eye blind, Tupac Shakur, a myriad of early 2000s metal, and pretty much everything Max Martin has ever produced. It seems like a big swathe of genres, but these were what made me really want to get in the studio the most.

Congratulations on the release of “Swerve”, talk us through the inspiration behind the track!
Thanks! So “Swerve” started as one of like 500 ideas that we demoed out for this upcoming album, my co-producer Nick did the sketch drums and brought in the sax player. The track was very free-flowing and not too much thought was involved, it came together so fast. It was months later when we were sitting in an Airbnb in Cali that we started listening to Method Man and Red Man and I remember their laid back flow really inspired the chorus hook. Then we sent the song to Jason Aalon Butler, who was in New Zealand at the time, and the energy he brought to the track really set the tone for the verses.

You have worked with some incredible artists in your time, including Travis Barker and Wiz Khalifa! What has been your favourite projects to work on so far?
I love almost everything I work on! I am the most inspired to work with the artists I’m closest to – or, at least creatively have the most connection to. Sueco, 5 Seconds Of Summer, Papa Roach, All Time Low, A day to remember and One Ok Rock are all standouts for me.

You have achieved multiple #1s, which is a sought after goal for more artists! How does it feel to reach this type of success?
It always feels amazing to reach number one at anything but, to be honest, what I love the most is the process of creating music. Nothing beats the feeling of completing an incredible record and listening back for the final time before sending it off to master.

You are also in the band, American Teeth! What is the main difference between working on solo projects and band projects?
American Teeth is a project that I work on with my friend, Elisha Noll who is a massively talented writer and performer. He and I are songwriting partners for other artists, and we started American Teeth to be able to have complete creative flexibility that we sometimes don’t get when working with other artists. It’s a slightly different creation process in that there are no boundaries whatsoever, which can actually make it more of a challenge, but, in the end, it feels really great.

What is next for you? Do you have any other projects you are currently working on?
Always! I’m currently working on Sueco’s new music, Anna Clendenning, Papa Roach, Royal and the Serpent, and a ton of other great records that I cannot talk about that will be out in the next few months.