As Sonny Fodera and Jazzy collaborate on another new hit, All This Time, here's a chance to revisit our Hitmakers interview on their previous smash, Somedays (with D.O.D)...
When Sonny Fodera dropped Somedays with Jazzy and DOD in July last year, the Ibiza-inspired anthem became the song of the summer. It climbed to No.5 in the UK and has since racked up over 65 million streams on Spotify. Here, the Australian hitmaker reminisces on how the track came to life as he recalls a serendipitous studio session, 14 different mixes and a memorable gig at Alexandra Palace...
INTERVIEW: MIRANDA BARDSLEY PHOTO: ANDREW WHITTON
When Somedays first came about, it was 2023, and I was working on new music after [2021’s] Wide Awake. I was trying to make something which had the ‘Ibiza sound’ to it, the kind of song that when you hear it you just think, ‘Yeah, I’m here, I’m in Ibiza!’
So I was going through synth sounds and I came across this one that you hear in the introduction of the song, which gave me the idea for the first few chords in the track. I then laid down the whole of the instrumental, which was similar to what you hear in the song now, but I originally had a different vocal on it.
That year, I was playing at Amnesia [nightclub] in Ibiza and I created this sort of dub track out of the instrumental and original vocal. I was testing it out in the club to see how it would work and it was going really well, but I had so many people asking me what this tune was, and at that time I didn’t even have a name for it!
After I’d been playing it out for a bit, I got into the studio with Jazzy and Clementine [Douglas]. I’d always wanted to work with Jazzy and my manager organised the session, but I didn’t realise Clem would also be there, so when she rocked up I was just like, ‘This is unreal!’ We’d just gone Top 10 together with Asking [UK No.7], so it was amazing to be back in the studio [with her].
During that session, I played Jazzy and Clem a few different tracks, and when I played them the instrumental version of this one, they were both like, ‘Yes, let’s work on this.’ From there, we got our heads together. Clem would be singing some melodies and Jazzy would start singing some lyrics for the melodies – we got the whole track written in only about two hours, it flowed so easily.
Then we laid down the vocals, which was amazing. Jazzy has such a soulful voice; she’s got that distinct, classic sound that grabs you as soon as you hear it. Clem was also doing backing vocals and harmonies, as well recording it all and putting her own touches on things like EQ and panning – honestly, I think she’s one of the best vocal producers I’ve ever worked with.
Overall, that session was one of the easiest I’ve had in my whole life. All the vocals you hear on the final version of the track are from that first day, except for a few extra ad libs from Clem.
During that time, I’d been listening to a lot of [DJ and producer] D.O.D’s music, and I just love what he brings to a song. It always sounds so crisp and whenever I play one of his tracks it always goes off. I really wanted that extra touch on this record, so I gave him all the stems and was like, ‘Do your thing...’ And he did! He adapted the piano, put some extra beats in, messed with the arrangement a bit, the stabs, some vocal chops... it all came together so quickly.
D.O.D also made Somedays more of a club record by giving the second breakdown a bigger build-up, whereas before it felt like it was more for radio. I think the track definitely crosses over into both now – it works on the radio as well as in clubs and at festivals.
The hardest part of the whole process was getting the final mixes down, though. I often get to a stage where I’ll have version 14 of a song and hear something in the vocal which doesn’t sound quite right, and I’ll have to go back into all the vocal stems. I just think that’s something that takes the longest for me because it seems like the more picky I’ve become, the more success I’ve had [laughs].
So with Somedays, we did get to about V14 before we finished it! But you have to trust your gut with these things, try the song on different systems and speakers, and make sure it sounds spot on.
I always knew Somedays felt special, from that first riff I created, to when I recorded the chorus with Clem and Jazzy – I’d gotten this feeling I’d only ever had once before, with Asking. It felt like something you’d remember. Then, when I played it out, people responded really well. One of the first times was when I opened my Alexandra Palace show with it, which was so special – the hype was real, I even had a drone flying over the crowd during it!
But it was the reactions on social media before its release that made me realise it really was a hit. I’d been posting sets and people were like, ‘What’s this new tune?’ And then when it dropped, my team said it was the best launch they’d seen… we got playlists on Spotify and Apple Music, millions of streams, then it went Top 10!
I think this song speaks to a lot of people – it had that summer sound but it’s also motivational and people relate to it. Also, dance music is massive right now, and it’s just getting bigger. It’s amazing seeing people do shows at The O2 or Madison Square Garden in America, but the club scene still needs help, and smaller and local clubs need our support – people need to remember that.
Looking back, Somedays is the biggest track I’ve ever made. I’ve had a lot of songs sent to me in the past that I’ve produced, but haven’t had much of a say with in terms of the lyrics and things like that. So to have written my biggest song from the ground up, that is amazing. It has definitely been a life changer, that’s for sure.
