Sound Advice: Che Ecru

Join Che Ecru on Sound Advice, the weekly interview series covering artists’ journeys and their creative process. In this audio episode, we discuss producing alternative R&B, building an engaged fanbase on SoundCloud and much more.

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Welcome to Sound Advice, the series spotlighting artists’ creative process and their SoundCloud journey. We’ll get the inside knowledge straight from the source on how musicians, producers and creatives are leaning into everything SoundCloud offers to elevate their sound, get heard and catapult their careers. Sound Advice is now available in audio format on the SoundCloud Stories profile. 

We’re back on Sound Advice, and for this installment, we have an exclusive, in-depth interview with with Che Ecru: a cult favorite singer and beatmaker, he’s received co-signs from Doja Cat and Bryson Tiller and been sampled by some of the biggest names in the rap world. Che grew up in Boston in a musical household, where everything from the percussive Caribbean sounds of zouk to the anthemic soft rock of Fleetwood Mac was played. 

Inspired by The Weeknd and Travis Scott, he dropped out of college after just one week to pursue his music career; developing a sexy blend of hazy R&B and melodic rap, with unique flair and an off-kilter use of vocal effects and rhythms. In 2017, he dropped his ‘Buries’ mixtape with Soulection, the tastemaking LA DJ collective (who, after building an organic following on SoundCloud, recently celebrated their 14th birthday with the platform). ‘Buries’ catapulted Che into underground sensation status, and since then, he’s kept his fans locked in; with a steady drip of albums, EPs and even a sample pack. 

Now based in Los Angeles, Che is known for releasing his demos and new material to his SoundCloud community first. We spoke to him about his creative ethos, unique production techniques and how he keeps his fans — and himself — entertained and engaged. We also got insights into how he uses SoundCloud to release music and connect with fans, and how developing his skills as a producer has elevated his songwriting and vocals to new levels of creativity. For a deep dive into the making of his latest album, ‘On my way!,’ you can also listen to Che Ecru’s Voice Notes playlist. 

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LISTEN TO THE AUDIO EPISODE OF SOUND ADVICE FEATURING CHE ECRU

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Hit play on Che Ecru’s Voice Notes for an exclusive track-by-track breakdown into the making of ‘On my way!’:

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LISTEN TO ‘ON MY WAY!’ BY CHE ECRU

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Things We Talked About In This Episode of Sound Advice

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Get to Know Boston-Born, Los Angeles-Based R&B Artist, Che Ecru

• We begin the conversation with the release of Che Ecru’s 2025 album, ‘On my way!,’ and the reception to it. Che dropped the album on SoundCloud first, and as we discover, Che has used SoundCloud for years, as a testing ground for demos, new material and works-in-progress. Throughout his career, he’s used SoundCloud as a tool to build his confidence as an independent artist. 
• With ‘On my way!,’ we hear how Che used SoundCloud’s ease of direct uploads as a way to quickly release the material and get reactions from his long-time community first. For Che, releasing music out into the world can feel risky — but the immediacy of the feedback, and the intimate connection with the SoundCloud community, boost him in those moments that feel risky when putting your work out there as a creative.

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Growing from a Songwriter and Vocalist to Producer, and Testing New Music on SoundCloud

• Che goes onto discuss the roles he plays as an artist, and how his craft has evolved over time. Starting out as a songwriter and vocalist, Che has matured into doing his own production and mixing. It’s been a gradual process of creativity, and trial and error, but in 2025, wearing lots of hats in the studio has allowed him to maintain control over his sound and elevate his artistry.
• Bringing it back to his use of SoundCloud, Che explains how he likes to use the platform when he’s making a new record. While he likes to take the reins himself, only working closely with one engineer for the final stages, he’s finding freedom and enjoyment in using SoundCloud to gauge which of his works-in-progress have the most promise.
• By uploading demos and taking in the rapidfire reactions to them, Che sees SoundCloud as a way to filter through his material; allowing what his community reacts positively to as a guide for what to do and make next. For Che, once a demo is out into the world, it gives him the freedom to move onto the next, big thing.
• From replacing audio tracks and changing release artwork, to tracklisting and sharing private tracks before release, Che talks about how he uses SoundCloud as a testing ground for new material; to refine the look, flow and feel of a release before it’s ready to go out into the world.

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How to Engage a Long-Time Fanbase and Build a Career in Today’s Music Industry

• Throughout his time on SoundCloud, Che has thought deeply about what it means to be a fan of music in today’s industry: how a fan consumes and enjoys music, how they connect with their favorite artists, and potentially start to make music themselves, too.
• With this in mind, Che created a custom sample pack with his engineer, Thurdi, which he released independently to the public. As a kid who grew up listening to music alone in his room, he remembers that feeling of wanting to feel close to the artists he admired — such as Travis Scott — particularly as an early encouragement in his own music-making journey. As Che explains it, it was the right move at the right time for his loyal fanbase.  
• And to that fanbase, he’s upfront about the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into his journey so far. Giving advice to other artists, be they newcomers to the industry or otherwise, he speaks honestly: there will be a lot of downtime, confusion, mistakes and doubts, but be consistent in your output, keep communicating with your early fans rather than focusing only on gaining new ones, and don’t be tempted to compare yourself to other artists. When it comes to having a successful career in music, it’s all about the slow burn of steady improvement. 

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Evolving His Original Sound and Making R&B with Bryson Tiller

• As part of that slow burn, Che describes how his sound has evolved. In recent years, his albums, EPs and mixtapes — like 2022’s ‘Cold Toronto’ and 2023’s ‘I CAN’T FOCUS’ — have become more confessional in theme and raw in tone. Che reflects on this change as part of his growing confidence as an artist; that the better a writer, vocalist and producer he’s become, the more purely he can get his ideas down in a recording.
• Che goes on to give more advice to fellow artists: don’t play by the rules, and focus on making what you love to listen to. This is best shown on his Pain Pack and Pleasure Pack series, which act as themed outlets for deeper lyrics and unexpected beat styles. 
• One way that Che has grown his confidence is through collaborating with other artists. Some of his most notable work has been with Bryson Tiller, the R&B vocalist and songwriter. On tracks like “CALYPSO” and records like ‘Slum Tiller Vol. 3,’ the pair blend their hazy, sexy style of melodic R&B with their broad musical influences. For Che, the joy of collaboration is in letting go of any kind of imposter syndrome and embracing the moment. 

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Blending Vocal and Production Studio Techniques and Using SoundCloud for Creative Control and Fulfillment

• As a self-taught producer, Che has worked through various equipment and techniques to refine his sound. Here, he discusses the evolution of his style and what software, hardware, instruments and studio tools have been the most instructive and enjoyable for his process; from beatmaking to vocal recording, panning and manipulation, to post-production tricks and mixing, he breaks down his workflow. Inspired by Travis Scott (and his track “My Eyes” in particular), Che’s built a technique for using his vocals to create a deeper atmosphere within the music, which he shares in detail; working largely on Ableton, with a focus on plugins like H-Delay.
• Bringing our conversation full-circle, Che details his plans for the upcoming year, expressing his gratitude for all of the support he’s received on his latest project and how he’s enjoying the process in-between projects. He emphasizes the importance of treating the art of music-making like exercise: do it every day to maintain muscle memory, and it will be an endless source of achievement and fun for you.

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Links and Extras

Follow Che Ecru’s journey on SoundCloud.

Press play on Che Ecru’s 2025 album, ‘On my way!’

Listen to Che Ecru’s episode of Voice Notes.

Hit play on a Che Ecru collaboration with Bryson Tiller, titled “CALYPSO.”

Follow Thurdi, Che Ecru’s long-time engineer and collaborator. 

Listen to “TOWELS,” a 2024 collaborative track between Che Ecru and Thurdi.

Hear the latest installment in Che Ecru’s ‘Pain Pack’ and ‘Pleasure Pack’ series, 2024’s ‘PAIN PACK 14.’

Explore some of Che Ecru’s wide-ranging influences, including The Weeknd, Travis Scott, Partynextdoor and Sade, to name a few. 

Listen to the Lo-fi Hip-Hop playlist on SoundCloud.

Never miss an episode and follow the official Sound Advice playlist on SoundCloud.

Getting The Most Out of SoundCloud

• Learn more about using DMs to connect with fellow artists and potential collaborators.
• Learn more about how to make a custom playlist on SoundCloud.
• Learn more about unlimited uploads, available with an Artist Pro subscription.
• Learn more unlocking access to unlimited distribution, available with Artist Pro.
• Learn more about getting heard with SoundCloud’s updated algorithm, available to Artist and Artist Pro subscribers.
  

To discover additional features a SoundCloud Artist or Artist Pro subscription offers, visit here. To catch up on past installments of Sound Advice and make sure you don’t miss out on future episodes, visit here.

_{CREDITS Host: Vivian Host, Executive Producer: Mike Spinella, Producer: KC Orcutt, Audio Engineer: David “DibS” Shackney, Coordinator: Trevor McGee, Editorial Associate: Lauren Martin}