Behind the Scenes: Sebastian Olaya on Producing Gilanares’ Latest New Album, released through Neon Gold

Meet Sebastian Olaya, the production mastermind behind Gilanares’ latest upcoming album, Your Brain is in the Sink

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REMI: Let’s start at the top—how did you and Gilanares meet?

SEB: Her manager, Emma, had done a music internship with Luis back in college. Luis is one of the co-founders of this production collective I’m part of.

REMI: So, you met Emma and Gilanares at the same time?

SEB: Yeah. They had finally secured funding for the album after several conversations with labels, and all these past mutual friend connections suddenly aligned at the same time as they were looking for a producer.

REMI: So this is where you come in

SEB: Exactly. They came in for a trial session at the studio with a few producers. They ended up wanting me to produce the entire record, and now to this day we’re sending memes in our group chat (laughs).

REMI: So, that first session—was it a run-of-the-mill recording that just happened to have some magic?

SEB: Pretty much. It was actually the first song on the album. She came in with a guitar-only demo, and we fleshed out the arrangement. I think what really resonated with them was this urge I always have to do things outside the box. If you listen to the record, you’ll see just how important that approach is for her writing style.

SEB: I think what they were looking for—even if they didn’t know it at the time— was a producer with an alternative rock and instrumentalist background, as opposed to just a beat maker. That’s exactly the kind of producer I am.

REMI: I remember you telling me once about your upbringing in Ecuador. You were in a few rock bands growing up, right?

SEB: Yeah.

REMI: What were your influences back then?

SEB: I call it the holy trinity: Nirvana, Radiohead, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. With an honorable mention to System of a Down. It was all rock at first, but then I went through a phase where I got into more indie stuff like Arctic Monkeys. My interest in jazz came later, just before I moved to the States. I dove into the classics—Coltrane, Metheny, and others.

I think this album reflects all those “mismatched” influences that end up working out. Any darkness you hear in the music comes more from the spirit of the project, and the sound is a natural consequence of that.

REMI: For this project, did the lyrical storytelling influence your approach?

SEB: Absolutely—100%. Every song started with a PDF of the lyrics, sometimes before we even discussed the music. Gilanares also had a visual cue: a PowerPoint presentation about her vision for the album.

REMI: Like a mood board?

SEB: Exactly. That inspired a lot of decisions. One of my favorite songs on the album, Only Grass That’s Gritty Grows, came from a specific visual reference. Gilanares said she pictured the song taking place in an abandoned house. So, I literally Googled “abandoned house” and asked her, “Which one?” We picked one, and that set the tone.

REMI: Do you usually work with visual references like that?

SEB: Not usually, but after this project I really want to start doing that.

REMI: Before this, how would you approach producing an album? Is it always different?

SEB: It is always different. But Emma (Gilanares manager) actually gave me the idea of using a questionnaire for every new artist I work with. That’s definitely something I want to incorporate moving forward.

REMI: It’s interesting that you explore the music through non-musical pathways. A lot of producers stick to musical references, but your process seems more philosophical.

SEB: Well, I do use musical references—but carefully. There’s a risk of falling into the trap of making music that already exists. When I reference music, I focus more on the energy than the specifics of the track.

REMI: Are you and Gilanares planning to keep working together?

SEB: That’s the idea. We haven’t started yet since this album hasn’t even finished rolling out; but she already has concepts for her next two albums—not 100% of it is developed musically, but it is there thematically. It’s exciting to see what possibilities arise from working with Neon Gold as a label too –I have only seen some of the visuals and marketing content they’ve created, and I’m excited for everything that’s coming.

With Gilanares already conceptualizing her next two albums, it seems this creative partnership is just getting started. Your Brain is in the Sink is out in the first quarter of 2025, with the first single scheduled for release on February 4th.