How Jacob Collier made his album In My Room with advice from Quincy Jones

Jacob Collier grew up in the age of YouTube, believing he could build an audience by creating videos online. When he was about 17, he started filming himself at home. He made videos playing Stevie Wonder songs, singing all the different vocal parts himself or playing many instruments. He uploaded these videos online.

One of these videos was seen by Quincy Jones, a famous producer who has worked with artists like Michael Jackson. Jones contacted Collier, asking about his music. They began talking on Skype and Jones became a mentor to Collier, even signing him to his record label.

As a child, Collier listened to artists like Joni Mitchell and Stevie Wonder. He tried to understand how many instruments they used and what made their music successful. He had some music education and sang classical music, but he wasn't skilled at playing many instruments. He played piano and experimented with other instruments, often using a basic keyboard to create different sounds.

Collier made his album, In My Room, in just three months. While artists like Stevie Wonder and Prince recorded their albums in professional studios, Collier did everything in his home. He used his laptop to record and layer instruments and vocals. He covered songs by Stevie Wonder and Brian Wilson, and also wrote his own original songs. He wanted each song to have a unique sound, using instruments from simple piano and guitar to fuller orchestral arrangements.

After Collier finished the album, a sound engineer named Ben Bloomberg helped with the final mixing in Los Angeles. Quincy Jones and another musician, Herbie Hancock, also listened to the finished album late at night. The album In My Room later won two Grammy Awards. Collier has said he didn't create the album to become famous or rich, but as a way to capture his thoughts and interests at the age of 21.

Ben Bloomberg, the balance engineer for the album, first noticed Collier's talent through a video of his rearrangement of a Stevie Wonder song. Bloomberg was working on music technology at MIT and connected with Collier online. They discussed how Collier could perform his music live without needing many other musicians. They worked together remotely, using technology like a vocal harmoniser that allowed Collier to create backing vocals instantly.

For mixing the album, they used a large mixing console in Los Angeles that had many inputs, suitable for Collier's complex music. Bloomberg has worked with Collier ever since, becoming a good friend. He chose the job title balance engineer, inspired by a Beatles sound engineer.