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9CLOUDZ didn't wait for a proper studio setup to make PIXIE DREAMS. She didn't wait for industry validation or a formula that works. The Edmonton-based artist recorded the entire project on her phone — vocals, production, mixing, mastering — and the result is something that refuses to hide. It's raw, self-reflective, and deliberately imperfect. This is what happens when an artist stops looking outward for inspiration and starts looking inward.
Recording on a Phone
Q: You said you recorded all your vocals on your phone for this project. Walk me through that.
A: I don't have a proper setup. I just make do with what I have. Honestly, you don't need a thousand-dollar mixing board or a two-thousand-dollar-an-hour studio to make good music. You just need soul and passion. If you love what you're doing, it's going to show. If you care about what you're doing and you put the time and effort and your soul into that shit, it's gonna show.
Q: How much of PIXIE DREAMS did you produce yourself?
A: The whole album except for two songs. I produced, I mixed, and I mastered everything myself.
Anti-Formula
Q: You mentioned that this generation is "copy-paste" when it comes to sound. What do you mean by that?
A: Everyone's trying to sound like somebody else. I feel like the only way to really get out of that is if people stop focusing on other people and stop focusing on "how could I sound like this person?" and start asking "how can I express myself and how I'm feeling right now?" It might not come out the way you wanted it to, and it might not be perfect. Sometimes self-expression is ugly. And I want people to be more comfortable with that.
That's the key — ugly doesn't mean bad. It means unfiltered. It means real. A lot of underground artists polish themselves into irrelevance trying to sound like what they think works. 9CLOUDZ is doing the opposite.
Looking Inward
Q: What do you want people to take away from PIXIE DREAMS?
A: I want other people to dive into themselves and stop looking at other artists for inspiration. Look into yourself for inspiration. You have so much to offer in this world, and I feel like everyone's perspective is so important to share because it kind of breaks out of the mold that we've created — sound-wise, industry-wise. I want people to be more comfortable with self-expression, even when it's not perfect.
Q: You said this is your most vulnerable work. How did people react to it?
A: Within the first couple of days, I honestly got more views than anything I've put out so far. But the amount of people that have been hitting me up saying "this is literally your best work, I really resonate with this shit, you're inspiring me to be more vulnerable in my music and my art" — that's really the only reason why I do this. I don't care if I get thousands of views or millions of followers. As long as I know I'm doing this for myself and I'm able to get it off my chest and inspire others to do the same thing for themselves, that's what matters.
Not Just One Thing
Q: You're also a tattoo artist and visual artist. How does that tie into your music?
A: I don't want to be one thing. I just want to be able to do whatever I want to do. If I get bored with music, I'm gonna go paint. If I get bored with that, I'll do a tattoo for a friend. There are so many different ways to express yourself. You don't need to just be one thing.
A lot of artists box themselves in because they think they need a lane. 9CLOUDZ proves the opposite — the lane is whatever she's working on at the moment. Music, tattoos, art. It's all the same creative impulse, just different mediums.
The Process
Q: How many songs did you record for this project before narrowing it down?
A: I probably recorded a total of 30 songs for this album. A lot of the process was figuring out what songs go with what, what I'm actually feeling, what's getting in the way of me being able to get that message across. Anything that I felt was in the way, I just put it on the backburner. I want everything to flow. It starts off strong with a more upbeat vibe because that's what people are used to with my music, but then it gets deeper.
Q: What's the album about?
A: It's not really about anybody. It's about me looking into my character and who I am. It's me trying to understand where I'm at in life. I've always struggled with a lot of things, and this project is kind of me battling — not battling, but just trying to understand it all.
Why It Matters
Q: Do you feel like you've fully tapped into your potential yet?
A: No. I'm just getting more comfortable with myself now, and it took me a while. I'm already 50 tracks deep and I feel like I still haven't reached the point where I can fully let go. I'm still learning, still progressing every day. The learning curve is always gonna be there. It's not about the outcome 100%. It's also about the journey and the process. Not just what you're doing, but what you learn about yourself. And this project has taught me a lot about myself. So it's really important to me.
From the first vocal recorded on her phone to the final mix — 9CLOUDZ did it herself. No studio. No shortcuts. No formula. Just an artist willing to be vulnerable, even when it's ugly. That's what makes PIXIE DREAMS work.
