"Come And Get Me Now" is one of those tracks that captivates the listeners from the first second to the last!

Ayhan Sahin is a talented singer, songwriter, producer, and creative with a unique style that makes his songs recognizable from the very first seconds! “Come And Get Me Now” is one of those tracks that, thanks to excellent songwriting, brilliant production, and the collaboration of outstanding artists, catapult us towards the best vibes of the golden era of Pop Music!

Today, at Planet Singer, we have the great pleasure of listening to his latest single and discover more about this incredibly productive and creative artist!

Hi Ayhan, thanks a lot for being with us today at Planet Singer! We have been waiting for your new single and let me tell you it is really outstanding! The excellent songwriting and the brilliant collaboration of a stellar team of artists turned this track a real gem of Pop music! So, let’s start from the beginning. How did you discover your passion for music?

It was 1979 when my brother and I purchased our first vinyl record. I was only 11 years old, and I was ecstatic to realize the power of music how it was shaping up dreams. I started following the charts, that was a gauge of my dreams represented by the music I was listening to. And the vinyls felt almost like the ownership of my dreams to come true. Fast forward, I was graduating from college to become a civil engineer, but by then, I have written a dozen of songs. A friend of mine suggested that we stage a show that year with the music that I write. That was my first step into the entertainment world. And once I felt the connection between a performer and an audience, there was no way I could do without it. We named our first show “Young Pals.”

“Come And Get Me Now” is an incredible track. Memorable melodies, catchy vocal lines and harmonies, intriguing rhythms, and great sound research make the track a true trademark of your sound. Can you tell us more about this song?

My collaborator Bernadette and I have a special connection where I usually come up with a melody line which is supported by her lyrical and musical ideas both. The thing I love about writing with her is that she always gives priority to the melody line and adjusts her words accordingly around it. I guess I can say in pop music sung in English; this is essential to have the lyrics support the music. I think there’s also a big role of my authenticity in our music. I was born and raised in Turkey, but I consider myself a New Yorker as I have been living in this greatest city of all for the last twenty years. Part of my background is always there, even when I’m unaware of it. We also have a little bit of luxury with the time. In no rush, sometimes a production takes a year, sometimes two depending on where our lives take us. That’s what happened to “Come And Get Me Now.” We recorded most pieces, but then something bigger is wonderful came upon, so we had to put it aside. When we got back to it, the sound was familiar, the message was clearer, and the vision was closer. Once we made the necessary adjustments, the song was bursting out to see the sunlight.

Talking about the structure of your song, your songwriting is truly unique. Can you reveal what your creative process is? How does your music come to life?

One of my main inspirations is New York City. I love walking in different neighborhoods, roaming around the city. It kind of has a therapeutical effect on me where I can relax and meditate amongst the city sounds and loud urban interactions. While I do that, it’s pretty often that a melody gets stuck in my head, and I start humming, making fun with it using dummy words and spontaneous hooks. I don’t necessarily record those sounds at first sight. It’s like a lover’s sacrifice: Set them free; if they come back, it was destined to be yours. In the same manner, if I see myself humming the same stubborn melody line on different occasions, at different times, I start taking this seriously and invest my time and resources into it. My collaborator Bernadette O’Reilly writes the lyrics, and I start sending out a demo version to our musicians, starting with the drums. I tend not to overwhelm the musicians with controlling ideas and restrictions to let them work in an environment with fewer boundaries and more creative opportunities. As they play and record their instrument, our musicians Mike Sorrentino on drums, Carras Paton on bass, Emre Yilmaz, Gene Blank on guitars, and Rob Preuss on keys/synth/piano write these incredible parts and excel with brilliant musicianship.

The additional vocals of talented vocalists Keith Fluitt, Jerri Bocchino, and Lauren Rathbun give that extra depth to the track, enriching it with harmonic interludes and intriguing climaxes. How did the recording process of their contribution go? Did they choose what to add, or you wrote those parts as well?

By now, I have established a very special connection with my backup vocalists Keith, Bo, and Lauren. We usually have initial ideas before they arrive to the studio to record, but the magic actually happens during these sessions when we try and consider different grounds. A great practice to observe what and where a creative mind will take you. All three; Jerri Bocchino, Keith Fluitt, and Lauren Rathbun. They are all professional, renowned artists in their own rights, so it’s always a learning process for me in the studio. Once I feel all ideas are covered and recorded, then I get to put my hands on every little clip treating every bit of sound from those sessions as a timeless treasure. I, Keith, Bo, and Lauren are also rosters on our label, Young Pals Music. Our collaboration summons up our label efforts to become a community in Itself where artists support artists, and the main focus becomes the quality of music to be made.

Your song is the expression of yourself but also very “listener-oriented.” How important is it for you to connect with your audience and deliver a powerful message that can inspire and motivate them?

Connecting with your audience is the main goal of why we write songs. The idea of something you feel strong enough to put it into notes or words that someone else can hear and relate is an unbelievably satisfying feeling. That’s why we put great attention to being real and authentic so that someone else can recognize and relate to it. It’s personal but at the same time very intimate to showcase parts of your soul to be openly described in your art. Otherwise, you won’t come across as sincere and relate to me.

Your album “Pop” is also the result of the excellent collaboration with talented Bernadette O’Reilly as co-writer/co-producer. How did you decide to join forces to create such a fluid and inspiring release?

Bernadette and I have established a great ongoing collaboration over the years. Our initial connection was in a car ride when we started commenting on the music coming out of the car stereo. Our common music tastes led us to write a song together, and we’ve been writing ever since.

Time changes every year faster, and so the music. How do you think genres like pop music will evolve now that editing/production software and plugins are easily accessible to almost everyone?

I don’t think I can anticipate what pop music is gonna sound like In a decade or two, but one thing for sure is that we have to be open-minded for changes; otherwise, we become a dinosaur. Regarding the plugins and software accessible to everyone, one thing I learned from a mentor is that no matter what fancy equipment you use or how well updated you are with the latest plugins and software, you yourself is the machine and everything electronic and digital around you are just a tool for you to express yourself with. I try to keep up with the upcoming music by working with younger musicians sometimes who intern for me. I ask them to gather too five songs from around the work, say from Sydney, Stockholm, New York, Berlin, and London. We listen to them together to pick up new cool ideas to use. That is how I try to keep up with new music.

The last couple of years have been tough on the music industry. Clubs and Theaters have been replaced by Instagram and YouTube live-stream. What do you think about this change? Do you think it is a temporary trend, or is it the new normal? Are you scheduling any gig or live stream anytime soon?

It will not replace live music, but it will play dominant parts, especially globally celebrated acts. Because locally people will still wanna hear live music. For me, it’s almost a need for talented people to sing.

You have always been involved in music production. When and how did you decide to create Young Pal Music?

My biggest influence on music is the Swedish pop group ABBA. And my admiration for them in years turned into a school I can say where I started imitating or trying to do what they did through their professional career. I wanted to be like them, not only impressed by their celebrity, but also about their personas, relationship between them through the years. They are a great role model still. For sure, I started writing songs just to sound like them. My initial long-term goal when I was younger was to make productions and music as clear and simple but as good as they did to be able to be accessible to everybody who could relate and feel happy just by hearing the tunes. I think over the years, I came close to establishing a sound close to their sound. My goal shaped up in a form that I had to be able to decide on my productions; otherwise, everything was expensive. That’s how I founded Young Pals Music.

Among others, you collaborated with legends such as Frida (ABBA), Olivia Newton-John, and Anita Ward, to name a few; the list is very long. How did this change your way of creating music or opened up new soundscapes in your artistic process?

Out of all, working with Frida was the proudest moment in my career, and it will stay like that because she has always been a muse for my music. When I write, something, I need kind of imagine in my head how Frida would interpret such a melody line, and that gives me the vision to finish the song. Frida’s experience was a very personal time for me because I wanted her to know what I was capable of doing, so I wanted to insert everything I could do into a song that she was gonna sit down and listen to. This is not possible to achieve, but I learned a lot during the project, and that was all constructive. In the end, I framed the contract that was between our young pals’ music and Abba’s polar music studios. It’s just an incredible feeling to see us named next to each other or to see signatures at the end of the contract when you know that the two parties who signed are you and your influence. Another importantly big experience was and still is to be able to work with The Village People’s cowboy icon Randy Jones. That adventure is still going on. I’m blessed with that.

Apart from the legends you already worked with, if you could collaborate with one of the artists who influenced your artistic path, who would you like to share a song or the stage with?

To record a song that we write with Robbie Williams or Duran Duran because I do have so much respect for their career, to make another album with Karine Hannah, and to write an entry for Eurovision Song Contest.

Wow that would be amazing! What are your plans for the future?

Plans for the future are 1. to finish and release our production album project named “Pop” with Bernadette. 2. To get back on to some of the album projects that were halted because of the pandemic, 3. Recording more new tracks that we write with Randy Jones for an album project, 4. Lauren Rathbun album, 5. Eddie LaCardo.

Ayhan, it was such a pleasure discovering more about your music; we can’t wait for your next release! Is there anything you would like to say to our readers?

Yes!! The next single is almost there, and finalizing the mixes at this point. It’s a new song that Bernadette suggested, and we wrote together with our fellow musician Emre Yilmaz; it’s called “I Like You.” It has all the essence and elements of our sound, every musician you heard on previous recordings, plus a lot of harmonies and good feelings. It’s coming out before the summer is over.

Thank you, the pleasure is mine.