Oscar Scheller is the producer fueling PinkPantheress, Lily Allen, and Kelela

Oscar Scheller has a sharp ear for spotting talent.

In 2021, the London native was the first producer to work with PinkPantheress back when she was still uploading demos on SoundCloud. “She was really shy,” he remembers of their first session together. “She barely said much and kept her hat, gloves, and jacket on the whole time like she was about to leave.” He also had a hand in Lily Allen’s zeitgeist-defining comeback West End Girl, for which he produced four songs. Up next on the docket? Kelela’s forthcoming rock-inflected album and music for our recent GEN F star Natanya. “I love developing [artists] from the beginning,” says Scheller. “I think that’s my purpose really: to uplift and help world-build for artists.”

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Now based in New York City, the 35-year-old producer and artist has been grinding for years. He released his first full-length solo album in 2016, and continued releasing rock-inflected records for years after. Over time, his production work began to take delectable shape, as he continually paired his left-of-field electronic wizardry with his penchant for spotting new artists with personality and perspective. Now, he’s hitting a new commercial stride as he works with up-and-comers and certified legends alike, infusing both with his distinct yet malleable pop production, becoming the rare super-producer to shake the charts without sacrificing his eccentricity.

Ahead, Oscar Scheller came by The FADER offices to chat about his busy year, how Bratz dolls inspired the “Stateside” remix, and the importance of Kelela to the culture.

The FADER: You’ve been in the game for a minute now as a solo artist and producer. Does this moment feel particularly crazy or new to you?

OSCAR SHELLER: It feels like a full-circle moment in many ways. I worked with Lily Allen a long time ago before West End Girl, and then that came to fruition. A lot of these collaborations have been friendships. With PinkPantheress, I was the first producer to work with her, so it feels earned through years of dedication. But it feels really good

How do you decide who to work with?

It’s all about intention and alignment with values and [shared] taste levels. That’s what I always look for when I’m working with collaborators and artists.

What does integrity mean to you in this context?

It means authenticity, a deep connection to art and expression and an unwavering dedication to that.

How did your early work with PinkPantheress come about?

She had four demos out, and a lot of them were glorified karaoke. There was [“Just a waste” that sampled] Michael Jackson, there was [“Attracted to you” that sampled] Just Jack, and I was so obsessed with everything she had out. I reached out, she came over, and we made music.

Can you share what those early sessions were like?

I knew from listening to her music that we would have very shared sensibilities and [similar] sample and melodic ideas. There was this unspoken understanding that we both had, and that’s why it worked so well. There was synergy and alignment. We just were geeking out over samples.

What was the first song you made together?

It was “I must apologise.”

Seeing her trajectory now and how she built everything, what stands out to you from this vantage point?

She’s been very consistent in who she is and has stayed true to that. She has a lot of integrity. If we’re going to talk about artists with integrity, I think she’s one of the top out there at the moment. It’s working for her and it’s really inspiring.

There seems to be something around her generation of British pop artists right now. Is there something in the water in the U.K. right now?

We have this understanding of dance music and club culture that you’re born with because it’s so embedded in the UK. There’s a hotbed of different genres, different cultures, similar to New York in a way. People have flavor. It’s just got a bit of flavor with it. And [artists are] not scared to [play with the] intersection [of genres].

Coming from the UK to America, was there a bit of culture shock musically with the industry here?

L.A., yes. In New York, not so much. It’s formulaic [in L.A.]. I don’t want to generalize because there are great people out there, but it’s less innovative and less art focused and more industry focused. And I think that is the white noise that consumes and immerses artists out there. It can be difficult to navigate, and I felt as a producer working out there, I was allergic to that and kept myself in a corner and built my own thing.

I was not trying to associate with the L.A. producer lifestyle. I don’t want a Tesla or a house in the hills. I just wanted to make good music. It’s back to the club culture thing. L.A. doesn’t really have much of a nightlife, so it’s quite hard to be inspired and hear new sounds. I’m sure there are subcultures that I’m not tapped into in L.A., but I didn’t have access to it. New York’s always been an exciting place for artists.

How did the “Stateside” remix come together?

I didn’t know there was a remix album coming. I just got a text from Pink saying, “I need you to remix three songs for me. You’re the only man for the job.” As soon as I get it, it’s like the Batman phone. It rings and you have to get to it, and you’re excited too. It’s like, duty calls. I didn’t know where it was going to go. I didn’t know they were going to have features. “Stateside” was the first one I did, and I actually had a fever that day, but there was a heatwave in London, so I didn’t know I was sick. So I was making this beat feverishly, knocking out three remixes in 48 hours. She said she loved it, and then she said, “Oh, I’ve got a feature,” sent me back the Zara Larsson [part] and that was it.

What was your reaction when you heard Zara’s verse?

I was blown away. Pink has such a good A&R head as well. She’s really smart, as well as musically talented. She knew that there was this moment that was about to happen [with Zara]. I don’t think any of us knew how big it was going to get though with the Zara feature.

Was there a certain element you were trying to bring out in “Stateside?”

I was studying culture and saw how a lot of girls were [referencing] Bratz in their aesthetic. I felt like musically that hadn’t really been explored yet and was due a resurgence or reinvention. Pink also felt the same way. I’d seen Bratz edits of Pink, so I just thought, Let's bring that in. Bratz have albums, they have movies and they have soundtracks, so I was listening to those and digging out those sounds. It was fun.

Switching gears to the new Lily Allen record. You made a whole album with her in the past that was scrapped, correct?

Yes, we made a scrapped album. This was back in 2018. I asked her to be on one of my solo tracks called “1%.” She was not doing much for anyone else and then I got her to do that and then we were making an album, but it didn’t happen. She went off and was a West End girl. She was doing stage. I went to see her in Pillowman and she was incredible.

And then [producer] Blue May who is a friend of mine said, “Okay I’m going to make a record with Lily.” This was in 2022 and was going to be in New York. And then that ended up not happening. And then he calls me again and says, “No we’re really going to make the record this time.” And this was for West End Girl and it did happen, so it’s been quite a journey.

Did you have any frustration or sadness around that scrapped record?

Of course. Lily Allen is an icon. She’s a national treasure and someone I grew up listening to. To be validated and seen [by her] as a producer, that was my first real feeling of “oh I can actually do this for a living.” When that music didn’t come out, I was sad. But it’s perfect because look at it now.

How did you repair that creative relationship or have the faith that this would be the one?

I expected nothing. I was in the midst of working with Kelela and I left that session to go to the Lily session. I was really running on steam and came in for four days at the end of the 10-day process and just knocked it all out. I was in a flow state, and not really thinking too much.

It's a heavy record, but it’s also a darkly funny record. What was the energy like in the house as you were making it?

It was intense. Lily was sharing her experience and it was very emotional and we all responded. What was nice was there was a community, and trust and a madness at play. It was like the perfect storm to make a special record. She told us the whole story and then we all thought, “Okay, let’s put this to paper.”

How do you go from hearing that story to, “Okay, let’s make pop music?”

Lily is the kind of artist that needs a muse and catalyst. She needed something to really lock in on. I think that’s why the other album got scrapped because it was sort of this concept, but this was her truth and her life. I think it was probably quite straightforward and natural for her to just exorcise the demons and have that catharsis. It was a lot of experimentation. Blue May is incredible and really was running the ship. He had an idea of how he wanted things to go.

You’re working on the Kelela project. We’ve only heard one song so far. How did that come together?

There’s an artist called LSDXOXO who we love. He recommended me to [Kelela]. She initially only came to me for my electronic production and then she got to my garage. I had this studio apartment in Silverlake. We were in my garage studio and it had a very DIY feeling and she saw all these guitars, basses, and synths. She was like, “Oh you play guitar?” And I was, “Yeah, I was in a band.” We had this amazing conversation and she told me the ethos that she wanted to sort of be working towards [on this album]. We just went on a discovery journey together and it was really powerful.

Did she already have that shoegaze-y light at the end of the tunnel?
Yeah, she definitely is intersectional. She bridges the gap between those spaces that haven’t been explored and I love doing that too. I love [genre] intersections and remix culture, putting two things together that maybe wouldn’t typically go together. We really bonded over that aspect of music making. We listened to Incubus and Morning View. She played me lots of Janis Joplin and Brandy records. We were just exploring where it could go in this very open way.

What are you excited for the world to take in with this next Kelela project?

She’s your favorite’s favorite. She’s really the blueprint for a lot of girls, PinkPantheress being one of them. She really paved the way for experimental electronic R&B and realizing how expansive R&B is as a genre. I’m just excited for her to be seen in that light and elevated. She’s already reaching more people than she has before, so I’m just excited to see that continue for her because I think she’s a one of a kind artist and really should be celebrated.