Discover how Apollo interfaces, UAD plug-ins, and a drummer’s instincts power his chart-topping productions.
Fortune, as they say, favors the bold, and for producer/songwriter Imad Royal, boldness is defined in his production style. The Washington D.C. native has carved out a unique path as one of pop’s most inventive producers, with credits like Panic! at the Disco, Doja Cat, Oliver Tree, Benson Boone, Keshi, and most recently, a career-defining run as executive producer and music director for Rico Nasty.
Royal’s story begins with D.C. hardcore and SoundCloud beat battles, before landing his first Grammy nomination. Today, he’s known for a fearless creative philosophy, a drummer’s rhythmic DNA, and a production rig built around Apollo interfaces and UAD plug-ins. Here, he details his journey, his favorite tools, and why he still approaches every session like he’s “joining the band.”
“Music is universal to me,” says songwriter/producer Imad Royal. “At its core, it’s great arrangements and songs that make you feel something.”
How did music first come into your life?
I was born in Canada, then moved to Maryland when I was five. My dad played in bands in college, so music was always around. The first thing that blew my mind was Nirvana’s “Come As You Are.” I must have listened to it a hundred times in a row. That was also when the School of Rock movie came out. After I saw that, I went home to my dad and said, “I need to be in a band!”
He suggested keyboards, but I thought keys were for nerds. So I tried drums, and it was love at first sight. Within a month it felt like I’d been playing for years. That kick-started everything.
So when you first started playing and then producing, was it mostly rock?
Definitely. My roots were in rock and metal. Growing up outside D.C., hardcore was a huge part of the scene, and I was fully immersed in it. I had my double bass pedal, I was rocking out, and for a long time I thought that’s the lane I was going to stay in. I was a rock and metal producer first, no question. Eventually, I opened my first little “studio” — really just a 100 square foot room — and that’s where everything started to click.
How did you move from rock into rap and production?
Our neighbors were all rap producers, and they’d wander in like, “What are you guys doing?” I’d play them metal tracks and then they’d play me their beats. I remember thinking, “this looks like a blast.” I was still very committed to rock and metal, but seeing how the “beat programming sausage” got made scratched a different itch in my brain.
“Instinct and feel are still king,” says Imad Royal. ” I just have more tools now to know when to break the rules.”
Eventually, I started doing rap and producer beat battles, and my goal was to become a rap producer. Then SoundCloud came along, and suddenly there was this whole community for sharing instrumentals. That gave me a platform to showcase what I was making.
“When I work with you, I’m not just your producer — I’m joining your band.”
Imad Royal
How has your process changed from your early D.C. days in that tiny studio to now executive producing full projects?
The funny thing is, in some ways it hasn’t changed at all. I still use my own excitement as the barometer — that internal alarm system. Until that alarm goes off, I know we’re not there yet. That’s been the through line since day one.
What has changed is the balance between instinct and rules. When I was young, it was all instinct. I didn’t know the rules, and there’s something beautiful about that raw creativity. When I came to L.A., I had to learn structure — how to arrange, how to think about key and tempo, how to really refine a song.
When did you realize music could become a career?
Probably when I got a Grammy nomination for the Panic! at the Disco track, “Hallelujah.” I was literally at my parents’ house when I got the call. That was the moment.
Tell us the story behind “Hallelujah.”
I remember desperately chasing that one — I needed a cut. I was running SoundCloud accounts, posting beats to showcase myself, and eventually one landed with Panic!. I sent them my “finish him” beat — a Mortal Kombat reference. At one point I heard Fall Out Boy was trying it out. Then, after a full year, I get the text — “it’s happening. Panic! cut it.”
Panic! At the Disco’s “Hallelujah” from the album Death Of A Bachelor.
Your songs always seem to “feel good,” even when they’re melancholic. Where does that come from?
I think it’s because I genuinely love music. As long as something makes me feel something, I’m in. I’m not the type to say, “Yeah, that’s good, but it’s not my style.” If I hear a country song, or even a polka song, and it moves me — I’m thinking, how can I make someone feel this way in whatever genre I’m working in.
You’ve worked with artists who are producers themselves, like Keshi, and others who look to you to steer the ship. How do you decide what your role should be?
It starts with doing a little research and really understanding what makes that artist who they are. With someone like Keshi or Oliver Tree, production is a huge part of their identity. So in those situations, I lean into that.
Keshi is a great example. Sometimes he’ll tell me, “You’re the producer,” but then he’ll play me something he’s been working on and I’ll say, “No, this is sick — let me elevate it for you.” His DNA is already embedded in that track, and that’s what we need to run with.
Keshi’s track, “War” produced by Imad Royal, from the album Requiem.
On the other hand, some artists have a strong vision but it comes from a different place — maybe their aesthetic, or just their voice. In those cases, my job is to hone in on their superpower and then build the right environment around it. That might mean bringing in the perfect co-writer or collaborator, whatever helps create space for the artist to be their most authentic self.
Of all the different roles you take on, what’s been most rewarding recently?
Honestly, working with Rico Nasty has been the best. She’s musically ADD in the same way I am, which is awesome. She’s fearless, so enthusiastic, and has such great presence — and also needs very little direction. For example, I’ll start strumming a guitar and maybe hum a melody under my breath, and within 30 minutes she’s like, “Okay, put me on the mic.” Nine times out of ten, what comes out is incredible.
Rico Nasty’s “TEETHSUCKER (YEA3X)” from the album Lethal, produced by Imad Royal.
Performing with Rico Nasty on NPR’s Tiny Desk was a huge moment. What was that like?
Tiny Desk is such a bucket list thing. It’s one of those validating moments where you think, wow, the music I’m making has reached this stage. But getting to do it with the artist I’m most excited about, playing music I’m most excited about — that made it even more special.
And selfishly, I grew up as a drummer, so it was amazing to have an excuse to get back on the kit. But I wasn’t just playing drums — I was also tasked with being the music director. That meant putting the setlist together, imagining transitions, curating the whole flow. It felt like producing in a different medium, shaping the live experience instead of the record.
Imad Royal on drums and serving as music director for Rico Nasty’s NPR Tiny Desk performance.
Doja Cat’s “Boss Bitch” has such a distinctive production. How did that come together?
That one started with just the vocal and a few loose stems, like going back to my SoundCloud days, when I’d take acapellas and put new productions under them. Doja’s voice gave me the roadmap that dictated the production. She’s so percussive, it’s obvious when she hits a certain rhythm or phrasing, for me to build a moment around it.
Doja Cat’s “Boss Bitch” from the album Birds of Prey, produced by Imad Royal
Do UAD plug-ins play a role in sparking inspiration for you?
Definitely. First of all, I’m a big preset guy. I like getting to results quickly, and with UAD plug-ins the presets actually do what they say. If it’s called “Fat Bass,” there’s a 90% chance it really is a fat bass. That reliability goes a long way.
On the Studer A800 Tape Recorder plug-in, for instance, the “Drum Bus” preset is perfect. I put it on every time. If I muted my drum bus right now and did a before-and-after, you’d immediately hear it — color, crunch, vibe.
You’ve called the Sonnox Oxford Inflator plug-in a “secret weapon.” What makes it so useful?
As an in-the-box producer, I don’t have time to mess with 20 different knobs. That’s why the Sonnox Oxford Inflator is so incredible. It gives me perceived loudness without the hassle of rebuilding my gain staging, and with just two faders, I get immediate results. I use it on everything—it’s like Sriracha for my mixes—and it hasn’t left my mix bus in seven years.
“Distortion is the secret sauce. It’s on everything, even the cleanest songs.”
Imad Royal
How long have you been using Apollo, and what role does it play in your setup?
I’ve been an Apollo user for ten years. It was one of the very first upgrades I made. When I moved to L.A., I had a super basic setup and thought, I’m in the big leagues now — I need good preamps and a solid interface. So Apollo was what I went with. It turned out to be a great decision because Apollo became the standard.
I started with an Apollo x8p, then added an Apollo Twin X, which I even used for monitor control for a while. I love that you can rig them all together. I also added a UAD Satellite, and eventually picked up a 6176 Vintage Channel Strip, which is my go-to for guitar and bass DI.
“I like getting results quickly, and with UAD plug-ins it’s easy because the presets actually do what they say.” says Imad Royal.
Do you use Apollo’s Unison™ preamps in your workflow?
I was intimidated by Unison at first, because the idea of committing to preamp and EQ settings on the way in felt crazy. But once I got comfortable, it just clicked for me—it’s genius. In A/B shootouts, I often can’t tell the difference, and sometimes I even prefer the Unison version. Now, anything that isn’t hitting one of my hardware preamps gets a Unison plug-in, usually the Neve 1073.
You’ll be taking Apollo on the road with Rico?
Yeah. I’m so comfortable on Apollo — the live monitoring, the realtime plug-ins. I can do Auto-Tune, reverb, whatever I need, right on the spot.
For the tour, I’m bringing an Apollo rig with all of Rico’s presets dialed in. Honestly, it’s a big part of why I feel so comfortable stepping into this MD role. I know the gear, I know the workflow, and I can make adjustments instantly.
I’ll have the Apollo set up right next to my drum kit, so while I’m playing I can also manage vocal chains and tweak things as needed. It makes the live show feel like an extension of the studio.
“I want an artist to feel safe enough to be vulnerable. That’s when the best stuff happens.”
Imad Royal
What triggers your creative flow? Do you have a certain routine or time of day that works best?
I’m a night owl. There’s something about when everyone else is asleep and I’m the only one up. I feel like vibes are being tossed my way and I’m just catching them. A lot of times it turns into voice memos at one in the morning. I’ll bring that into a session the next day, and some of those late-night sparks have turned into real songs.
Starting is always the weird part, even after doing this every day for more than a decade. You just have to sit down and throw yourself into it. When I’m not feeling particularly inspired, I’ll put myself in an environment to spark something — sit at the drums, pick up a guitar, mess with effects pedals — anything to find that spark.
Drums have always been central to your productions. I noticed a lot of little “ear candy” moments in your songs where a drum fill lines up perfectly with a vocal phrase. How does that come together?
It can go both ways. Sometimes the vocalist has a percussive moment in their delivery and I’ll want to highlight that with drums. Other times, I’ll just create little moments on the kit almost as a game — knowing I’ll have to figure out how to line everything up later.
Like if I play a triplet fill, I might build out the song so the guitars, keys, and vocals hit with that fill. It creates these cool details that make a track more fun to come back to. It’s part of me still thinking like I’m in the band. Those drum fills don’t just support the groove — they inspire the vocalist and the arrangement around them.
“Sometimes a vocalist inspires the drums, and sometimes the drums inspire the vocalist. That interplay is what makes the magic,” says Imad Royal.
You’ve said distortion is like your “secret sauce.” What role does it play in your productions?
I could write a love letter to distortion. It comes in so many forms, and each gives you a different result. On vocals, it can carry the whole performance. There are songs on the Rico album where I didn’t have to double or layer the vocals — the distortion made them cut right through the track. On drums, it’s a quick way to add bite.
Sometimes I’ll automate distortion so a clean pluck or soft pad slowly grows more menacing, until it turns into this wall of beautiful noise. It creates drama and energy without losing musicality.
People describe you as fearless. Where does that come from?
I think it’s because I’m not afraid to fail. I’m not afraid to lose or get it wrong. I love taking big swings. If an artist wants to move on and work with someone else, that doesn’t scare me. What matters to me is knowing I left it all out there, chased the ideas I was hearing in my head, and hopefully pushed the artist to new heights in the process. Not having that fear of failure allows me to be free. Worst-case scenario, the song doesn’t come out. Cool — we’ll make more.
“Apollo was one of my first upgrades, and it turned out to be the right call — it became the standard everywhere.”
Imad Royal
You’ve collaborated a lot with your younger brother Ray. How did that relationship develop?
Honestly, it’s such a beautiful thing. We have home videos where I’m 12 and he’s four, and he’s already copying my drum beats — perfectly emulating me even though he couldn’t reach the throne. I remember thinking even then, this kid has an ear for music.
When he turned 13, I was signing my first deal and moving to L.A. I told him, “You’re amazing at video games, and DAWs are kind of like video games. Here’s a DAW, here are some samples — if you stick with this, by the time you’re 18 you’ll be incredible.” And that’s exactly what happened.
“Sometimes I’ll be noodling on guitar and my brother Ray will say, ‘That’s the riff. That’s the song.’ He keeps me honest,” says Imad Royal.
What was your first real collaboration together?
Our first official cut was with Benson Boone. We did a song called “My Greatest Fear” that ended up on his platinum album. To have our first track together go platinum was nuts.
Then Rico Nasty came along, and I knew Ray would crush it. His bread and butter is rap and rap-adjacent music — especially drum programming. His programming is out of this world, and he’s super tasteful. So he played a huge role on the Rico record.
Benson Boone’s “My Greatest Fear” produced by Imad Royal and Rayman on the Beat from the album Fireworks & Rollerblades.
You’ve always seemed so grounded and true to yourself. How do you manage to hold on to that while being so successful?
Part of it is just temperament. Even though I started young and signed young, none of this felt easy to attain — and once I did, it didn’t feel easy to keep. That gave me a sense of responsibility to stay level-headed. When good things happen, that’s the time to press harder, not let off the gas. When setbacks come, take a breather if you need to, but then come back swinging. At the end of the day, it’s about showing up with a decent attitude. If you focus on all the things wrong with this business, it’ll crush you. I choose not to, because I love what I do, and I don’t want that ruined.
— Ryan Hunter/Darrin Fox
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