Inside the Track: Kayla Jo's No Limit
- Editorial Board
- Sep 6
- 4 min read
Emily Fraser: Secrets Of The Vocal Producer
Virginia based Kayla Jo first drafted “No Limit,”as an almost simple loop-based and guitar demo. What followed was a long process of rewriting, restructuring, and re-recording that transformed the track into a hook-driven pop record happening between Kayla Jo, her producer ASTRØMAN and at the center of that transformation was Emily Fraser, who stepped in as co-writer, co-producer, background vocalist, and vocal producer.
Role & Timeline
For “No Limit,” Emily served as co-writer, co-producer, background vocalist, and vocal producer. Her involvement began right after Kayla Jo shared the initial demo idea. Emily helped refine the structure, shape the hooks, and build a stronger vocal framework before the track was handed to producer ASTRØMAN for re-production. She remained involved through the final stages, re-recording background parts once the production was locked and offering detailed feedback during the mix process.
Vocal Production Vision
“I grew up listening to a lot of Ariana Grande, so my vocal production always leans into layers, harmonies, and stacks,” Emily explains. “Background vocals should never overpower — they should hug the lead, enhance it, and make what’s already strong even stronger. For this track, we wanted a big, interesting intro and a song that felt fun and hook-driven.”
Workflow: From Tracking to Final Polish
Emily’s process on “No Limit” was built around structure and flow. The guitar-based demo set the foundation, but once a solid tempo and rhythm were locked, she focused on leads first: Recording full takes of verses and choruses before comping. Punching in details where needed to keep emotion intact. Layering doubles, harmonies, and ad libs to “beef” the mix.
Organization was central. “I keep everything separated — doubles, highs, lows, ad libs, even effects-driven parts like heavy reverb, so another producer has a clear roadmap,” Emily notes. “Once everything is clean, I solo tracks to catch flaws: peaking, mic bumps, room noise. If I hear it, I re-record it. That’s just part of the job.”
Guide Vocals, Harmonies & Tuning
Since Emily was leading the demo and vocal production, she laid down the guide vocals for Kayla Jo to punch back in during the finals. Once both singers’ parts were recorded, she blended the takes to highlight each vocalist’s strengths.
Her philosophy on tuning was straightforward: “I don’t record or let any artist record directly into Auto-Tune. If a vocal doesn’t sound good raw, it needs more work. Auto-Tune should enhance like makeup, not act like plastic surgery.”
Collaboration & Setbacks
The process wasn’t without frustration. The song was re-recorded twice due to DAW incompatibilities, and then suffered a massive hard-drive failure, forcing a full re-production by the whole team. Emily recalls advice from ASTRØMAN that stuck:
“There will always be another performance.”
“That lesson helped me let go of demo takes I was attached to. A great song stays great even if you record it five times,” Fraser says. “In hindsight, the setbacks made the song stronger. We had more time to perfect it.”
Tools of the Trade
For “No Limit,” Emily tracked vocals in Ableton Live before moving to Pro Tools for collaboration ease. Recording was done on a Shure MV7, later upgraded to an Audio-Technica AT2050 with an Audient ID4 interface. Reverb was always placed on a send rather than recorded in. A very simple and effective setup set-up.
“I like keeping my demo mixes light, just enough compression and reverb to get the idea across, then leaving the heavy lifting for the main producer,” Emily explains. It's all about the performance.
Integrating Into the Final Mix
Because the vocals were created before full production, Emily adjusted after hearing the instrumental: “Once the hooks and instrumentation came in, we realized some vocals needed to be pulled back, and others expanded. It’s about responding to the energy of the record and making sure the blend between vocals and track feels seamless.”
Standout Moment
Emily points to the intro harmonies as her proudest contribution: “We stacked multiple layers and doubles, and it created a beautiful, unique opening. A strong intro can hook a listener instantly, and I think we nailed that.”
Lessons & Advice
Her biggest takeaway: organization and workflow discipline. “Inspiration disappears fast if you’re bogged down in messy sessions or technical mistakes. Record clean, stay organized, and don’t overcomplicate. Learn the basics before diving into advanced EQ or FX. Build a foundation first.”
She also stresses collaboration: “As a co-writer and vocal producer, it’s not about pushing your vision. It’s about highlighting the artist. Kayla’s voice and lyrics had to shine above all. My role was to enhance, not take over.” The final production was layered and mixed and mastered by ASTRØMAN.
Final Note
“No Limit” went through setbacks, but Emily sees that as part of the creative journey. “Losing files, re-recording, starting over, it’s frustrating, but it taught me resilience. Always back up your drives, always stay aligned with your artist, and never forget: the song will survive.”
