Erika Schiff

Singer / Writer / Engineer

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122 Reviews (116 Verified)
Erika Schiff on SoundBetter

American Idol (Season 10) alumni, Minecraft Jams "Psycho Girl" writer & singer, (over 500 million views) Vanderpump Rules "Touch In Public,"commercials, ABC's The Unit, ABC Family, FOX & more. Voice is edgy, pop, sultry, clean & warm. "I started singing professionally at 11 in an acapella group before becoming the go-to session girl in Philly."

★Recent - recurring tv singing spots FOX NFL Sports, Voiceovers on Joe Biden's Pres. campaign TV ads.

“I've touted Erika Schiff 's singing abilities for so long it might seem like she's a woman in her 60s rather than the sprightly twenty something that she is. Philly's resident blue-eyed soul chanteuse pays her bills as a session singer, has done backing vocals for old area cats like John Eddie and sang in expansive jazz acts with avant-guys like Elliot Levin. But the woman I spoke to from the Hollywood set of American Idol early this year has her debut album "In the Blonde" ready with a gig at Legendary Dobbs April 30."

---A. D. Amorosi, City Paper (Philadelphia)

Specializes in harmonies, vocal stacks, a rich, velvety mid range, Erika has the tone and edge in her vocals to deliver a modern vocal track. She is the perfect fit for pop, soul, blues, jazz, dance, adult contemporary and more.
(Most comfortable range: C3- G5, Mezzo-Soprano)

As a Philly native, Erika earned her cred early on at 11 years old when she began singing pro in a 50‘s pop acapella quartet, followed by writing orig music and performing at Philly staple venues. She became one of the most sought after commercial pop singers in the city. Her voice can be heard on hundreds of commercials and television shows. She currently resides in LA.

I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.

Languages

  • English

122 Reviews - 22 Repeat Clients

Endorse Erika Schiff
  1. Review by Eric Rodriguez
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    Was great to work with Erika! Highly Recommend!

  2. Review by Haji Ginz
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    Phenomenal powerful vocals. Erika has a very unique voice that would sound amazing in many genres. Delivers high quality tracks. Recommended!

  3. Review by Haji Ginz
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    Erika is an amazing powerhouse singer. What a voice! Warmly recommended.

  4. Review by Jonathon B.
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    Erika is a pro and fantastic to work with! She made my song even better and was the perfect vocalist for it. Such a great experience, and I’m looking forward to hopefully working with her again in the future! Thanks, Erika!

  5. Review by Sam Scott
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    Second time working with Erika and as always, an absolute pleasure. She went above and beyond to nail the track and as always, more than delivers on expectation. The thing for me and why I keep coming back is that Erika is a true professional - what comes back is not a demo. Her voice has a great rasp to it that gives character and story to the melody so that whether you're pitching a song or putting it out, Erika won't just sing it, she'll bring it to life.

  6. Review by Park
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    by Park
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    She's a really talented singer.
    I want to work with her again next time.

  7. Review by Anthony
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    Erika was very professional and straight to the point. She really opened my eyes up into the music industry. Definitely need to work with her again!

  8. Review by Uri Aka The U-Man
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    Erika is a very gifted, versatile singer and as professional as it gets! Communication was strong throughout working with her, and she even added her own flavor to the song to enhance it. SUPER JOB, highly recommend!

  9. Review by Uri Aka The U-Man
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    Excellent professional singer. Great communication, easy to work with.

  10. Review by Jeff Chapman
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    Erika did the lead and full set of backing vocals for my progressive AOR/R&B song project. Her harmonies were always spot-on, she easily understood the feel and where the vocals needed to fit in, and she was quick to respond with any touchups after review (of which there were very few).

    If you need a vocalist commando with all the right questions to get in, get the assignment fully knocked out and slip out quickly (ha!), Erika will come in with guns blazing to make it happen!

  11. Review by Skip Stone
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    Nothing less than the best! Forget the rest!

  12. Review by Danius A.
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    It was a wonderful experience working with Erika!

  13. Review by ionie
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    by ionie
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    Erika was so easy and fun to work with, not only as a singer but also as a writer and vocal arranger. She takes direction like such a pro and gave me exactly what I was looking for. She's got that unique, special something to make your project truly shine!!

  14. Review by Skip Stone
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    I have had the privilege of working with Erika on over a half dozen recordings involving vocals, top line melody, and lyrics . She has delivered consistently professional results in her signature style every time. Her sincerity and passion make all the difference - she is certainly one of the finest vocalists available. I would give her more stars if it were possible!

  15. Review by Alejandro Cacciola
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    Always a thrill to work with Erika. A++

  16. Review by Skip Stone
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    While a broadcast engineer for PBS I was fortunate enough to work with numerous personalities and celebrities-that said ,Erika is by far my favorite vocalist to work with. Her control, phrasing, and consistent,professional quality results are absolutely the best!

  17. Review by Skip Stone
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    Erika is nothing less than the finest. I cannot recommend her highly enough!

  18. Review by Charles Ruggiero
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    Ericka is the best! I could talk all day about her vocals, because they are ELITE (but I’ve already reviewed her vocals!) This time she really went above and beyond - helping me with the songwriting, the vocal arrangement, AND the production. I had an incomplete idea for some music and she absolutely made it come alive. She even wrote the bass part! She's also kind, and super professional.
    I HIGHLY recommend her for ANYTHING musical you need. I’ll use her again and again I’m sure. 5000 stars!!

  19. Review by Sam Scott
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    A truly unbelievable experience! Erika is one of a kind and an absolute professional. Her voice has such character, depth and personality and she truly elevated the song to being everything I had hoped it could be in my head. Her expression as a storyteller within the lyrics, her creativity with harmonies and ad libs, it’s all just stunning.

    Erika is the perfect collaborator, she’s patient but fast, creative yet faithful to vision, I literally could not ask any more.

    I cannot thank her emphatically enough, I cannot recommend her strongly enough.

    Look forward to more of the same.

  20. Review by Rainer C. Regatschnig
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    Once again: Erika is awesome! Exactly what I was looking for! Professional, friendly, timely!!! I'm very very happy with how this project turned out! Highly recommended!

Interview with Erika Schiff

  1. Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

  2. A: Pheobe Danskin - super pro, current, nice

  3. Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

  4. A: 1. mic 2. head phones 3. keyboard/piano 4. laptop 5. my dog Taylor...world class assistant and muse. and after some SERIOUS bribing of the gods to get #6... 6. speakers

  5. Q: How would you describe your style?

  6. A: Real, genuine, ethereal harmonies

  7. Q: What's your typical work process?

  8. A: I am fast and high quality. Ya get what ya pay for. ;)

  9. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  10. A: Slate Digital Audio Mic, Audio Technica AT 4050 Mic, Pro Tools. I have a home studio and easy access to high end studios.

  11. Q: What are you working on at the moment?

  12. A: Current pipeline: original music, music and video production for an A.I. tech company, radio ID's

  13. Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

  14. A: Jeff Lynne because he seems genuinely cool...Bruno Mars...killer songwriter.

  15. Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

  16. A: Pop, rock, country, edm

  17. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  18. A: Both. Both have great qualities. I am not a purist of any kind.

  19. Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

  20. A: I will only send you work that I honestly feel is good enough.

  21. Q: What do you like most about your job?

  22. A: It's always different.

  23. Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

  24. A: Question: How much? Answer: We need to figure out exactly what you want :P OR Question: Will you sing my funny lyrics? Answer: Absolutely :)

  25. Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

  26. A: That it doesn't take hours and hours of detailed attention and work. That it's always fun.

  27. Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

  28. A: What is the usage? Demographic? Style or example of something similar? How elaborate do you want to get, something simple or something more involved?

  29. Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

  30. A: Be realistic and open to all possibilities! Try to have a clear idea of the vibe you want and don't expect anyone to deliver exactly what you may hear in your head. Let the pros do what you hired them to do :) Also understand that good quality will never be the cheapest but do it right the first time and you will end up spending less and having something you can be proud of.

  31. Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

  32. A: Always music and art. I was a fine art major in college and was always involved in the arts from childhood. Started as a dancer at age of two, never stopped going. Was in my first original band in ninth grade, got more involved in illustration in high school. Of all the creative fields, music was always my greatest love. Truthfully, I feel incomplete without any of them and enjoy creating in general.

  33. Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

  34. A: An original song I co-wrote and just completed with Sharon Little. The song has not yet been released but every time I've listened to it I cry.

  35. Q: Can you share one music production tip?

  36. A: Cultivate a cohesive sound throughout your album or EP. It's easier on the listener if it feels like one body of work...not like a bag of rainbow skittles exploded in their ears. Keep it simple and get it done. Get out of your own way and work with people who create and stick to deadlines.

  37. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  38. A: Commercial sound with unique tone, vocal arranging, top-lines, writing jingles, comping vocals.

  39. Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

  40. A: Jon Brion for his originality and dark undertones. Anything Jeff Lynne...he has amazing melodies, harmonies, orchestration...super catchy with a tinge of beautiful sadness, plus he is an incredible arranger and seems super fun to work with. Courtney Barnett...she's just cool. Too many to list.

  41. Q: What do you bring to a song?

  42. A: A pretty sound, sultry sexiness. An original point of view. Unique yet catchy chord progressions and melodies. Clever, yet applicable lyrics. I'm a work horse and I enjoy when clients are super happy :)

  43. Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

  44. A: Singing, harmonies, vocal arranging, tuning, writing music, writing melodies, recording, tweaking your lyrics, writing lyrics, producing, Radio ID's, jingles, song writing collaborations, video editing, sourcing our other performers for your project, performing live.

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Let Me Love You - Justin Bieber Cover

I was the Singer, vocal arranger in this production


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    Vocal Samples/Pop/Rock/Vocal Reel
Terms Of Service

-Revisions w/in reason & won't compromise entire recording, something sounds wrong
-Please submit EXACT lyrics & check before
-Average 5-7 business day turn around, rush order avail

GenresSounds Like
  • Sia
  • P!nk
  • Blondie
Gear Highlights
  • Slate Digital Audio Mic
  • Pro Tools
  • Audio Technica AT 4050
More Photos
More Samples
  • Over 7 Million Hits, Erika Makes Minecraft Music HistoryOct 23, 2018


    10/23/2018
    The music video "Girls Know How To Fight" has crossed over the 7 million views mark. Never before in Minecraft music history has a YouTube video, featuring a real life person, been as successful. I am extremely proud to say that I was the singer and featured artist in this video. 

    VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjtTn5WmD74