Having just completed the mix of the 'strong closing track' of the album, I thought I'd share my 'production' story. I keep thinking I started relatively recently but realised it goes back 19 years ago.
Almost two decades ago in 2004, I was 8 years old and had transformed from being annoying on the Casio to being quite good on it. It became clear to my parents that it was time for something almost proper - a Yamaha! 88-keys, pitch-bendy wheel, touch sensitive, pedal, the lot.
As with most keyboards of that type, it had demo songs on it. But innovatively - at least in my world - you could load and even record your own onto a floppy disc, using the "instruments" built into the keyboard.
So I did. Of course to extremely varying results! Beatles songs, pop songs, theme tunes, things I heard in school, on the car radio, on the telly - anything I heard and dug, I'd try and get to the sonic bottom of it. During the lockdown I found some deep down in a backup hard drive and it was seriously surreal to hear it back. Some are hilarious, but some are "woah, I was 8?!"
In year 8, the drama department were putting on a production of West Side Story. The teacher knew that the soundtrack tickled all my sonic fancies so put the task on me to produce 3 backing tracks. Quite a big undertaking for a 12 year old but it was a challenge I was willing to take.
Anyone who's tried to wrap their heads around the chords to Cool or the time changes of America, would know it was perhaps biting off a bit more than I could chew. But following months of sleepless nights and swear words a bit too strong for my parents to accept me saying, I actually did it! Exhaustedly, but sufficiently and in the nick of time. Being in a jazz big-band certainly helped. I was over the moon. Then my friend Troy who was playing Tony broke his leg, and it got cancelled the day before the premiere!
All that work and stress for what? It could've just been postponed! I was furiously devastated and couldn't bring myself to even look at an instrument for ages.
I got my mojo back at 14 when me and a guitarist in my form, Joe Hannen (now of Superdays) started jamming. He messaged me one day "my dad's mate has a studio, fancy a day there?" I can't remember what we made but we had a blast. In year 11 the school invested in a fully kitted studio - we were there every lunch and after school making music and churning out song after song.
During the long summer of 2012 between school and sixth form, another schoolmate, Matt Hart, started learning guitar and we started writing and recording together. As well as our own stuff we'd be dissecting and replicating songs that we'd love and try to recreate sounds and effects we dug, learning studio tricks like stacking harmonies, replicating keyboard and guitar sounds we heard and liked, and in the meantime watching Beavis and Butt-Head. Pete in the year below us was a natural producer, and we'd often go to his to learn formative tricks, swap plugins we'd accumulated, and show him Beavis and Butt-Head to his distress.
As Matt's apprenticeship as an engraver started to pick up, I decided to start helping record friends from sixth form and at open mics. EP's. Demos. Albums. Scratch ideas. Anything with anyone. Whatever sound they wanted, I'd find a way to get it. From orchestral Bond themes, to synth-pop country, pop ballads to metal, punk to funk, garage bands to mariachi bands, and watching their faces light up as their creative vision became real life, I'd be in my absolute element. By the end of the 2010's I'd completed the "trial and error" stage and had a CV I was extremely proud of.
When lockdown happened I had an idea to record bits remotely for dosh. Just small tasks like keyboard parts or guitar loops, but this got interpreted as full productions, which I was all for at first. Early on this was a super productive period for me, but soon it became apparent that my house wasn't the place to do so, with disruptive neighbours and a family with different sleeping patterns to a musician's. When the world started to reopen my friend in The Aim, Grant Judges, invited me over to his to record some demos onto a laptop. Perfect!
I produced The Master Reset alongside the late Jamie Tongue, who I was so lucky to share the initial sessions with, teaching him tricks on Logic when we weren't laughing our heads off. After he sadly and suddenly passed, it was on me to pick up the pieces of his final work - a true honour, and one of the most difficult things but rewarding things I've done.
Some people seem to think studios are redundant with the facilities to record at home, but let me tell you they're not. Being able to make as much noise as you want when you want can be more of a luxury than forking out on a designated space - especially with drums, guitar amps, belted vocals and such. I'm very lucky to know some local friends with great studios, who I've trusted with some aspects of my work with zero regrets - Dan Cooper at Rodel Sound, and Andy Furmage at eRax Sound Art.
It's something I'd also love to venture into properly, and am currently paving the way and space to do so - I'll let you know when. I might as well turn this 19 year accident into something deliberate!
In the meantime I can't wait to unleash what I'm currently producing rather than just keep teasing it. Watch this space x
