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Thea Gustafsson Producer, Songwriter, and Recording Artist

Thea Gustafsson currently records emotive alt-pop as Becky and the Birds, a project which released its debut album Only Music Makes Me Cry Now on November 8th, 2024. As recent as this seems, she has a rich background in audio, from her days at Stockholm’s famed Musikmakarna Songwriters Academy to a later internship with Aviici. In 2025, Gustafsson was awarded Producer of the Year at the Swedish Grammis and in April, she released the single “Should’ve known better (choices),” on which her accordionist father contributes some accompaniment.

 

What excites you most as a producer?

What really excites me is when I go into sounds, or twists in the sounds that are unexpected—like changing the key abruptly, or using an effect that comes in just every now and then. I love very petite changes that make a big difference in production. Every time I hear a production where I can hear that someone has put a lot of time into it, and it’s complex, it just makes me so happy.

What are some of your favorite subtle shifts that you can accomplish in a recording?

I like to put in small, hidden messages. It could be a voice sample that only I know where it comes from—like a phone call—then I just take one word from that phone call, for example, and use it as a snare. It’s things that no one else probably would hear or notice. It makes such a difference in the process of creating it. But then I really like to play with my own voice, see how I can pitch my voice, flex time my voice, or use it in various ways. That’s probably why I love samplers so much, because you never know what you’ll get. You know what you put into the sampler, but then, from there, it just gives you so many endless possibilities. Samplers: they’re my best friends.

What is your go to sampler?

I love the Serato sampler. When I got it, it was free, which was incredible. I also use the (Teenage Engineering) OP-1 a lot. I’ve been using (Native Instruments) Maschine quite a lot to chop up stuff, but I don’t find it to be quite as easy. It’s not a standalone. I’ve tried to, like, really love it–and I used to love it–but I don’t love it as much anymore. I like Maschine for drums. It’s easy to quantize, but it’s also kind of complex. You need to really learn the Maschine, and, to be honest, I’m not much of a nerd when it comes to, like, learning the instrument. I just want them to work, or if I don’t know how they work, I want them to be easy to just figure out somehow.

Tell us about your experience producing other artists.

I’ve had sessions with people where we come from different worlds, and I think that could be good. But so far, my best experiences have been with the people who have similar taste and sound. We have similar thoughts. When you find that, it’s just fun. I think it’s good as a producer too, or as an artist, to get out of your own head. You can learn so much [from] someone saying a sound that they want you to use, and it might be a sound that you have never thought of or that you would never use, but you learn so much from just trying to find that. Then I’ve been making a lot of samples for other producers, which has been really fun. It’s easy to sit and be like, “oh, I need to make a whole production of something,” but I’ve also found a way where I’m, creating ambiences–or creating soundscapes, in a way–and then I let someone else come in to make the drums or the bass. The process of adding bass is very boring to me. I’ve been quite forceful too, in my no’s. I’ve not been afraid to say no, which has been good for me as a producer. I used to jump into projects, but it’s easy to find yourself kind of scattered if you’ve done a lot of different things that you’re not really keen on.

How did you get started as a producer?

Actually, I went to a production and songwriting school, but I went in there as a top liner. This was in Sweden, and it’s a quite good school. It’s the school that a lot of good producers and songwriters have gone to, but I didn’t even know the concept of producing, so I picked top liner, But then as I got into that school and I started to write, and I wrote for others,  ended up always finding myself nagging at the producer, like, “Oh, you should try this. You should do this.” It was always male producers. I hadn’t seen a woman produce at that point. I didn’t really have any influencers or anyone that I could look up to, besides maybe Björk back then. It kind of grew out of frustration, because I saw these men just came into the studios and took over, and I didn’t even think they were good at what they were doing. So then, after a while, I kind of locked myself in, because I was so tired of everything. And I was like, I don’t want to be a top liner; this is not for me.

I started to produce by myself, because I had learned so much, because I had seen others produce. I remember that I wanted to do my artist project, but I couldn’t find a producer for it. I was just standing in line for these male producers. I had to wait, then they would start something, but they wouldn’t finish it. So then I was like, I’ll just do it myself. I did it out of anger, but also out of pure excitement. I immediately was just so blown away, like, “oh my god, why haven’t I done this sooner?” It’s one of the few things in life where I really get caught up in it, and I can just lose myself completely. Up to that point, I hadn’t really felt that feeling. It was so much fun to not know a lot about it either, because that gave me so much freedom and space to try things out, which made me ultra creative. Then, from there, I found my own ways of doing it. I remember a guy looking through my project, and he was like, “you can’t have the compressor first and then the EQ, that’s wrong.” And I was like, “Who says that it’s wrong?”

Do you still put the compressor before the EQ?

I actually put the EQ before the compressor most of the time. I know more common rules of what sounds good and what doesn’t sound good, but it’s so easy to get caught up in the rules of producing, and just forget about the creativity and the endless possibilities that are there if you actually put the compressor before the EQ [sometimes]. And it might be a sound that is way cooler than the compressor after the EQ.

Can you say the name of the school that you went to?

Musikmakarna. It’s a really good school. They split you up in groups, you know, so you’re either a “top liner” or a producer, which makes it weird. It’s weird when that’s your first interaction with the industry. You suddenly have to put yourself into a box. I think that limits you, like, “well, if I’m a top liner, I can’t be a producer.” I do think a lot of things have changed, though. This was quite a lot of years ago. I love the word creator; I just want to be a creator. And I think that, especially as a girl and as a woman, too, it’s easy to forget that you can do everything. I think society enforces [men] to be like, “I can do whatever I want,” but as a girl, you have to make everything perfect before you can say that you’re a producer. You have to produce a hit record before you can say that you’re a producer. I’m just trying to work around that all the time, and [as] soon as I try something, I’m like, “I’m that.”

Do you have someone who really helped you, like a mentor?

I didn’t really have anyone who I can say was, like, a mentor, but I did feel a lot of encouragement from people who were in the industry–from other women producers especially. I think there’s a lot of connection there, from female creators overall. I’ve found a lot of calm in talking to other girls who are making something creative, because it takes a lot from you to put yourself out there. It’s kind of vulnerable as a woman. So to see other girls being powerful, and being nerdy, or being deeply interested in something that doesn’t have anything to do with men, is very inspiring to me. Every woman, who’s making something for their own sake, has always been very inspiring to me.

So tell us about your process for making your latest album.

I was going through a breakup, and I’ve never been a big diary writer. My way has been to record myself when I’m playing piano and singing, so I did that a lot, and I just let whatever wanted to come out, come out. It came from this very intuitive place. So I would have long recordings, like 30 minutes that I had recorded, that I then took and sampled. I let those samples kind of lead the way for the whole album. Then I would add production to it, I would add drums or whatever it needed, which was hard, because a lot of them didn’t even have BPMs or a tempo. Some of them still don’t, which I have found, very freeing in a way, because I just had to accept that. Once I let go, I was like, oh, it can be whatever it wants to be.

What are some of your long term goals?

I really want to work with people, with big people, who are interesting and inspiring. I want to get more into hip hop, and use my samples there, and also more into the alternative scene, [producing] for others. I want to produce even more for others, and then release more albums. I’m moving to the US, which will be terrifying, and so much fun. I really also want to pave the way for female producers. I just want to be inspiring, and I want to stay inspired, too.

What made you gravitate toward music to begin with?

My dad is a musician, but he’s an accordion player, and he’s been very much into klezmer music and jazz. So I always started out as a little bit of an underdog, you know, because I was just listening to his records, which were klezmer records, all day long. Then I started playing violin when I was seven. I played in a lot of orchestras, and I was also writing songs for orchestras, which was my first way of expressing creativity and making songs. I think that has had a huge impact on the way that I produce, too, because I come from an orchestra perspective, and I’ve also always been singing in choirs. From that, I’m very used to different harmonies and different sections, which I’ve had a big use for in my production. I’ve always been in music, I’ve always been around music, and I think if I would have known that it was possible to produce earlier, I definitely would have. It was just that I didn’t even know that you could do it until school.

Your choir background definitely comes across in your album.

Yeah, I love choirs. It’s so much fun singing with other people. The beautiful thing about vocals is that it’s an instrument that is closest to us, because it comes right out of us; there’s no instrument in between. It’s just straight from our soul. I find that if I’ve been in an era where I’ve been only producing a lot and I haven’t been singing so much, I can feel how I’m disconnected from myself, almost. I really think singing connects you to you somehow. It’s just beautiful.

More on Thea Gustafsson

https://beckyandthebirds.com/

New single announcement: April 30th, 2025

https://www.instagram.com/beckyandthebirds/

Selected Interviews with Thea Gustaffson:

The Luna Collective

Clash Music Interview

Producer-Engineer-Songwriter Suzy Shinn

Do What Feels Good, Stay Five Steps Ahead and Bake Some Cookies:

An Interview with Producer-Engineer-Songwriter Suzy Shinn.

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting two-time GRAMMY-nominated recording engineer, songwriter, and producer, Suzy Shinn.  This meeting was over Zoom during, what she described, a chaotic afternoon filled with last-minute tasks that sneak up before catching a flight.  Despite the eleventh-hour pressure to get things done, she awkwardly propped her iPad up on the corner of her desk, leaned into camera view, and asked if I could hear her ok.  As her energy and attention quickly come into focus on me, I felt an overwhelming sense that I just became her top priority, she was here for me and ready to talk.  Impressed, I took a mental note of this feeling: how amongst the chaos did this woman just put me at ease to casually chat; how is she so calm? But as our conversation unfolds, I realize this is just one of Suzy’s many skills.  “Be cool, be five steps ahead…” she’ll say later in our conversation. In anticipating needs, “being prepared and being cool” is “like a magic trick.”

I could take this moment to list off her accomplishments, but that’s what Wikipedia is for. Take a quick scan at her discography credits and you’ll see notable names like Dua Lipa, Katy Perry, Weezer, and more.  And rather than ask what it was like to work with those big artists, I’d rather use this precious time to talk shop.

Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Generally speaking, the term “producer” is used to cover a range of responsibilities these days. There are beatmakers all the way over to DJs and so on. But for you as a producer, what do you do?

That’s a great question because the lines get blurred. And sometimes, I’ll get thrown into a session where I’m like, oh, I think you thought I was a different kind of producer. So I love working with bands and with artists, whether it’s one song, a handful of songs, or an album, helping the artist best achieve their vision.

With the session in front of me, I’m putting all the pieces together and I’m kind of like, I feel like that sounds good, that sounds bad, what if we try it like this? What if we do this? Trying to bring out the best in the artist and getting the artist, because I work with a lot of rocker indie or pop-rock-like players, getting the best out of them. So instead of me being like, I’m just going to do it, it’s your band, it’s you, you’re the artist. Let’s get it out of you!

And my strong suit, I think, is with acoustic instruments or acoustic instruments and integrating them with electronic elements. I play a lot of instruments from guitar to bass, piano. I can play some drums enough to play the computer and make everything sound cool. I can program, sure. But, I am not the girl you go to for crazy awesome drum programming and 808s. I can do it. But if we’re going to go that route, we’re going to be here. I’m not a really, really, really fast beat maker. And I love to take real instruments also and make them sound like samples or make them cuts or whatnot. It doesn’t have to always sound like a huge live band.

Speaking of producers, there are producers out there that have a distinct sound, you’ve got Pharrell, Kevin Parker, Timberland. When you hear one of their songs, you know it. For you as a producer, is that something you aspire to, to have that distinct recognition?

It seems like it’s inevitable. Whenever I hear anyone who I really look up to, whether it’s like Jake Sinclair, Butch Walker, Ricky Reed even, Jack Antonoff, I can always hear that it’s those guys. And I think even if you’re trying to stay far away from it, everyone has their own sound. So I’m down to have my own sound. At the same time, I’ll always want it to sound like the artist.  But the artist comes to the producer for their input or for their sound. So it’s like a cool collaboration, like a mish-mosh of that. But I’m super down for that as I think every producer should have their sound. It makes you special.

Reference tracks are super helpful when getting the vision together with the band, with the artists that you’re working with. But for you as the producer, how do you balance pulling inspiration and sonic ideas from your reference tracks with giving them an original sound?

I love to start with the song first. I think sometimes when you just straight upstart from a production reference and you’ll start, kind of, maybe copying a little bit too much. So I love having a great song. And then, you’re like, how are we going to produce the song? What is it going to sound like? And then that’s where it’s like, oh, let’s take maybe not one song, but a handful of songs – like what does it make you think of? What does it make you feel like? Oh, the drums in this song, it’s kind of the same tempo. Could be cool. Or what about the guitar tone in this or how they did do that synth thing? But I think even if I feel like you try to make it sound like, it’ll still sound way different.  I’ve never run into the problem is of being like, oh my God, it’s the exact same thing. Even Elvis Presley or Costello, like I’m sure they were listening to reference tracks and were like, what about this? And I think it’s really cool.

And on top of that, when I’m referencing something, it’s hard to not be aware of what is out currently.  I love to digging from the 60s or 70s or let’s say, the alternative charts in December 1993 — what was popular then? I think that’s really fun to do instead of chasing what’s hot right now because everyone’s going to already be doing that.

Do you feel pressure to follow the charts?

No, I don’t think so.  It’s more like being creative and being original. And I think, if you’re trying to make something that sounds like what’s huge right now, generally with the time, it comes out in six months or 12 months, you’re now late because someone else is thinking of like, what’s new, what’s weird, what’s unusual, what’s like feeling inspiring instead of chasing.

So that’s why it’s important to be original, I guess.

Yeah. And I think the word “original” is so loose to me. To me it’s, it’s like, what’s inspiring you? It’s like what’s making you smile? or dance around? Or just like feel good. I just feel like when you have a good song, I feel it, like, in your body or something. I don’t know why. I just feel like Yeah. Cool, cool, cool. Cool. OK, I feel special.

What do you enjoy the most about being a producer?

I love to be able to be me in a creative sense and that I get to work with my friends and make records that then go out into the world. It’s like I don’t have to go be anyone else or do anything else. I get to wake up, roll out of bed, go to a studio, then make music and hang out all day with people I admire. I’m thankful for that.

What would you say is the most challenging part about being a producer? 

Time. Dealing with time and allocating time. I’m so particular about my vocals like I won’t let anyone touch my vocals, I have to comp them, I have to tune them, I have to do all the breaths and the S’s and that’s a lot of time. Or like the drum editing or the drum comping. I’m like, well, if someone else does it, are they going to pick the exact same thing I would pick? No, I have to do it. And I try to say yes to everything because I want to work on everything because I love it. But then I feel my brain kind of sometimes goes haywire because I’m trying to do everything and it’s very hard to do everything in twenty-four hours a day.

What is your advice for those who want to be a producer and I mean more like what I’m calling the “traditional producer” along the lines of how you play the role?

My advice is to learn a couple of instruments like you don’t have to be the best at them, but be able to get your idea down and really learn whether you want to go Pro Tools or Ableton or whatnot, like really learn that so it’s a second language, so you’re not thinking about the computer when you’re using the computer, you’re thinking about the part or the sound that you’re getting. I think that’s really helpful. And then when you’re able, if you can play the instruments, even if you have to edit it, you don’t have to rely on as many other people. So that’s a huge one. And just being nice and kind and genuine, just being real. And being fun, I think that goes a long way.

Not “judge-ey”?

Yeah, not judge-ey, like, not a dick. I’m sure you’ve been in sessions where you’re like, man, this guy is so mean or boring or rigid and it doesn’t make you want to go back. And finding someone to learn from. I love to surround myself with people who are like, oh my God, you’re so cool. Like, I shouldn’t be hanging out with you. But I learned so much being around those people and my friends. My friends are very inspiring. So I think that’s important too.

I read you started your production journey in your bedroom on an iMac, probably with Logic or GarageBand. At what point in your career did you go from recording in your room to getting your hands on and understanding and hearing the signal chain, the hardware, the actual real gear? Like, it’s one thing to set up an AT2020 in your bedroom recording to an MBox, and then it’s another to choose to put a U67 on a Mesa Boogie cab for an entire Weezer album. How did you go from A to B, at what point did you get really good at the analog signal chain?

I didn’t get good for a long time. When I first started recording in Logic or whatever, I didn’t know anything. Like I thought the computer mic was a good mic and that’s how people record.  I didn’t come from a musical background. I didn’t know what a producer was or what an engineer or a studio was. I thought the band all got together and played the song one time through, haha. And so I went to Berklee College of Music for a little bit and I studied in their production engineering program and I ended up dropping out. I got an internship at a small recording studio in the Valley in L.A. And that’s where I got my ass kicked. I messed up everything so many times, they kind of threw me in it, like “go engineer the session!” and I just said OK while not really knowing what a compressor does. I was always nervous I was going to distort the signal. And I did. So many times, ha! But getting thrown into the fire, being terrified, fucking stuff up, etc pushed me to learn a lot.

Do you have a methodology when it comes to piecing your signal chain together?

Totally. It depends on what studio I’m going to. If it’s just me, I have a handful of instruments I’ll bring, like this P-bass that I know how it sounds. I’m bringing this Jazzmaster around everywhere. And then I have a couple of amp pedals. There’s a VT bass Sansamp, and I have one setting, and that’s pretty much my bass for everything. I plug straight into this pedal. I don’t bring a B15 around. 9.9 times out of 10, that’s cool. And I’ve even done the A and B, I’ve recorded the B15 and I’ve recorded the pedal. And just the pedal is kind of rad.  The same with my guitar. I have an Ox box that I use and plug my Mesa cab into it. Any kind of crunchy, distorted sound I can get with my Mesa. Some very unique, clean sounds I can also get with the Mesa. If not, I have a couple Strymon pedals. For my vocals, I carry this Wunder 47 mic around. And just in case I don’t know what’s going down, I have a box and it’s a Chandler TG2 and a Purple 1176. Like I know that if I have that set-up, I’m going to get a great vocal. But if I’m rolling into United, you know, like I’m just like do your thing guys.

Like, maybe I’ll switch out an 87 for a 67 or a 47 for a vocal. And then at that point, if we’re grooving, I’ll do a 421 or a Royer 121 and a 57 on the amp because we’ve got more channels, we’ve got more room. But I like simple. I don’t like to like to fiddle for a really long time.

Do you get super excited to record a particular instrument?

I love drums, and I’m big on working with what I have. I love trying out new rooms and a lot of the studios I go to will have their own kit and how they’ve been recording it set up. So I’ll sometimes modify it, I think that’s exciting. And guitar always, I think there’s a lot you can do there. And really, really, really good vocals. Love vocals.

In your opinion, what does it take to be a great audio engineer?

Being able to read the room and stay those late hours if you need to. Be cool, be five steps ahead of the producer and the artist. So when they come to you, you’ve already figured out the tempo, already figured out the key for autotune, already mapped out the song. So when you say pre-chorus, I know what you’re talking about.  Like “oh, you need the lyrics? I’ve already printed them out. I already typed them up.” That I think is huge. And you’re cool. You’re just like, oh yeah, I got whatever they’re asking for. Delays, reverbs, etc. are all ready to go — and if they ask for it — it’s one click away, like a magic trick. So yeah, being prepared and having social awareness. You’re in the room for so long together, you know, I think getting along is important. 

Whether you’re producing or engineering for a session, how do you mentally prepare for your sessions? Like what are you thinking about the night before? That morning? How do you get your head into that zone?

The night before, I’m probably thinking of references. Or if I’m going into writing a song, I may be thinking of parts, like what’s a guitar riff I could walk in with or what it’s like maybe a verse, like a chorus. I’ll go through voice notes from the past year. Like, let’s play voice roulette, what I am going to click on? And be like is this good? No? Or could I make it good? Just trying to sleep and be calm, I think it’s really important to be rested the night before. Like if I’m like dying and I’ve slept three hours, my brain’s going to be like a big pile of fried potato or vegetable or some starch. So I think that’s important. And then for engineering, if I’m going into a really big session in a big studio and I’m working with the house engineer, I’ve sent them over a spreadsheet of all the mics that I want to use, what drums are coming, what amps are coming, having them all setup, just having the Pro Tools things like taken care of generally. So when you walk in – all the plugging in and setting up is taken care of. Having a spreadsheet really helps, telling them I’m going to go into this EQ, into this compressor, these preamps and whatnot. I always do that a day or two before.

The pandemic has forced a lot of industries to shift, adapt, operate differently in some way. From where you sit in the music industry, how have you seen it change, and do you think it’s a permanent change?

I think I saw a lot of people creating a lot. Because the artists can’t go on tour, so they were making an album, and then all of a sudden they have like two albums ready to go. So I think there’s going to be a lot of really good new music that’s been piled up. I think a lot of people were doing Zoom sessions but using Audio Movers and whatnot. I kind of stayed out of that a little bit. I would do a handful of sessions in person, like in a giant room, like windows open in my living room, like you’re over here, I’m over here, masked up. People really got into recording remotely. And I did notice that sessions would get really short. Like it wasn’t like an eight-hour writing day, it was like a two-hour Zoom session.

More efficient?

Maybe more efficient because you’re not like I’m running twenty minutes late, do you want a coffee, I’ll stop on the way. I think there’s going to be some kind of permanent aspect of that that stays. But I don’t know, it’s interesting.

What is your favorite day off activity?

Oh wow. That’s so funny. OK, my favorite day off activity. Running errands. Does that count? Ha, no! I love to paddleboard. I try to go paddleboarding when I have a day off. I love playing video games. I like taking my dog to the park. Yeah, I don’t know, just like being like a normal 20-something-year-old hanging out with my friends, baking.

Can I ask what you bake?

I can make a really good cookie of various kinds.  I made last week, peanut butter and miso cookies. And they’re so fucking good.

Do you still write songs? I know back in the day you wrote songs and posted them to MySpace (we all did). Do you still write songs just for yourself?

I do write songs for myself and you know, I’ve always been so scared. Something got in my head like five years ago that I couldn’t put it out anymore or that I had to, like, go hide. So I’m going to start putting stuff out just for fun because I love music. But I write all the time, every other day at least. And like I do writing sessions like I’ll work with the artists to write. But yeah, I write all the time. It’s so fun.

Anything else you’d like to add to this conversation?

I think SoundGirls is really cool. Like definitely, when I first was starting out, it was me with a bunch of fucking dudes, I was living by myself like a weird bachelor, but with SoundGirls it was like cool, OK, I’m not alone in this.

Yeah, exactly. We’re all slowly changing things. 

Yeah. It’s going to take a long time but I’ve got to be able to be a part of it, you know?

This kind of stuff [this interview] and just giving us the opportunity to share it within the community, it’s a huge win.

Yeah, I think there’s this stereotype or something, that producers, especially women, can’t live normal lives or that must hide in a studio indefinitely. Like, they can’t get their hair done, or wear makeup, or dress how they want… but it’s just not true. Go live your life! Be a human being, just also like… do you and do the work!

Be you and just be good at it…

Yep. There’s no one else to be.

Six Things to Consider When Choosing The Right Producer

 

You finally have a handful of songs you feel pretty good about. You’ve analyzed them, performed them, played them for your friends and for your mom and got some feedback, made some tweaks, and feel ready to go to the next step.

Find a Producer

It is much easier to say than to actually do. First of all, there are sooooo many different types of producers. Not all of them do the same things or have the same skill sets. If you are surprised by that, check out this blog I wrote a while back explaining the five different categories of producers.

So, how do you even start looking for the person that you will entrust your musical vision and hard-earned money with to translate your non-technical gibberish into exactly what you want to hear when you play your song back from your car stereo?

The person or people who produce your music might just be the most important person or people on your team.

So why are you choosing your producer based on their price?

Because money is tight and you only have so much to spend on your music, right?

Believe me, I know this truth allllll too well. And while it is true you need to hire a producer you can actually afford (or will work within your budget), here are six other factors that you should also consider.

First: are they operating a professional business? Do they have a website with samples and testimonials? Does the copy on the site seem to be written by a 10-year-old or can you tell some effort went into their presentation? How about their socials? Are they professional when interacting with their followers? Are their posts appropriate for the music business? Read their testimonials, observe the way they communicate with others, notice how far back their testimonials go if you can.

Second: How does their work compare with commercial releases? It’s easy to listen to a friends recording that they did at home with “different ears” than how we listen to the next Arianna Grande hit. Would you say the quality is comparable? Or does it sound a bit more…” homemade”?

Third: Do you like their sound? Do they have samples of work they have done that fits your wheelhouse or genre? Have they said they can do your genre but don’t have any samples to show you?

Fourth: Is there chemistry between you in the first phone conversation? This relationship is like a dating relationship. You will need to “like” one another. You must be able to communicate. There must be trust and respectful honesty. Do they listen or speak over the top of you? Are they only interested in telling you how awesome they are or how many amazing credits they have or are they interested in how they can help you? Do they seem like someone you can trust? Yes, be judgemental!!! Just like you would want to do at least some screening before you hop into someone’s car, right? Trust your gut.

Fifth: What is their policy? Make sure you have everything agreed upon in writing (a legal agreement is best but at the very least, save emails and messages). Do they do “work for hire” agreements with no points? Do they want co-writing credit? What is included in their price (recording, mixing, production, mastering, musicians, etc.?) Do they limit how many revisions you can make? (This is a tricky one because many will argue why this has to be their policy to keep projects cost-effective and to meet deadlines. It is a valid issue. But from my experience, I want my artists to be 100% happy with their music and if that means I need to start over or make 50 revisions to the mix, then that is what I will do. That being said, if we start going down the road of revision after revision then there is obviously an issue with either communication OR lack of focus or both. I’ll stop the production and insist on a conversation before we move forward. Go back to #4)

Sixth: What expectations do you have of your producer and do they know what those expectations are? As there are many different types of producers, some are very interested in helping you develop your artistry all around, including your songwriting, your vocal approach, your branding, etc. Others are not, but only want to create your music and think that you have all of that already figured out. Some have an interest in helping you promote your music or find sync placements. Usually, they will only be interested in the back end if they are sharing some of the ownership of the song and will benefit from its back-end success. There isn’t a “right or a wrong” way but you need to know what to expect so that you aren’t disappointed.

Remember that your producer or producers might be the most important people on your team so do some research, have a lot of conversations, and don’t rush the process. Keep on going, friends!!

 

Finding the Gems – Grace Banks

photo credit: Artemis Evlogimenou

Grace Banks is an independent studio engineer based in London, UK.  She has worn many hats in the field including recording engineer, mix engineer, musician, producer, and composer.  She is a multi-instrumentalist and has toured as a session musician in many bands.  She plays keys, guitar, electric bass, percussion, and sings.  She has also worked for the music label, Nonclassical, and Help Musicians UK, a charity that researches musicians’ needs, gives grants, and organizes competitions.

Banks grew up with a musical ear.  She started studying classical piano at the age of four, classical violin at the age of ten, and taught herself guitar.  She studied music theory through grade 8, too.

When I was a kid, I would make my dad play the piano so that I could record it on my tape machine, or I would get my toddler brother to perform into the mic.  I was fascinated by music and by capturing performance.

As she grew older, Grace would record guitar and vocal harmonies on a four-track tape recorder.  She began to perform at seventeen and was offered a place to study music production at eighteen.  Although she had the passion to succeed and her mentors recognized her gift, the adults in her life steered her away from pursuing a career in music. And like many aspiring musicians, Grace was encouraged to try a different field.  Grace began to work at an engineering firm having won a place to study Civil Engineering at university.

I figured, if I didn’t make music I would always feel envious of those who did.  And I couldn’t justify not trying, at least.

So, a month before Grace was supposed to begin university, she persuaded the music department to offer her a place.  She concentrated on composition, orchestration, and theory and graduated with first-class honours.

From Musician to Audio Engineer

She wanted to pursue studio work or a Masters’s in Composition after graduation but was unable to afford the education.  So she moved to London where she thought there might be more opportunities.

I wrote to recording studios but got zero responses.  I played gigs but, while the gigs I had done outside of London paid half a week’s rent, the ones in London wouldn’t give a free drink, let alone a fee.  I busked on the underground until, one day, a man stole my money.  I did a plethora of bitty jobs, before finding an office-based nine-to-five.

While working in an office by day, Grace was seeking out and studying with mentors in the evenings.

At gigs, I would head to the sound desk and ask to shadow the engineer.  A couple of them agreed, and I am indebted to them for their patience and encouragement.  At this stage, I was too terrified to touch the desk – so I would just watch and offer endless bar runs in the hope that they would invite me back. A year or so later, I got hired to tour as an instrumentalist.  I would hover behind the sound engineer and pester him with questions.  On my return, I set up a residency, booking singer-songwriters for a small basement bar – partly because I wanted a ‘safe’ place to get my hands on a PA and try mixing.

Then, one day in a rehearsal studio, a member of staff saw that Grace knew how to setup and troubleshoot audio gear and offered her a job. After a few months at the studio, Grace moved house and heard rumors about a recording studio on the same street.  She sent a curriculum vitae (C.V), otherwise known as a resume, and coincidentally, the studio was looking to hire staff.  The recording studio was interested in her background in classical music mainly, her ability to read scores and experience as a multi-instrumentalist – had stood out and impressed them.  However, her primary asset was proximity to the studio, which meant she could (and did) come in at five minutes’ notice and lock up at any hour of the night.

Having begun applying for studio runner positions at 21, Grace finally got her foot in the door at 28.

The Challenges of a Studio Engineer

People starting out in studios are often expected to work for free

One of the studios I first applied to wanted someone who could be available, unpaid, seven days a week – in London, especially, that is not an option for some.  This kind of expectation precludes many from entry into this career

While dealing with these financial challenges, Grace often forfeited stability, relationships, comfort, and safety and she learnt to live on a shoestring budget.

I was homeless for a while – mostly couch-surfing with friends; government benefits tided me over.  There can be a lot of shame attached to benefits, but they are essential for social mobility and are the unofficial arts grants.

When I eventually got work at a recording studio, the pay was about half of the living wage; also, the work was piecemeal, and there were no contracts.  I found part-time, flexible jobs that I could fit around the studio.  Needless to say, I had almost no social life for a couple of years.

Grace took responsibility for her education, writing regular ‘study’ periods into her diary, using books, YouTube tutorials, online articles, and real-life mentors.  She made a list of skills she wanted to prioritize, such as drum-teching, guitar-teching, and mixing, with a sub-list of people who could help her improve each of them.  Once she figured out her game plan, she would introduce herself to those on the list and ask if she could shadow them.

Love for the Job

Grace has experienced both the touring artist and the studio engineering lifestyle and said that she loves both.  With touring, she enjoys the sense of camaraderie, the excitement of seeing new places and not knowing what’s going to happen from day to day.  On the technical side, she enjoys logical thinking and the goal-based nature of the work.  Unpredictability can be exciting, too; she could be called to Manchester one week, Portugal the week after.  She also loves how she is continuously learning.

Every session I do and everyone I work with teaches me something.

Best of all, she loves working with amazing artists and having the opportunity to capture their performances so that the magic can be witnessed by others.

It feels like finding a beautiful gem and holding it up to the light.

Gear

I have just acquired a MoogerFooger 12-stage phaser which I am really excited about. The UA 6176 is my home workhorse.  I have been doing a series of vocal mic shoot-outs with a friend who is also an engineer, which has been fun.  Also, the Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo: it’s another world, and you can get lost in it.

A Freelancer’s Survival Guide

In order to survive as a freelancer, Grace attends networking, technological, and industry events.  She has also built good relationships with studios that give her regular work. Additionally, Grace pursues engineering along with other jobs.  She still works as a session guitarist, which helps her recording work in many ways:

such as meeting musicians who might want a studio or engineer down the line, and improving my understanding of what musicians go through under pressure, how they communicate, and so on.

We asked Grace for tips for those SoundGirls and SoundWomen who wish to enter the field:

Grace’s long-term goals include more writing for and with other artists.

More on Grace – SoundGirls Spotlight Series

Find More Profiles on The Five Percent

Profiles of Women in Audio

Profile By: Michelle Naziri (“Miche”) is a Liberal Arts-Engineering Studies student at California Polytechnic State University, concentrating in Electrical Engineering and Sound Design. Over the summer Michelle worked as an intern for VUE Audiotechnik under VP Operations and SoundGirl, Sara Elliott. As an intern, she got to help with prototype experiments, reverse engineer speakers, fix amplifiers, and help assemble and test loudspeakers and subs for the Kendrick Lamar, DAMN tour. Most recently, Michelle received an internship with RagHouse Radio as an audio technician for SoundGirl April Duran for her show on Authentic Culture Network in Sunset Gower Studios. RagHouse Radio, empowering women in music, sports, and entertainment.

In the future, Michelle hopes to continue working in radio, speaker production, and live mix for bands at concerts and festivals.

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The Studio Side – Ariel Rechtshaid – Feat Grammy Award Winning Producer/ Engineer/ Songwriter

 

Join us for a moderated discussion, Q&A, and Ariel Rechtshaid will be breaking down his production process with a surprise mix.

Ariel Rechtshaid is a record producer, audio engineer, mixing engineer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter. His production, songwriting, and mixing credits include Adele, Solange Knowles, Brandon Flowers, HAIM, Vampire Weekend, Madonna, and more.

 

 

 

Baby Microphones and Self Production

Staying motivated and inspired as a female in a male-dominated industry can become incredibly daunting. Usually “I want to work with you” gets misconstrued as a dinner date or even worse, “I like you” might get taken as “I want to work with you.” Welcome to my world, where “little girl” usually precedes “what are you doing behind the console” and where my body of work is usually thought to be written and produced for me. I am a producer/engineer, that happens to be a woman.

Since I was very young, I always had an ear for sound, harmonies and things that made sense in my head as an arrangement. Not only one melody, but many contrasting melodies painted vivid colors and gave me different feelings. I started playing multiple instruments by applying the theory of piano to guitar, and that to violin, viola, etc. Before I knew it I was able to compose my own symphonic works and like a mini anvil falling from the sky… I realized I was a producer. When I started making music, I had one of those little tape recorders with the face and the microphone. I would tape over cassettes and hold the mic to my keyboard and put a split sound and a beat to it, essentially a live recording (JK, but in theory, I guess). I think that was my first take as an audio engineer — making the recording not clip and adjusting everything accordingly so that I could hear both sides through one incredibly unfortunate baby microphone. I think most of the time now, I keep that same sweat ethic with different gear. It took me so long to develop my crafts but I never lost an ounce of enthusiasm, that’s what keeps me mostly motivated. I live for production and writing.

13606623_10206842016993288_1134111027423738312_nI write daily, sometimes 4-5 songs in one day- depending on my level of inspiration/caffeine. There are certain beats or songs that have fermented in my head throughout the day or over a period of time that by the time I’m ready to give them life, they’re more or less done. Sometimes it’s a lyric, or a piano lick, or a melody in my head, or a feeling that feels like a color that feels like a certain emotion that will sound a certain way in my head and I paint that sonically, and develop from there. I think most music has an organic way of flowing from one point to the next. I don’t really stress about making music unless I’m producing for someone else and I’m on a crazy deadline and have other ideas in my head. (I get incredibly cranky and strange when I don’t make music o.0 ) Sometimes I have to throw the ideas for my own stuff on the side and concentrate on other things, or tying up loose ends and finishing touches on beats/lyrics that are for another person. Either way, there is no lack of inspiration or hard work on my end. I think since I love what I do, I’m able to do it 24 hours a day and it doesn’t feel like work or a chore. It’s just like breathing for me, it’s natural, and that’s what really helps my workflow, as does being my own producer.

Don’t get me wrong, I do have so many producers I love and would love to work with but self-production can sometimes be the best approach to a record if you can take yourself objectively out of your own head and not get married to certain sounds that may not complement that work or arrangement (easier said than done, I know that). There’s no better way to get your vision across than by producing yourself, it feels more real to me that way and I can connect with the music more and have a better vocal and musical performance and overall experience with a song or record. I have so many ideas and many times people want to play things safe, and I just don’t have time for that. I’m a risk-taker; life’s too short to play it safe. By producing and mixing things myself, I’m able to get every idea out of my head and not have to describe it or go through trial and error until it sounds how I thought it would sound. It’s a lot more work while composing a record, but I think it’s more rewarding and fulfilling. I’ll throw in a lot of hidden things sonically or musically that enhance my art, which had I not been so involved with my own material, I probably wouldn’t be able to do. I think most of all it’s empowering. I started off as a musician and writer to a producer from my natural curiosity, and studied audio out of a love for sonic art, then realized the ultimate perk; it was the best way to avoid the ever creepy “What are you going to do for me?” engineer. (I can feel the silent nods) I will leave it at that; be your own boss, be your own idol, be your own producer/engineer/writer and most importantly be yourself.

1380290_10202060927029027_2965347870082939655_nEve Minor is an up-and-coming artist based in New York, with origins in Southern California. While she formerly spent time as part of Universal Music Group’s songwriting team, the talented singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist is ready to break out on her own in 2016.

Minor has faced a multitude of trials and tribulations throughout her life, including a difficult childhood in foster care, toxic relationships, and a battle with cancer, all while never letting go of her ambitions within the music world. With all that she’s learned in her young life, she aims to inspire other artists with her writing and uses her personal struggles to inspire young women everywhere.

Her latest music endeavors feature the flavor of New York’s hip-hop scene with splashes of her own California roots. The production, largely developed by herself through her use of Reason, Logic, and Pro-tools, is inspired by late-night adventures and new friends, while also telling the story of making the most out of being dealt a tough hand in life. Minor cites that she was influenced by Miguel, Nina Simone, Amy Winehouse, as well as Alice In Chains, Phantogram, and Citizen Cope as major inspirations for her sound, and credits Mobb Deeps’ “Quiet Storm” as the song which made her enamored with hip hop. With various influences that range from pop to soul to hip hop, Minor has crafted an unique style and sound that is all of her own.

 

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