How would you define your main role on most of the projects you work on at the moment?
I’ve been at Metropolis Studios for coming up to 12 years now and I work as a recording and mix engineer. I’ve worked over thousands of sessions in that time across a wide range of music. Something that’s really kept it fresh for me over the years is the variety of music and people.
Please tell us a bit about your musical background. How did you get started in the music industry? What was your pathway to your current role?
Going right the way back, it’s the familiar story of having those early musical experiences from the parents’ record collection, a lot of jazz and classical music, to playing in bands as a teenager and discovering my own taste and direction. My mother is a fine artist and writer, whilst my father was a chemical engineer, so I’ve always felt a heavy sense of procedural method and artistic exploration as a key part of how I approach my work.
I was exposed to studio sessions and shows and slipped into the live sound world, working in a couple of local venues. I just remember finding the process fascinating, and pre-YouTube, widespread internet days would just try and absorb as much information as possible. I still have a big collection of magazines and books at home gathering dust, but they were invaluable as the foundation, and I kind of miss that a bit.
I spent several years doing live sound, which was definitely a great learning experience, because I always felt when I got into studios that if I could problem-solve in front of several hundred people, then the pressure of doing so in a studio session would be easy. I was both right and wrong! I enjoyed the live world, but I wanted to be more creatively involved.
I used to send out emails to all the studios every 3-6 months. I had my own directory, most of the time with no reply, but eventually got an interview at a small studio in Wimbledon called the Chapel run by Steve Williams. I spent a year there doing admin in the day, and after he’d finished up, I’d have the run of the studio to learn all the gear. He’s a great guy and was extremely supportive, which was invaluable so early into my professional career.
After that, I had a few more projects over the following year, but it was tough going early on and to the point where I’d question if this was going to be a realistic career. But perseverance and following up on a polite ‘nothing at the moment’ email several months from the chief engineer eventually landed me my first role at Metropolis in West London. Runner!
Progressing to assistant I think it’s probably one of the most valuable positions in your career. It’s where you get the most exposure to different people and situations. You have to learn all the different rooms and equipment inside out which in any large studio seems a very daunting task at first. But probably most importantly it informed the direction of my career and you really get a sense for where you want to be in the industry. Whether it’s production, recording, mixing, mastering, some combination or out of it altogether.
What or who inspired you to follow this path?
It was probably the first few experiences in a studio environment that sparked my interest but even then I never really understood it as a career path. I don’t think you ever forget those first few experiences and I always try to remember that when dealing with anyone new to the studio. Being introduced to the process of making a record just felt exciting. But I think having a natural curiosity about the way things worked and how you could manipulate the environment was certainly a big factor in pushing me forward in the early years.
In recent years having a strong network of friends in the business has been the biggest driving force for me. The engineers I came up under at Metropolis and the freelancers I’ve met along the way. There’s simply nothing better than having people around to inspire, bounce ideas off and challenge you on a daily basis. This can also be a tough business at times and having those same professionals around to support and encourage you will get you through a lot.
Are there any highlights from your work that you are particularly proud of?
The majority of time at the moment is spent working for the artist Raye but I do get to dip in and out of other projects which keeps me fresh. I love the variety that Metropolis affords me in that we can cater for pretty much anything and I’ve definitely learnt that I need to keep moving from different projects and jobs to keep my focus fresh.
Last year was probably the most exciting and rewarding of my career so far. From broadcast mixing Raye’s crowning performance at the Brits and AMA awards to her subsequent Montreux Jazz Festival debut. Later in the year Metropolis’ new live to vinyl series where I engineered & mixed sets for Ezra Collective, Maverick Sabre & Pale Waves was a very exciting experience as I always want to push the boundaries of what we’ve done before and improve the experience.
What’s one tip you can share with other MPG members that could help their workflow?
I try to learn from every experience or session. Not to beat myself up but just being honest with myself. What worked, what didn’t, did something slow me down. It can apply to something as simple as adjusting my vocal template to how I interact with a client. They’re all different and being able to anticipate and adjust will keep you in work for many years as well as continuing your personal development.
What’s one tip you would like an MPG member to share with you? (learning/growth from others)
Always interested in developing my mix work and talking philosophies and techniques, any style of music, come find me!
Do you have any words of wisdom for people wanting to get into a similar music production role to yours?
A good balance of honest critical self-evaluation and learning to take pride in or celebrate your successes is important to keeping mental focus. Imposter syndrome is real but healthy, it just means you’re stretching your skills, keep pushing forward, you’re there for a reason. Specifically in the kind of big studio world it’s a bit trickier because getting your foot in the door has never been harder but having a top work ethic and good social skills will give you your best shot once you’re in an entry level position. More so than having expert gear or technical knowledge at that point. There are also lots of opportunities to gain experience outside of those environments so don’t sit around waiting for something to happen.
