Choosing a Producer

Choosing a producer is a vital part of recording an album, there are many reasons for finding the right person, especially if you are a solo artist. Although I claim to be ‘The Great Recycle’ (a name that came from a song title on my first album) I am in essence a solo performer.

And full disclosure, I guess I’m in a unique situation. In a former life I ran a hire company that rented out high-end bits of studio equipment to record companies, studios and producers, so I have to say I am blessed by having had a working relationship with many of the UK’s top producers over the years and I’ve kept in touch with a few.

The most important thing in my view, is to find someone you respect and can work closely with, that kind of means they have to respect you too. The recording process gets pretty emotional if it’s any good, just the right amount of encouragement balanced with blunt truthfulness is essential.

It’s worth taking time to listen, listen again and listen more, not only to a producer’s back catalogue but to them as a person—meet up, go for a drink, be honest about your ambition, see if you can rub along. Play them your demos and take the time to process any comments. If you aren’t comfortable move on.

Then of course there is your budget, this is tricky. Be clear how much you can spend and what you need to achieve. Producers want to work, they may have just come off a massive project with Universal, but filling a gap with your smaller project may well work for them. Be sure to know what’s included—do they have a studio? is it big enough to track real drums if you want them? Addons add up.

Using the above, I’ve now worked with Tom Loffman, Ed Harcourt and most recently Cameron Craig. Three very different characters and three very different experiences, all incredibly positive.

Good luck with your latest project, I’m always happy to offer advice in my role as Skruffy Records Director, so please get in touch.