Spotlight September 2022

Under the Spotlight this month: Novasound If you got my last newsletter you'll know I am starting a new feature called 'Spotlight' where I shine a light on the amazing collaborators and people involved with the making of my album. We kick things off with the delightful production duo Audrey Tait and Lauren Gilmour of Novasound Studios. We have worked together previously on my EP 'The Show' and now the band are back together working on this album. I'm so chuffed that they are on board cause I'm telling you, the music we're making sounds epic! They were ever so kind to answer my banal questions! Here's what they had to say... What three words would you use to describe Novasound? L: Innovative. Diverse. Collaborative. A: Team. Creative. Unique. What do you love most about producing music? L: There’s a real synergy between both of us when we’re producing our own stuff and I love when we’re in a bit of a zone putting a track together in the studio. I think we get excited by the same kinds of sounds and techniques in our own production and there’s no better feeling than blasting a mix you’re buzzing about through the speakers. I also really love the feeling of collaborating with someone new and delivering the sound they were looking for. A: Experimenting! I love playing around with sounds and effects and trying to break the norm. There aren’t really any rules in creating so I like taking that approach with production and mixing. I also love the passing back and forth we sometimes take when working on our own music. It keeps everything fresh and exciting! What advice would you give to aspiring producers? L: Make loads of music. It sounds simple but perfectionism can hinder progress as a producer. We’ll listen to old mixes and immediately identify things we could have done better but – instead of spending weeks EQ’ing one sound – move onto something else and carry what you’ve learned into that. I also think it’s important to listen carefully. When we build a reference playlist with a new collaborator, we refer to it constantly throughout our process. A: What Lauren said! I think it can be so easy to go down a very long and winding road of over tweaking a mix or over embellishing an idea. More often than not you end up trying to get back to your original song. My advice would be to finish things and move on. Always strive to improve. And a wee thing I’ve been doing recently is setting a time challenge of 45mins to come up with sketches that we can then develop if we’re into them. It helps give me focus on the creative part of production rather than get too caught up on structure and mixing. Who inspires you? L: As an artist, I think Florence Welch is totally inspiring on and off stage. I love how physical and immersive her live shows are and how much of herself she gives to an audience. I love her words and the references she makes to astrology and the stars and planets in her music. I’ve also heard her talk candidly about her experience in the industry and was inspired by her belief that she has something important to say. A: This is probably a bit cheesy but Lauren is my biggest inspiration - awwwww!!! I love the way she writes. We’ve recently found ourselves in a position where we aren’t always in the same place at the same time and it’s made for a fresh focus on our creativity together. I’m continually blown away by what she comes up with over instrumentals I make and the pace she works at. She’s a constant inspiration for me to get better and push myself which I am very grateful for. Plus, when we’re in the studio together she makes excellent lunches! What is your desert island disc? L: God Only Knows by The Beach Boys A: Miracle Mile by Cold War Kids Which artist would you most like to work with? L: The Staves. They’re a band that Audrey and I have always loved pretty equally, and it would be VERY cool to watch their process in a studio. I’d probably melt when they recorded their vocals though so maybe not… A: Excellent choice from Lauren! I would second that. And also add Billie Eilish into the mix. The attention to detail in her music is insane so it would be a huge level up and you’ve got to aim high! What is Novasound’s proudest moment so far? L: It’s weird when you build something from nothing because things grow and develop really subtly. There have been plenty of jobs we’ve written and produced that I’m proud of but, honestly, I’m most proud that we’re still just doing this thing together, whatever that is. Getting to work with someone who makes you better and who you totally admire is quite rare so I’m proud that we’re still growing Novasound six years on. A: What Lauren said! I agree wholeheartedly. I guess getting our own space was a pivotal moment for us to set things up “properly” but the whole journey has just been the best! What would be the title of your autobiography? L: ‘Could I Just Go Ahead And Tell You Something Please?’ A: Audrey 1 First band you saw play live? L: I’m cheating because it’s not a band, but my first gig was Shania Twain. Which was pretty much the best night of my life… still a total superfan. A: I think it might have been Peter Andre. And by think I mean that it definitely was. It was the 27th of February which is also his birthday. Finally, bagpipes – fan or not? L: I’ll let Audrey answer this one on behalf of us both… A: Oh dear god. No. If you want to know more about Novasound and their musical projects visit www.novasound.net