Pro7ect Songwriting Retreats founder and songwriter Lisa Fitzgibbon talks with Headline Producer Gethin Pearson (Badly Drawn Boy, Charlie XCX) about his incredible career to date.
Producer, mixer, songwriter, engineer, programmer, multi-instrumentalist and Pro7ect Headline Producer Gethin Pearson is based in Wales, UK. His production crosses musical continents from rock, all the way to hip-hop with death-defying ease. Anyone who has had the privilege of working with him knows how incredibly enthusiastic he is about the art of making music. His ability to carefully nurture the artist, whilst taking risks, is the reason why he produces the quality and quantity of output that he does.
Pearson’s writing and production credits include Mercury Prize winning Badly Drawn Boy, maverick grunge electro-pop diva Charlie XCX, Kele from Bloc Party and Chrystal Fighters to name just a few.
LF: I read that you grew up listening to your father playing Bluegrass, but what is your First musical memory?
GP: My dad would always just be there playing a guitar, no matter what was happening… when the TV was on he’d be in the corner playing the guitar whilst watching it. It was always there, like background music. But when the first Stereophonics record came out, I was a young teen and it felt like something was happening locally. I got into that, and asked my dad if he could show me a few chords on the guitar. He tried showing me other techniques, but I thought I just wanted to get to the songwriting, I just want four chords. I remember thinking “that’s me now… put a capo on and I’m sorted for life” (laughs).
LF: What’s the difference between working with a solo artist and a band?
GP: It quite interesting really, I’ve just done a record with a solo artist, and they were like, “I wish I had a band to share the pressure with”. And then I’ll be working with someone in a band and they say, “this would be so much easier if I could just do this on my own”. It’s like the grass is always greener.
I’ve worked with bands where the dynamic is competitive, like siblings. I see my job then is to try to get them to focus on the ultimate goal rather than who’s opinion is right.
LF: Steering the dynamic in the studio is so important, it’s such a small space. I remember you said once that instead of doing a sound engineering course that you should do a degree in psychology to prepare for a job as a producer. But you work out the characters pretty quickly, and that’s a big part of the job, working out where the power is and what the dynamic is inside the band.
GP: I used to be a primary school teacher, and working with some bands feels like I’ve got a new class. I need to work out the personalities pretty quickly, like, who the troublemaker is, or the one who’s always shouting everyone else down, the quiet wildcard who needs to be given some time and who’s the one who going to eat plasticine all day (laughs)… I’ll need to keep an eye on that one.
You can do a degree in music production and not see a studio or not see anyone for four years and write about it, or you can go out there and learn how to interact with people and get the best out of people. My job is about getting the best out of the artist using what they’ve got and the time they have.
LF: You wear so many hats, songwriter, engineer, programmer, instrumentalist, mixer… which one do you love the most, and you would keep over the others?
GP: They all inform each other… it’s hard to choose. I find mixing music that I’ve produced the hardest. Mixing other people’s tracks is more satisfying because I feel like I can bring more to the project. I couldn’t choose if I have to do one thing because after a studio session, being around people for a while, I look forward to having some chilled mixing time with less pressure. Getting a balance of them all is the trick.
LF: You once said that if you “Master your own music you double your pitfalls” – can you explain the difference between mixing and mastering, and why you should get someone else to master your work?
GP: I’ve heard some artists say, “I know this guy who can Master out stuff, he’s going to do it for £20, he’s downloaded these plug-ins…” and I’m like “wooo wooo wooo slow down!” You’ve just spent £400 pounds a day in a studio, you’ve paid for production, and you’ve paid for this mix, you’ve put a lot into this so why chuck someone £20 just to finish it? To crush the hell out of it? You wouldn’t spend millions of pounds on an artwork at auction and then put it in a clip frame from IKEA. It’s the same with mastering, you’ve created this amazing piece of art, you want to get the best frame for the art.
LF: You’ve done vocal production for Charlie XCX on her album Official. How is the job of a vocal producer different to other producer roles?
GP: Firstly, you need to create a scene for the artist to feel comfortable in so they can give their best. I was working with an artist who said that they prefer sitting down and I asked if they had ever sat down in a session, and they said that they were always standing in the big room. I thought, surely the first thing we should be doing is sit you down. We created a great vibe with fairy lights and candles in the control room and it was a quick win really, because they didn’t feel the pressure of being set up for the ‘vocal time is now’ stress. It was a much more natural recording as a result.
LF: Getting that natural performance from the singer is so important, it’s like catching them when they’re not looking.
GP: Yes, like taking a photograph that’s not all staged, more like a quick glance. We often do a couple of takes from top to bottom and then zone in on particular sections. I’ll often just record a section on loop to stop the over thinking. It helps the singer fall into an almost mantra. The actual performance time isn’t usually that long when we’re capturing moments. I spend a lot of time going through the takes, finding the best air in their voice and the comp I put together is like God’s in the room (laughs).
LF: Tell us about your experience co-writing and producing the Badly Drawn Boy album?
GP: We met up, chatted, he suggested we get in and try something out, so we had 3 days in the studio together, and that went well. Then he suggested another 10 days, and then another two weeks, and it went on. I really wanted him to enjoy making this record. It had been so long since his last album, and he’s been through some things, and my job was to make him excited about making music again.
LF: Your impact at the P7 event last year was incredible, you wrote and produced four songs in three days, and you are coming back to headline again this year at Rockfield. What is your most memorable P7 moment?
GP: I love the playbacks every night, sharing and chatting about the journeys that people had been on that day. At the start of the day there was nothing and at 7pm we’re playing these songs. It’s the positive moments. Obviously, everyone’s got a bit of an ego, we wouldn’t be doing this otherwise, but at the same time there were no negative egos at the camp. It was very positive and very supportive.
Pro7ect is a global network of musical professionals that facilitate creative opportunities for songwriters, producers, and musicians to collaborate at residential writing retreats. We inspire musical collaboration.
Dates and Prices for Pro7ect 2023 are:
18th - 22nd July 2023 – residential songwriting retreat £1,695
Masterclass with Gethin Pearson:
22nd July 2023: 10am - 5pm - £195
To find out more and to apply for a place at Pro7ect 2023, please visit www.pro7ect.com.
A-list producers who have worked with Pro7ect include Youth (Sir Paul McCartney/The Verve/Echo & The Bunnymen/The Orb), Roni Size (Reprazent, Method Man, Zac de la Rocha), Mercury Music Prize winner Tavin Singh OBE, John Fortis (Razorlight, Ellie Goulding, Yellowdays), Andrew Levy (Brand New Heavies), Iain Archer (Snow Patrol, James Bay, Jake Bugg) and Matty Benbrook (Paulo Nutini, LENA, Rebecca Ferguson, Beverely Knight), Greg Haver (Manic Street Preachers, Mel B), Stew Jackson (Massive Attack) and Gethin Pearson (Badly Drawn Boy, Charlie XCX).
@pro7ectmusic
For further information, please contact P7 Creative Director Lisa Fitzgibbon.
Tel: 07960 360995
Email: info@pro7ect.com