Why spend so much money on producers and studios

In a few weeks Garage Hymnal will be spending a fair chunk of your money (that is, money which was yours if you support our ministry by buying CDs or making tax deductible donations!) recording a couple of tracks towards a new album. We are rehearsing and writing for the next few weeks and God willing will then head up to the central coast to record at the Grove Studios with our longstanding friend and producer David Nicholas.

Are we wasting our money?

A lot of people aren’t using studios or producers any more. I spoke to a friend yesterday about the declining studio and production market – globally, but particularly in Sydney. He reckons it goes in cycles. Ten years ago the record labels were letting all the bands record themselves and self-produce. Then they realised the bands were bringing out sub-standard albums and started employing producers again. The cycle has flipped back to self-produced again.

I think it’s worth us resisting the fashion and spending money on a studio and producer.

While computer setups in our bedrooms have advanced, and reduced the cost of recording hugely for everyone, studios are still worth hiring. They do make for better music. No matter how good your software is, if you’re recording music with real human involvement (vocals, drums, real pianos, etc) at some point that music has to be made in a room, into a microphone, gained up by a mixing console, and converted to digital form. All those processes can be done cheaply, but they will sound less like the real instrument or voice. You can record your band in your bedroom, but few people have the space to record a whole band at the same time, meaning music is more pre-planned and less interactive because you can’t be all in the same room at the same time making the music (like writing out a conversation with someone before you talk to them, you can’t interact you can only guess what they’ll say).

Of course, some forms of music thrive in the bedroom – things with programmed drums and highly processed vocals, for instance. And I like that type of music – sometimes. But it’s not the only type of music.

The other thing we think is worth our while is bringing in a producer. Anyone can call themselves a producer. There is absolutely no reason why a band can’t produce themselves. Our band has several members who have produced records for other bands! But what our band doesn’t have is an experienced, impartial coach to bring the best out of us. Self produced records are all the rage – but it takes maturity to recognise you have things to learn, and to seek out people who can develop your talent. We are hugely grateful for what David has done for us as a band in honing our sound and helping to get the best out of our songs. Most of what he does is actually to do with song structures – helping the listener’s experience to flow through the song so they are always left wanting more. You’ll never know the difference – you can’t hear his work, as such. But we have made better albums because of him!

Can’t wait to get into a nice big studio with our favourite producer!