I’m a big believer in doing things for oneself though. I also think that most musicians don’t warrant spending thousands of pounds of studio time of recording their crap music!* Do it yourself, and if people start saying “wow you could really do great stuff with a MASSIVE budget” then maybe think about it.

*Present company excepted.

For example, the role of a ‘Producer’ is sometimes often seen as an un-necessary addition of complexity to a music project. However, quite the contrary, the Producers role ‘should’ be to remove barriers and thus complexity, and often navigate complex relationship issues WHICH EFFECT PERFORMANCE and thus the final product.

The producers role is a pretty vague one, but this is because the role has to change on a project by project basis to adapt to what is required in each case. But the key role of a producer as I see it is to facilitate getting to whatever goal was agreed at the outset using what ever tools are at his/her disposal. Quite a complex role really, but as I think more about it, it is a key one and I’m sure that all my favorite recordings have had a producer somewhere in doing some kind of magic.

Basically, this another part of Martins ‘chain’ where a weak or dare I even say ‘missing’ link could be introduced…

Are there any philosophies or rules of thumb that you’ve picked up in your illustrious recording career?

[SOTL fans, Matt recorded the very first Sound of The Ladies demo, from which the Tissue of Lies recording of "Spider" is taken. No Matt, no SOTL!]