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Interview with Tony Wall

Each month we’re going to interview a short list of producers that we believe have changed the face of Sydney music in their own particular and singular way. Each month we’ll be asking these producers a series of questions that will delve into their music, influences and trials and tribulations. So join us on this singular journey into the Sydney Music Producers scene.

1. How did you first get started in the music industry, and what inspired you to become a music producer.

Started at 15 years of age when I was offered a job with a Brisbane cover band as a roadie which grew into a role doing front of house sound. During this time there were various garage bands in which I was a keyboard player until eventually I was tapped on the shoulder in a music shop while trying a new synth by a bass player who literally offered me a job in his band on the spot. A year later we hit the road and music was my career since then until now.

My progression into producing was gradual. I came up in a culture where it was still possible to start as a runner/assistant in a studio and learn on the job from some of the best in the country EVERY DAY. Sadly that culture is not what it used to be and the training ground I was afforded is pretty much a thing of the past. Starting in that lowly role grew into a position as in house engineer and eventually freelance engineer. There are a few producers who took me on as their recording guy and I was able to learn so much from them, but given my respect for them and the title ‘producer’ it was quite a while before I felt it was appropriate for me to assume that role.

2. What is your typical creative process when working on a new track or project.

New tracks are just the best part of the job. So many possibilities to explore and often a new band to work with. Such a joy. The first task is to find out what the artist has in mind for the track and really getting to know it as they hear it. Often it is a matter of steering them through the path to their vision but sometimes it calls for a strip down and rebuild into something that tells the story in a cleaner way. With this in mind, we attack the arrangement and ensure the flow is as good as it can be. Asking questions like ‘do we need four chorus’ at the end’ or ‘is that intro the right thing or is it too long’ or ‘do we need a bridge in this section to break the repetitiveness’ or even ‘are the dynamics working for us or against us’. After that, a lot of the job is clearing out any extraneous parts or helping the players to get out of each others way so those beautiful licks, riffs and parts can be enjoyed by the listener. But most important is to constantly ask ourselves is this in service to the song and be ready for the track to tell you what it needs. If you listen, it often does.

3. Can you share any memorable or unique experiences you’ve had while working in the studio or collaborating with other artists.

Gosh. What a question. I’ll go with memorable and it was the first time I recorded an orchestra.

It was very late in my career before I got to do that. The nature of the studios I came up in were such that the opportunity to record 80 pieces was not an option. They were just not big enough so I never had the chance or training. When you have no experience doing that and you know your client has spent $50 000 to have these people in the studio, you don’t rush at the opportunity to fail. However, recording is recording, and when I had the chance to assist on a few orchestra sessions and learn from them, I jumped at it. I had the fundamentals in my head but had never put it into practice. Those sessions answered the questions that remained and had kept me from stepping in, so I felt ready after that. The satisfaction and joy of hearing that wonderful sound, coming through the speakers as a result of my (and the team’s) efforts for the first time was something I’ll never forget. Always be available for new challenges, no matter how late they appear in your career, but also be sure you won’t let anyone down and you are armed with the knowledge required to take them on.

4. Are there any specific genres of music that you specialise in or particularly enjoy producing.

My very favourite music to work in is funk. Sadly that doesn’t come up too often these days but there is something about it that gets my creative juices flowing immediately. Most of the work that comes my way is in the pop or rock area and I do love crafting tracks with huge sounds and many layers or, as in the case of pop music, squeezing the very best bits until they scream within a song and creating the space in which they can shine.

5. What are some essential skills or qualities that you believe that every successful music producer should have.

Firstly, and most importantly…communication and diplomacy. No one cares how good your sounds are if you create a toxic or uncomfortable atmosphere in the studio. Seems obvious but I have seen this, and the project always suffers. The art of suggestion and encouragement, how to frame a critique of an artists choice, and when to insert yourself in the process are all essential skills and ones that I got to learn by experience from some of the best in the business. I am so grateful for that opportunity.

Secondly… musicality. Understanding how music works and its ability to evoke responses from a listener will get you a long way. I’m not saying you need to be able to understand music theory like a professor or sight read like a concert pianist can, but having a firm grasp on the nature of music and its magic is key. Some of us have a natural understanding and others of us have to acquire these skills but we all have to work at it constantly. After nearly forty years working in music, I still learn every time I engage with it.

And thirdly… the language of the studio. Not the technical stuff and acronyms we all speak about among ourselves but the language that helps an artist to understand what we are getting at. There are som many ways to describe sound to each other and we all use different terms to imply the same thing. One persons furry might be another’s fuzzy. One persons bright might be another’s clear. Build your studio vocabulary constantly. The other part of that is quickly idenitifying your clients vocabulary and speaking their language so you don’t talk past each other.

6. Are there any particular artists or music producers that have influenced your own musical style or approach.

Most of the influences in my career have come from the artists, engineers and producers who I have worked with.

The likes of producer/engineers like Steve James, Mark Opitz, Paul McKercher, Craig Porteils, Greg Clarke, Ted Howard and Mark Roberts.

But there is one bloke who I’ve learned so much from over the years and continues to inspire me to this day and that is Steve Balbi. He has done one of these interviews already. Check it out if you haven’t already. We’ve worked together for nearly 28 years and was one of the first to back me as an engineer in my early career and take me along with him. He is an artist and producer who has never stopped evolving and every road he has taken me down has been a trip into wonderful. I always look forward to working on his projects and his choices both in production and artists he works with are always on point.

7. Can you share any advice for those aspiring to be a music producer or are just starting their careers.

Keep at it. This is a game of experience. The more you do, the more you know.
To quote Mark Opitz, one of my mentors – “bite off a big chunk of life and chew like f**k”.

And don’t forget to stop now and again to take in and appreciate where you are and where you have gotten to.

Interview with Dan Frizza

Each month we’re going to interview a short list of producers that we believe have changed the face of Sydney music in their own particular and singular way. Each month we’ll be asking these producers a series of questions that will delve into their music, influences and trials and tribulations. So join us on this singular journey into the Sydney Music Producers scene.

Dan Frizza

1. How did you first get started in the music industry, and what inspired you to become a music producer.

I begun like most having freshly come out of my production degree with a very keen eye toward recording studios, I didn’t know what or how I would exactly be of use in that environment, but I knew it was something I needed to explore. Adam Wilkinson, the manager of now closed BJB studios in Surry Hills gave me my first couple of chances at doing this and I have just been lucky to be entrusted back into these special spaces everyday since.

2. What is your typical creative process when working on a new track or project.

I guess that’s pretty dependable on my position or role I’ve been asked to fulfill for the project, but, generally speaking, the very least I would start off with is getting the backbone, or template of the song down, once there’s the structure and sections clearly formed in front of me, that’s when I will start to embellish the ideas and sounds, sometimes I feel there are melodies hidden inside of the songs and it’s up to use to find those little gems, nurture and bring them out. I think these things require time to develop not only for the song to grow and envelope into something full beautiful but for us to also understand what the complete vision is and how to best achieve that.

3. Can you share any memorable or unique experiences you’ve had while working in the studio or collaborating with other artists.

I remember being thrust into a Gurrumul album quite early on in my career, an amazingly humbling experience as I felt it was the first time I was truly witnessing something so important on so many different levels of music and art in my life.

I remember when we sat him down with an acoustic guitar in the studio, he started playing and singing, I knew it was something so special, that we had to just get out of the way and capture this moment before it passed us by.

I think that’s what music is – moments that are quickly surpassed, almost day to day and it’s up to us to understand/be intelligent enough to know when and how to capture those pieces of history enfolding in front of us.

4. Are there any specific genres of music that you specialise in or particularly enjoy producing.

I’ve always been quite aware to not box myself in too much with regards to my career and what I want to work on/want to be known to be able to work on. I think if you’re good at music, whether you’re a producer or artist or anything in between, you have a universal understanding that brings something of essence and quality to the table. As long as the music and idea comes from the heart – you can cross genres quite effortlessly.

I have definitely grown and changed musical styles and interests over the years, my taste and focus of the kinds of music I work on and, even listen to is constantly evolving too. These days I find myself working on a country album one week to a brass band the next, to a major pop album the week after that! I thoroughly enjoy the challenge of those and I think all those experiences feed into the creativity and unique characters that I bring to those albums.

5. What are some essential skills or qualities that you believe that every successful music producer should have.

Patience is a definite quality that I know I possess, I think it’s such a personal job this thing is, that you need to really be in touch with yourself and others around you to be able to understand where they’re coming from. You need to be able to communicate your ideas in a way that is not overbearing for the artist.

Of course, musicality and skills in instruments/studio land is important but I think its second to the connective, therapeutic and human side, without that – all the musicality and virtuoso in the world wouldn’t matter if you are unable to collaborate with or understand the other people you’re in the room with.

7. How do you stay inspired and motivated as a music producer, especially during challenging periods.

This is an interesting question, Its very easy to get comfy in the day to day running’s of things and I believe this can create a certain amount of complacency after a while. I think I am constantly on the look out for new things to keep my mind fresh and inspired for whatever it is I’m working on, sometimes it’s a conversation about the importance of art, other times it’s a new piece of gear that reignites some flame inside of me and sometimes its just a matter of being able to take a step back and keep perspective on the project/art/life balance that we are constantly juggling.

8. Aside from your work as a music producer, what hobbies do you have or other creative interests that contribute to your creative journey.

My other passion next to music is surfing/the ocean, it is such an integral part of my life that without which, I could not imagine a world! It has contributed to my musical/personal journey since I can remember and vice versa, a huge creative outlet that’s also a healthy active way of living, in all facets of that meaning, constantly inspiring my day to day life.

I feel I’m in constant awe of nature through this lens, I feel it’s a privilege to have that and such a great contrast to what studio life can be like, as you can probably tell, perspective is a huge aspect of all things with me, which I find mother nature to be the best teacher of!

Interview with Steve Balbi

Each month we’re going to interview a short list of producers that we believe have changed the face of Sydney music in their own particular and singular way. Each month we’ll be asking these producers a series of questions that will delve into their music, influences and trials and tribulations. So join us on this singular journey into the Sydney Music Producers scene.

1. How did you first get started in the music industry, and what inspired you to become a music producer.

SB: I guess there was no real start, music was always in me and escaped at the age of eight with a shitty acoustic. I just played, no lessons, and I wrote my first song at 10. I played in bands throughout school and then was asked to join Kevin Borich at the age of 16. At around the same time, I purchased a Tascam 4 track Porta Studio and my production skills started on the road in hotel rooms. One mic and a tone of bouncing. Hehe, great fun.

2. What is your typical creative process when working on a new track or project.

SB: It is always different, I used to only record a song when it was totally complete but these days I can mess with sounds and programming and write the song after the initial idea. I still do both, I guess I prefer to have a complete song but the main thing I’ve learned is to trust my instincts and not create boxes for myself. The music will make itself if you facilitate it, in any way it wants.

3. Can you share any memorable or unique experiences you’ve had while working in the studio or collaborating with other artists.

SB: WOW! That’s a tricky question so many incredible memories. I just returned from LA where we finished the 2nd Electric Hippies record, working with my music soul mate Justin Stanley. It was a sublime experience, just the two of us, both musically like-minded in a studio with everything you could wish for… It was dreamlike.

I guess working on a bunch of David Bowie tracks was pretty good as well.

4. Are there any specific genres of music that you specialise in or particularly enjoy producing.

SB: I really don’t care, I’m not naturally great at hip hop and I don’t care for pop, however I love trying new things and will always take up a new challenge. I’ve been producing tracks with Dylan Frost from Sticky Fingers and found that to be totally challenging, new, and soulful. I always make the artist’s record and not mine, which is paramount.

5. What are some essential skills or qualities that you believe that every successful music producer should have.

SB: To be able to listen and not feel that you know everything. Production is a collaboration between you and the artist and the music Gods. And if you listen and are brave enough to fly, it’s amazing what can happen. I have listened back to some records that I’ve produced and can’t even remember how I created the sounds, and I love that… It’s like an outer body experience.

6. How do you stay inspired and motivated as a music producer, especially during challenging periods.

SB: I am always so keen to get back to the studio. Inspiration, I don’t find difficult. One thing I do is I am constantly buying new toys, whether it’s source instruments, audio gear, microphones etc… I like to have new toys and even bits that I don’t understand. There is always a new song in the discovery of new gear. I also try to use as many different plugins as possible, of course we all have our go-tos but I like to search around for something that I haven’t used before, prior to settling into my comfort zone.

7. Can you share any advice for those aspiring to be a music producer or are just starting their careers.

SB: Be brave, be authentic and experiment, turn knobs, move mic’s, see what it sounds like in a different position just go for it. You can always put it back to where you were thought at college 😉 There are no rules. Just be focused, respect the artist, the music. and it will all just happen. Oh! And don’t forget to back up.

Steve Balbi
Tripple Speak Pty Ltd
+61 416 931 661
285A Crown St,
Surrey Hills,
2010 NSW