Becoming an audio engineer is something that I will freely admit happened almost by accident. Being in multiple bands at university, I gradually found myself being the band-member people would turn to to record demos to get gigging or to record material so that we could all scrape by and pass the course!

 

Using Bristol as the friendliest place to grow in music, I regularly performed in and recorded my band gaws, gradually becoming established in the circuit and getting asked by other bands to make records for them.

Growing my skills over these ‘freelance’ experiences, I finally plucked up the courage in January 2024 to ask HUMM Studios in Bristol if they had any projects coming up in the studio that I could assist on. Through Dom Mitchison’s kindness (and my refusal to stop coming in!), I have had an incredibly exciting year working with Heavy Lungs, MOULD, The New Cut, NEKO, Losing Dogs and more.

 

It has been endlessly rewarding to see artists walk out the door of the studio with music that they believe has reached its full potential, having worked tirelessly together to reach an end goal. I have grown to understand that every session is about welcoming an artist with open arms and being sure to listen to everything they have to say. With great listening skills, we can all collaborate effectively to craft the highest quality possible. It is my (the engineer’s) job to understand the artist’s vision and turn it into something anyone can listen to and understand.

 

From these experiences, it has been a joy to watch some of this work achieve airplay on BBC Radio 1, 6, Introducing and Radio X alongside editorial and algorithmic play-listing.

 

Looking into 2025, I can’t wait to continue as I am, assisting on larger projects whilst building my portfolio of self-engineered projects too. Roll on another year!

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