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Radicals optimism: Studio Radicals host Kate Hutchinson and (inset) producer Catherine Marks
“I want Studio
Radicals to say, ‘Look at these amazing people, let’s celebrate their incredible work – oh, and they happen to be women’”
Kate Hutchinson
Have you noticed any recurring themes or mindsets among your guests so far? “Totally! One is that the lines between producer, musician and engineer are very blurred. I think these days you also need to specialise but be versatile, including with genre. There’s a thread of being
tenacious, subverting expectations, having to carve out spaces, but also of how collaborative the artist/producer or
artist/engineer relationship is. I grew up hearing about these big producers imposing their sound on bands and it leading to fall-outs, but
this is far from that. I hope people get a real sense of the care that goes into music-making. Marta Salogni describes her job as a ‘translator’ and, as Catherine Marks puts it, there’s always a sense of having fun as it’s a privilege to work with artists. I hope Studio Radicals gives a window into how musical visionaries push their artistry forward and what drives them to be bold in the studio. Hannah Peel’s episode is a real case in point.”
You have reported on music and club culture extensively, but what has surprised you about the more technical aspects of music-making? “The number of factors and details that go into making a track – from the many technical decisions to people management and how to get, say, the best vocal performance out of someone that day. What I loved hearing about from Marta Salogni was how she’d ask an artist how they wanted a song to sound – Björk once told her, ‘whispering among the fireworks’ – and she’d help to create that. I do think that’s lacking from a lot of music writing these days. Like, what does something sound like and what does that evoke for you? And how was that created?”
THIS MONTH STUDIO RADICALS
Host: Kate Hutchinson (journalist & broadcaster) Contact:
kate@katehutchinson.co.uk
Hosted by Kate Hutchinson and co-produced by DCS Audio, Studio Radicals dives into the minds of the studio creatives shaping today’s sounds. Here, Hutchinson shares what sparked the series and why championing behind-the-scenes voices will always matter...
What initially inspired you to launch Studio Radicals alongside DCS Audio? “It’s always the right moment for a podcast that drills into the magic behind music. I’d been kicking ideas around with DCS Audio’s Rachael Steven and Krysti Hamilton for a while and we thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to get to snoop around amazing composers, engineers, producers and artists’ studios and take a deeper look at how our favourite music gets made?’ We wanted to make an audio series that underlines technical brilliance but that is really for anyone who is interested in how we listen to and experience great sound. Music isn’t just songs, there’s a whole world built around them and we wanted to delve into that. From my perspective, there are not enough podcasts about music-making hosted by women, so it was time to address that!”
16 | Music Week
Do you think women and non-binary producers and engineers are being supported enough across the industry at large? “There’s no denying the statistics in music production: a lot has been done to amplify women and non-binary engineers over the past few years but a report by AKAS [Addy Kassova Audience Strategy] in January found that when you look at all the studio people who contribute to a song or album, only 28% are women or non-binary. I’ve always felt it important to curate things that amplify women and non-binary individuals without lingering on imbalances, unless it’s something that they want to talk about. It should be people’s artistry and skill that is underlined, not the thing that sets them apart. I want Studio Radicals to say, ‘Look at these amazing people, let’s celebrate their vision and work – oh and also, they happen to be women.’”
Have there been any moments that have resonated with you on a more personal level? “I mean… I went to Suzanne Ciani’s house in California on my birthday last year and she sang me a special birthday song. That resonated! Although the Aperol Spritzes probably helped... All the conversations are enriching in different ways, but there’s something to be said for the intimacy of going into someone’s home or studio and spending time with them. We’re living in a time of flashy video podcasts with big lettering screaming what’s in the episodes and very fast editing – and we’ve created, hopefully, a more reflective space and a lovely experience for audio fans! Big up Holly Fisher for that – she’s the best audio producer and sound designer, and her work has really elevated it.”
musicweek.com
PHOTOS: Olivia Sofia Ferrara
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