In this episode of Good Job Podcast, Beth Roars chats with sound engineer, producer and musician Brian Kehew. Brian Kehew produced Fiona Apple’s album ‘Extraordinary Machine’, worked as a sound engineer with Aretha Franklin and Black Sabbath and at the time of recording is on a World Tour with The Who. Brian shares his stories about some of the worlds greatest musicians, his tips for singers and producers to get the best sound in the studio, discusses combating stage fright and shares insights into why the top singers succeed.
““A problem is an opportunity for greatness” ”
Podcast Episode Highlights:
00.25 - Beth introduces her first ever podcast guest - musician, sound engineer and producer Brian Kehew
01.20 - What has been Brian’s worst job?
02.17 - How did Brian Kehew get into music for the first time?
02.23 - Brian discusses how musicality runs in his family, beginning with his parents and transferring to him and his siblings
02.52 - What was Brian’s first professional music job?
03.22 - As a multi-skilled person, what is Brian’s favourite sector of the music industry to work in?
03.36 - Brian tells the Good Job Podcast about what is involved with his work mixing
04.42 - Brian discusses the process of sound mixing and creativity involved
06.07 - Beth asks Brian how he came to work with ‘The Who’
07.19 - Brian Kehew and Beth Roars discuss the challenges of working around a problem and overcoming challenges when things go wrong
09.28 - What is it like touring with ‘The Who’?
10.59 - Brian opens up about working with Fiona Apple on her album ‘Extraordinary Machine’
12.36 -How does Fiona Apple approach writing music and performance?
13.16 -What is Brian’s favourite trait in a singer?
13.30 -Brian and Beth discuss Beth’s approach towards unique singers and that sometimes perfect technique is not the most important thing
14.30 -Brian talks to the podcast about using a supposed limitation to your advantage, it makes you distinct from other people
15.22 - The difference of recording in a studio vs performing for an audience
16.18 - Brian gives some advice on microphone technique and how to record in a studio
18.59 - How do compressors work and are they important?
20.27- Beth asks Brian about the books he’s written
21.50 - Sometimes fewer choices can make things better, it’s easier to decide
22.14 - How was it different for the Beatles recording compared to artists today
23.01 - What was it like for Brian and Kevin Ryan trying to get big publishers to take on their niche books?
24.20 - Brian tells Good Job Podcast listeners how important it is to believe in yourself and not be led too far away from your vision by people who don’t understand your work
24.47 - Brian gives advice he has for producers
25.53 - Beth asks Brian what advice he has for singers
26.40 - Brian imparts some advice for nerves and stage fright
Key Points:
Find your own sound, don’t try and imitate someone else. Trust yourself.
Problems are a chance to make a success in adversity, that’s what will set you aside from competition, relish them.
Embrace your fear and you’ll find that somehow things become less scary
It’s better to be divisive and have some people really like you than everyone be indifferent towards your art
Use your creativity as much as possible and don’t let anyone else make you feel wrong for having a vision.
Quotes:
“Much of mixing is those balances, the same way as when you put a cake together, if you put the same amount of everything in it would be rather boring and not taste good”
Brian Kehew
“Those moments when something goes wrong, how you handle those moments can make it work or make it a total failure in how you handle it. That’s part of the training, we try to find people who can handle near disaster and hopefully make it better”
Brian Kehew
“You can see that someone who’s a master actor or musician can literally improvise something that’s as good or better as what was planned”
Brian Kehew
“A bead of sweat and a bum note is better than singing something perfectly and safely”
Roger Daltrey via Brian Kehew
“If you try to sound like Led Zeppelin or Beyonce or somebody else who’s out there, you’re already going to fail because there is one. I think it’s more interesting if you have a strange way of singing that stick out from the crowd”
Brian Kehew
“It’s better to be polarising and choose something that is unique about you. Half your friends may hate it but the other half will love it and that is what you are going for”
Brian Kehew
“People get this idea of there being a right and wrong when it comes to singing but I completely disagree with that in some ways. I want people to be healthy, but after that, it’s about expressing yourself and your personality, your truth and your emotion”
Beth Roars
“If you have less choices you are more creative”
Brian Kehew
“You have to believe in yourself. Maybe you’re the person that knows best what your music is”
Brian Kehew
“Giving away information never really hurts you, it only helps people”
Brian Kehew
“Be careful of influences. If people can spot that you listen to Kate Bush all the time or Morrisey, it means you’ve spent too much time emulating them. Nobody sings like those people, those people do because they were original”
Brian Kehew
“When you’re standing there almost ready to go out and you get that nervous tension feeling and start to tighten up, you’re always trying to fight it, do the opposite. Try to get as frightened as possible”
A friend of Brian Kehew
Resources Mentioned:
Beth Roars: YouTube Instagram Twitter Patreon BethRoars.com
Brian’s Books written with Kevin Ryan: Recording the Beatles, Kaleidoscope Eyes
