Small studio up for big awards

Not many people know what goes on behind the scenes when making an album. Even fewer probably realize a world known studio is sitting along the waters of Broad River. However that’s where Tim Feswick and his studio Feswick Productions call home.

Feswick and his studio are nominated for Producer of the year, Production Company of the year, Recording Studio of the year, and Studio Engineer of the year at the Nova Scotia Music Awards, coming up this weekend at Yarmouth.

Feswick has had high praises from others in the industry as well. A DJ from Chum FM was amazed at quality and remarked it must have been recorded at studio in New York. When the DJ was told it was recorded in Liverpool, and was shown the community on a map, he couldn’t believe it was recorded there. “I was on top of the world. Chum is the toughest station to get airtime on. When the musical director likes your work, after hearing thousands of songs a year, it was amazing.”

To get to that point though, Feswick has puts a lot of hard work into recording the artists who step through his studio.

He says he does not tolerate an “overproduced song”, explaining its more important to know when to leave it alone than trying to fill it up. He also won’t take on every client who seeks him out. “I won’t produce someone I don’t like or believe in, because its not fair to the client for me to try and produce it.”

Those that do make it in though are usually very pleased with the result. Feswick says when artist hears their songs for the first time on a CDit’s very emotional for them. “It’s a dream come true for so many people. I keep a box of tissue in the studio for when they listen to their CD for the first time.”

A fully produced CD takes 4-6 weeks from when the artist walks into the studio to getting the final version. Getting the album made though is just the first step.

Feswick does career advancement counseling, onhow to get the box of CD’s they now have to a wider audience. “The promoting of the product is just as important as the recording,” he says.

To that end, he also works closely with other Queens Co. nominee Kimberly Sinclair at Spincount. The two are in the process of pairing up officially, to offer an all inclusive production and promotion package.

Feswick’s studio has been in Queens Co. for four years now, but it was by chance that he ended up here. Originally he had studio in Shelburne on an isolated road. However a trucking company moved down the road from his studio, and he couldn’t stop the noise and the dust from getting into the building.

On his way to scouting a location in Halifax however, he met with a client who wanted to do an album, and invited him in to have a look at cottage she had for a studio. Once he saw the view, and the potential in the cottage as a studio, he was sold.

The main challenge about being set up in a small area is the travel and accommodations for the artist. However the artists that have come through love the atmosphere of the area, and how it appeals to the artistic spirit.

Feswick says people thought he was crazy to move down here, but he’s done 15 full albums this year alone and is well booked into next year.

Clients come from all over the world, from Queens Co. locals like Ryan Neilson, Amherst artist Molly Thomson, the Crash Test Dummies from New York, and early next year country singer Kat La Key from Australia.

Feswick has been producing for 15 years, starting in the basement of his home. Originally he was in a band, but wanted to get off the road so he started playing with a four-track recorder in his basement. Around the same time he the got a call from an artists who wasn’t happy with the producer of his album, and asked Feswick to take over. At this point, never had produced anything before, but agreed and the artist was very happy with his work.

Soon after the Sons of Maxwell were looking for producer and he accepted, and has since produced four of their CD’s. Word of mouth slowly built, and he learned as he went while producing in other studios. Feswick says he probably drove the engineers crazy with all the questions he asked, but that led him to figure out the engineering side of recording himself.

Feswick does both the production and engineering in his studio now, something not many other studios do.

Production, he says, is like being the conductor of an orchestra, bringing out the best elements and the emotion of the song. The producer also ensures the recording process goes smoothly, the room is comfortable, breaks down any barriers the artist may have to get them to trust him. “You’re going to do things with that song that they may not have ever thought of before,” he says.

As for an engineer, he says, “All the things the producer has in his head, the engineer has to be able to reproduce those thoughts by creating the sounds.”

In the studio setting, the two roles work very closely. Feswick says by him taking on both roles it cuts down on time.

If one didn’t think he was busy enough already, Feswick also offers mentorship program for students. The program is offered through the Nova Scotia Dept. of Tourism, and Feswick takes an interested student into his studio and teaches them how to produce and engineer. “I’m giving back to someone, teaching someone else to do it.”

It’s obvious though that Feswick loves every minute of his career. “Do I have fun? Oh yeah. It’s probably one of the best jobs in the world.”

nmoase@theadvance.ca