In this episode we sit down with the brilliant Andrew Sunnucks. Co-founder of Audio Network, a prolific orchestral producer and a farmer, Andrew has built a career on integrity, real musicians, and having a good time!

From Andrew’s first job as a singing rabbit to working in commercials and eventually co-founding production music catalogue Audio Network, we trace his journey over the years. As one of the biggest employers of musicians, we discuss Audio Network’s commitment to using real musicians . Andrew tells us why he refuses to compromise on live players, despite being more expensive and time consuming, and shares the secrets to creating a community of trust in recording sessions with both players and composers.

Andrew also opens up about the human side of the music industry, discussing imposter syndrome, the importance of humility and his core principle of a “no knobs” policy. Along the way, he shares hilarious stories from his career including a medieval music mishap, legs falling off a grand piano, and a tape machine bursting into flames…

Chapters
0:00 Intro
4:57 Andrew’s musical background
13:09 Founding Audio Network
20:44 Orchestral producing
29:52 Session stories
35:47 A producer’s ear and communicating with players
40:50 41:10 What’s left on Andrew’s bucket list?

#audionetwork #composer #composing #tvmusic #filmmusic #filmcomposer #productionmusic #librarymusic #syncmusic #orchestralproducing #realmusicians #recordingstudio #abbeyroad #schoolfarmstudios

This week we're thrilled to welcome multi-talented engineer and musician Stefano Civetta, with an impressive career spanning from playing the organ at the Vatican to engineering for some of the biggest films including Avengers: End Game and Solo: A Star Wars Story.

We begin with Stef’s musical roots from growing up in a small Alpine village surrounded by music, his summer gig playing organ at the Vatican, and his leap to the UK for the Tonmeister course. From there he shares his 6 years at Abbey Road - climbing from studio runner to trusted engineer, working 42-day stints, and learning from some of the best in the business, before a bold new chapter converting a 17th-century barn into School Farm Studios alongside Audio Network’s Andrew Sunnucks!

Having spent countless sessions with Stef, we’ve seen his incredible ability to multitask in the control room when engineering, running the session, and catching the slightest squeak or wrong note. We ask how he does it, what he listens for, and what makes a session work well.

Stef also shares his invaluable tips for composers preparing for recording sessions, reveals why Tom Waits tops his music bucket list, and tells us the story of the time he pissed off John Powell…

Chapters

0:00 Intro

3:43 Stef’s musical background

13:55 Playing organ at the Vatican

17:34 Working at Abbey Road

22:22 Turning a 17th-century barn into School Farm Studios

30:44 Multitasking in the control room

37:49 Navigating complex sessions

41:04 Advice when preparing for a recording session

45:55 Stef’s musical bucket list

54:53 Engineering for John Powell

#abbeyroad #abbeyroadstudios #engineer #recordingengineer #composer #vatican #organist #organ #recoringsession #recordingsesstionstories

In this episode, we’re honoured to welcome 80s pop icon Nik Kershaw, whose four-decade career spans chart-topping hits like “Wouldn’t It Be Good” and the massive number-one single “The One And Only” which he wrote for Chesney Hawkes.

We explore Nik’s upbringing in a musically rich family, channeling teenage angst into dramatic lyrics, and journeying through prog-fusion and jazz bands before launching his solo career with agent Micky Modern.

Nik reflects on his whirlwind rise to fame, culminating in his iconic Live Aid performance alongside legends like Queen and David Bowie, sharing the nerves, out-of-body moments and the one artist who left him starstruck…

But fame wasn’t the end of Nik’s story! Beyond the 80’s spotlight, we discuss his pivot into a sought-after songwriter for icons like Elton John, writing tracks for commercials, TV and Film, and how imposter syndrome and creative hunger still fuels him today.

Chapters
00:00 Intro
02:27 Nik’s musical background
09:09 Early songwriting
19:53 Joining bands
24:32 Becoming a solo artist
33:00 Performing at Live Aid
40:50 Writing ‘The One and Only’ for Chesney Hawkes
50:41 Writing music for Film, TV and Adverts
57:09 Collaborating with Elton John
1:04:19 What’s next for Nik?

#nikkershaw #80spop #80smusic #liveaid #eltonjohn #chesneyhawkes #composer #songwriting