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MEET THE MAN BEHIND THE FESTIVAL SONG

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Most successful people in the music industry can reel off a string of 'learning experiences' that they went through before finally making it. They can tell you at length about all the failed bands and personality conflicts they had to endure before finally finding the right combination of people to create with. Not so for Steve Mowat. The twenty three year old producer met his co-conspirator, Pez, in high school and the pair have been working together ever since. Originally they started a 'band' before deciding to go out to the market place with Pez as a solo artist. Mowat remained on board as producer and oft-while writer in the background.

"We decided it would be better for both of us if we did it as a Pez solo project," says Mowat. "I'd still have the same amount of input but Pez would be pushed as a solo artist. We didn't really make that decision from a marketing point of view it was more because Pez and I are very different kinds of people in lots of ways yet musically we connect. With Pez as a solo act he could steer the ship as far as his image and lyrics go - he has very strong beliefs and I don't think it makes sense to have someone representing a group when the viewpoints in the lyrics are so personal."

Despite not being the 'face' of the JJJ hit, The Festival Song, Mowat says the success of Pez's album is still opening doors for him.

"I wanted to do producing for other people and I also wanted to be producing music other than just hip hop so it has left me in a better position as far as being a free agent goes," says Mowat.

The Festival Song was Pez's debut single and also introduced Mowat as a producer, yet despite their inexperience in the industry, Mowat says that the success of the track was no big surprise, as deep down he had an inkling he had a hit on his hands.

"I did have a small feeling inside that it would go well due to the fact that people can relate to it. That's one of the reasons Pez and the song have done so well because it's honest good fun and the song is not trying to do anything else except describe the funny things that happen at a festival. Because a lot of those things have been experienced by a lot of people I knew it would be a popular song - I just didn’t know how popular. That’s what I love about hip hop - listening to experiences and identifying with the lyrics."

Mowat, who not only produced the song but also wrote the music, credits much of his success to the fact that, despite never having produced an album before A Mind Of My Own, he was mentored by a highly experienced producer.

"I did a three year audio engineering course at Box Hill TAFE and since then one of my lecturers, Lawrence Maddy, has been mentoring me. He's been producing great music for a long time and it was good to get that mentorship out of it and to learn the craft of making records."

Mowat admits that he didn't have any particular sound in mind for A Mind Of My Own but that the album simply evolved over time.

"The album was produced over a long period but we've managed to keep songs from throughout that entire period," says Mowat. "Some needed to be rewritten and given a new life and one of those tracks was The Festival Song. The original feeling and reaction we got from people to that song was so good that we just continued to work on it. I really believe if something gives you a good feeling you should never leave it aside permanently, especially if you remember, even for a moment, having a feeling that it is really cool.”

After the success of The Festival Song, Mowat says he has been lucky enough to go from being a 'bedroom' producer using samples, to being able to go into a large studio and record live instrumentation.

"In the last month we've been doing a re-release of Pez's album and we've just released to JJJ a re-recording of the track These Days off the album. This song was originally all samples and it's been completely replayed with live instruments and even Lawrence Maddy, who engineered and co-produced, was just dumbfounded by the quality of what we got in the end.”

While for many independent bands, the role of a producer can seem like a bit of an expensive luxury, Mowat believes it is important not to cut corners unnecessarily when producing an album on your laptop at home.

“Because of my experience with this album I have mixed feelings about musicians producing their own tracks at home on things like garage band. Musicians can't always see the track from an objective viewpoint and it's really important to have someone like a producer or an independent engineer who can take in all the elements of the song and the album and see it from the bigger picture. I guess the job of the producer is to make sure everything stays on track and that you don't get caught up getting that one guitar part right for example. I've been doing some pre-production with another band and in their rehearsal room they have this big poster that says 'songs before parts' to remind themselves of their goal - that's something a producer will always remind you of - that the song comes first."

Despite being able to enjoy some bigger budget production Mowat admits that there is a certain freedom that comes with producing your album in your lounge room with no label to answer to.

“I just love to hear new ideas and things that have not been done before –I hate it when things are constantly rehashed and redone. One thing I find very frustrating in Australia, in the pop scene in particular, is that no one is taking any risks because the industry is so small and record sales are so precious so big labels have to play it safe with their artists or at least they think they do. But in America the mentality is more about going out there and being the new fresh thing and wanting to break new ground, I guess they’re partly able to do that due to the size of their market. In Australia unfortunately I think there’s just a bit too much copying of whatever’s going on in America”

To view the making of the re-release of These Days visit
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vxN5OGyH0w&feature=player_embedded

PHOTO CREDIT
Photographer Michael Danischewski - www.mdonlinefolio.blogspot.com

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