By Eve Sherlock

Conor Brady is an established guitarist who has made a big name for himself in the Irish music industry over the past 30 years.  He is the sound engineer and production manager for Phonic Studios, Dublin, a prestigious recording studio who are offering our Rising Stars winner a recording session with state of the art sound and production.

Conor was a passionate musician from a young age, uninterested in academia he chose to focus his attention on his guitar and become a skilled professional. Performing in a small musical community such as Dublin worked to his advantage as dedicated work put into your chosen instrument didn’t go unnoticed. Getting picked-up to work with Paul Cleary and the The Blaze in the eighties stands out in Conor’s mind as a defining moment in his career.

“People’s perception of you in the music industry is key”, he admits. “I got some pretty good reviews off the back of working with The Blaze and I soon started getting studio work. I suppose it was fame by association, but everything started moving pretty quickly from there.”

It certainly did, the guitarist went on to work with huge names in the industry such as The Commitments, The Corrs, Mary Coughlan and even Sinead O’Connor, though admits that working with O’Connor ‘wasn’t the best of experiences’.

What hits you when you speak to Brady his is unwavering passion for music and production of the end product, which is exactly what, led him to Phonic Studios.

“As I got more work in recording studios I became very interested in sound”.  He wanted to make his own music, the way he imagined it to sound. “I started acquiring equipment, as the systems were so affordable at the time”.

Soon his curiosity and ambition took over and he developed a real passion for music production. He saw it simply, as an extension of his work as a musician.

“Engineers have to think like a musician, so musician engineers are always better to work with. If a team truly enjoy what they’re doing it’s reflected in the music. Just getting through the year is a blessing for us, but being able to make music everyday is the real highlight of our job”.

When working with an artist Phonic Studios primary aim is to make music that represents the artist musically and affirms their sense of identity. It’s also a bonus if they can open doors for the artists abroad, such as Ciara Sidine who’s been picked up in Holland, and Bronagh Gallagher whose album is already making stirs in London ahead of its release later this year.

“The gratification we receive from artists who are proud of the work they’ve produced in Phonic Studios is always the biggest reward, for the musician to walk away with a positive experience”.

Phonic Studios have generously volunteered their services to this year’s Rising Stars winner who will get studio time in the fantastic studios as part of the overall prize, but Brady says it’s not just the winners who benefit from the experience.

“We need to work with good musicians as much as possible, and if an act has won such a tough competition then we’re guaranteed to produce something good at the end of the session. We get to work with people who are just as passionate about making music as we are. We hope to create a recording profile that represents the artist and confirms their musical identity”.

With passion and ambition like Brady’s, you couldn’t ask for a better prize. This isn’t like a profession for him; it’s a vocation, a love for music unequalled to anything else. Something that emanates right through him in every project that he endeavours in. But what advice would he give to those starting out in the industry, in the same position as him in the eighties?

“It’s a never-ending pursuit and nobody can really teach you how to be successful in this industry, but if you master your talent and put in honest to goodness hard work, it will be recognised. It’s no coincidence that the most successful musicians are the most hard-working”.

“But really, it’s simple – love your instrument, love your music, never be ashamed and always be honest”.

Wise words, eh?

 

Share