The music industry: Behind the track
As the UK music industry continues to boast enormous profits and goes from strength to strength across the globe, Marcus Xavier Bennett finds the faces behind the track who make the industry boom.
From pioneers such as The Beatles to modern renaissance like the Arctic Monkeys to Nia Archives as a rising star, the UK continues to produce some of the best talents music has to offer whilst reaping the economic benefits.
The music industry in the UK contributes a significant amount to the economy with a record £6.7 billion in Gross Added Value (GVA) in 2022, according to This is Music 2023 report.
The stereotype of the struggling artist is still the reality with many music creators slipping through the cracks of the music industry.
Those who stay above water are still not appreciated by record labels. In particular, the producers who bring every aspect of the music making together to create a full project.
Producers can make or break an album or track. Speaking to music professionals at different stages in the industry, I found out how essential they really are.
"They are infinitely important to a project."
Nick Mills, a freelance producer known for his work on Hip-hop star Loyle Carner's latest album Hugo, said: "A producer oversees all of the tracks together as a body of work and makes sure they’re all lassoed together and make sense."
He added:"They are infinitely important to a project."
The album Hugo was released in late 2022 and was a major success with numerous sold out tours, a Mercury prize nomination and rave reviews from publications such as The Guardian, who called it a "beautiful, blistering masterpiece".
Album cover for Hugo. Credit: EMI Records
Album cover for Hugo. Credit: EMI Records
The album was a big break for Nick as he had just left his full-time job as assistant engineer at Metropolis studios, where he had met Loyle, to pursue his dream as a freelance producer.
The road to being an in-demand producer is not an easy one and even though the industry is full of one-hit wonders and 15 minutes of fame, the rise of a producer can be a slow burner.
Nick and Loyle corner breaking down a song from the album Hugo. Credit: Youtube :BBC 6 Music.
Having been in a band in his teens and early 20s, it took until the age of 25 for Nick to enrol himself at London based music college, Alchemea College, for a course in sound engineering and music production.
In a shocking turn of events, the college went into administration after 23 years with just four months left of the course and everyone was kicked out with no prior notice.
"The tutors came in and said we have to leave immediately, the school has gone bust... I thought he was joking.
"It was a huge blow, it derailed what I wanted to do. I was working in a pub at the time and I just had to pick up more shifts."
With his future in music taking a big hit, Nick handed his CV to every music studio in London and landed an unpaid runner position at Metropolis studios after running into a friend he hadn't seen in seven years who knew a manager at the studio.
After months of cleaning toilets and picking up cigarette butts for free, he stuck his foot in the door of the studios and began to assist on sessions.
Learning his craft in a studio 24/7 led to an establishing moment when he spent three weeks working with global hip-hop star Kendrick Lamar recording at Metropolis.
"That really stood out as a moment."
"I was like, this is Kendrick, this is amazing. That really stood out as a moment. If I could do this then surely I’m good and can make an established name for myself.” He said.
In retrospect, he did get established and now has been involved in two Grammy and one Mercury Prize nominations. His contribution to projects is vital and facilitates the talents he works with to flourish.
The next generation of music creators have even larger barriers such as the development of AI, the dawning influence of TikTok and a crippling economy. The advice from the established can be crucial. Nick urges younger creators to stay authentic with their art.
"Make whatever you want to make and don’t care about who’s going to like it or whether it’s going to be successful... don’t make things trendy and don't try to be anyone else." He said.
Malaki posing for a Dublin gig in 2021. Credit: @malaki_dublin (instagram).
Malaki posing for a Dublin gig in 2021. Credit: @malaki_dublin (instagram).
Irish rapper, Malaki. Credit: @malaki_dublin (instagram).
Irish rapper, Malaki. Credit: @malaki_dublin (instagram).
What comes with establishing yourself is the admiration from the up and coming and the desire for collaboration.
One of the rising stars of the Irish music scene, Malaki, expressed his intention to work with Nick and now has a project in the works.
The young Irish rapper can consider 2023 as a successful year as he racked up 4.8 million streams across 180 countries on Spotify and sold out a live show in London.
"Don't tell him [Nick] but I was desperate to work with him... the guy is super good at what he does." He said.
"I created a pack of music that I knew he couldn't say no to and I sent it to him. I told him to let me know if you want to work, and he did."
Malaki wears his heart upon his sleeve and that translates into his art as he tackles topics such as toxic masculinity among young men with social and political observations.
He certainly understands the importance of self-expression but also the relationship between musician and producer. He emphasises how a producer is key in the process and that they can guide the artist into telling their story.
"If you have an artist and a producer that truly work well together. It's like watching magic unfold and I've watched it occur.
"It's like a symbiosis, that feeling that you get where the two of you combine and you're working together as one. Sometimes it takes hours, minutes or seconds but it's truly magical.” He said.
"It's truly magical."
Nick and Malaki have been working on a project that they are hoping will be released towards the end of this year with one track called Pasta already complete that the duo hope to release soon.
Both of them have enormous respect for each other and their work. Nick described the Irishman as "a very talented guy" who is "making really interesting stuff."
With an EP anticipated to also come out soon, Malaki recently released another single called 'Long Face' with striking and vulnerable lyrics but more impressive is the music video to accompany it.
The video is mostly shot in Los Angeles with frequent flashbacks to his childhood that goes onto a journey of self reflection and representation of the passion that he conveys in his personality and music.
Malaki's new music video for Long Face. Credit: Youtube (Malaki).
Different artists adopt many varied approaches to their music process and how they interact with their producer. Some may sit quietly and let each person do their job as they sing or rap their part and then leave. Malaki prefers a closer relationship to get the best out of himself and his project.
He describes himself as a vulnerable and honest writer so when he collaborates with other creators he is sitting beside the producer creating a close and intimate environment. As an open and energetic person he feels as if he needs to put all his cards on the table for the full musical process.
Malaki posing for a Dublin gig in 2021. Credit: Malaki.
Malaki posing for a Dublin gig in 2021. Credit: Malaki.
"I am 100% involved in the musical process because I believe as an artist you have to. Some rappers can get away with it sometimes. Not me. I love it.” He said.
It is clear that he takes inspiration and influence from the hip-hop scene as he remembers the first song of that genre he was shown was Electric Relaxation by A Tribe Called Quest.
"I was hooked. I hadn't heard anything like it before and that was the beginning."
He named Timbaland, Pharrell Williams, Kanye West and James Blake as his dream producers to collaborate with. Alongside the talent, with that sort of ambition the sky is the limit for the young artist.
Hip-hop artist, Malaki, speaks on his strong passion for music. Music credit: Malaki.
From the recently established to the upcoming and now with the experienced Kyle Simmons, member of internationally successful band Bastille. Worldwide tours and two songs with over a billion streams on Spotify has provided Kyle with plenty of wisdom on the music industry.
Kyle described the day he met lead vocalist, Dan Smith, at a house party in 2010 as the moment his life changed forever and that formed their band alongside Will Farquarson and Chris Wood.
Bastille in 2016. Credit: Kyle Simmons.
Bastille in 2016. Credit: Kyle Simmons.
More than a decade on since the indie pop band were signed to Virgin Records, Kyle has achieved much of what music creators dream of but acknowledges how much luck plays in making it in the industry.
He said:
"I still remember people who were in bands when we were coming up as young groups that were genuinely amazing artists that you couldn't believe weren't being played on Radio 1 all the time.
"Just because someone isn't the next big thing doesn't mean they're not fantastic at what they're doing whether it be songwriting or producing. Sometimes things just don't hit. You can re-release an underperforming track a year later and it's a worldwide smash."
"Luck 100% plays a huge part in making it."
Before being signed to the label in 2013, he was still working his job as an operator for an events company who set up festivals such as Isle of Wight and Creamfields. He would set up the tents for one of their clients, Strongbow, for each festival and small events across London. Using their MySpace page to promote themselves he would help the band to get booked for gigs in the tent he worked in.
He said:
"I would work across the festival on and off shifts and when we played I would go backstage to change into my stage clothes, play and get back into my work clothes.
"I would carry on work whilst the rest of the band got drunk in the beer garden... it was a nice little handoff."
After three years of gigging up and down the country, he was able to quit his job at the events company to be in the band full-time. He described the moment as when everything became real career-wise as previously he had no career in mind despite.
"There are lots of people who from six-years-old it was their dream to be in a band, that wasn't me.
"It's weird, I know I loved music and wanted to be a part of it in some way but I never had any dreams of being in a band." He said.
"I never had any dreams of being in a band."
Bastille band member, Kyle Simmons posing in recent photoshoot. Credit: Kyle Simmons.
Bastille band member, Kyle Simmons posing in recent photoshoot. Credit: Kyle Simmons.
Kyle performing on tour. Credit: Kyle Simmons.
Kyle performing on tour. Credit: Kyle Simmons.
Now in 2024, Kyle recognises how much the industry has changed since Bastille first signed with their label. He mentions that there is an element of fragility when being part of a label. At any point the person who brought you into the record company can be replaced with someone who has no interest in promoting you.
He said:
"Labels expect so much of you and there's been major changes in terms of streaming platforms. They don't make as much money as before which means they have to cut down on what they're doing and support, creating more pressure on us. It's very tricky.
"They still want the same calibre of greatness and you can struggle with that... then you're not getting the same level of focus on you."
He recognises that the relationship between artist and label isn't meant to go smoothly as you are essentially signing a contract where you relinquish an amount of control and that results in compromise from both sides. Of late, the relationship with record companies and artists has had more tension as a result of the rise of TikTok. Its success and rapid traction has been too hard to ignore for record labels and for the established creators, it could mean adapt or die.
There has been a significant decline in the demand for long-form album making owing to how much money can be generated from a short 60-second clip on TikTok. The creative process has been halted by marketing and management teams, Kyle and his band have even been advised to pay more attention to the social media platform.
He said:
"People don't want albums anymore, the labels want what immediately makes money. They will ask you how long your song is and then tell you to halve it because that's the trend.
"We think, how can you tell us how to be creative? The deal is we give you music and you help us promote it. They want us to write for success when we want to write for love and passion in the hope that people respect that."
Now at the age of 36, he says he’s too old and missed the boat on TikTok, joking that the band are in their 30s and half of them now have kids. Kyle compared the emergence of TikTok in the current climate of the music industry as one playground bully replacing another and the artists are those who fall victim.
The band’s social media responsibility has come a long way since they were using their MySpace page to promote themselves for gigs and festivals. Having only recently caught onto instagram he feels very lucky that Bastille have such a loyal fanbase.
“We’re lucky enough that we, as Bastille, are established enough that we have our own fan base.Whether we get involved with these things or not, our fan base are super loyal. They’re amazing and they’re always with us.” He said.
As a band who tours worldwide, Brexit has had its fair share of impact on getting around Europe. He shared how much more effort has to be put into organising European tours and that they have had to cancel a gig due to one of their trucks being held up at the border.
He said:“Having relatively easy access to mainland Europe was such a massive part for us coming up.”
