We caught up with producer, songwriter and mixer Phil Gornell to learn more about how he completed an entire album remotely during the pandemic.
Phil Gornell was already a regular user of the LISTENTO plugin before the pandemic struck, using the software to get real-time mix critiques from his clients from as early as 2019. Fast forward to 2020, when just four weeks into writing sessions with pop-rock artist Heart of Gold, their entire process was halted by his visa expiration and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now separated by an 11-hour flight and restricted by lockdowns, they needed to find a creative solution that allowed them to finish the album they were working on remotely.
In the end, they were able to use the LISTENTO plugins to fully write, record, mix and master the songs from the comfort of their own homes. Phil recalls that being able to work off each others initial reactions and emotions in real-time was key to the process. They were still able to have those moments of spontaneous creativity, whilst also doing live recordings of vocals, guitars, live saxophone that wouldn’t have been possible in person.
Want to hear the end result for yourself? Check out Headache by Heart of Gold on Spotify.
