Outreach Productions will offer audiences a behind the scenes look at the recording process through an upcoming live session, tracking new music from Kill Chicago.
Matt Carter
Inspired by the outpouring of live streamed music performances that have become a regular occurrence since the arrival of COVID-19, Fredericton audio/video production house Outreach Productions have announced plans to put their own twist on the home viewing trend. Aimed at offering audiences an inside look at the recording process, the company will host its first live studio session featuring Fredericton rock band Kill Chicago, November 28 at 7 p.m.
“The concept started back in June or July. We had rehired everyone after the pandemic and obviously our video and audio departments were not at 100% capacity. We were brainstorming some projects we could work on and this was one of the winners,” said Andrew MacRae, director of audio and video at Outreach Productions.
“We saw all the live online shows being put on by Signature Sound, The Cap and Roots & Soul and were really inspired to try to create something that would benefit artists but also just be really fun. We also wanted to do something that was different from what those other organizations were doing so as not to step on their toes. Live shows are just really not our strength so we decided to do a studio session.”
Beginning as a small scale recording studio in the early 80’s, Outreach Productions has grown to become a full service production company specializing in audio, video and digital creativity. Over the years, the recording studio has produced hundreds of albums by artists across the Maritimes covering everything from country to rock, gospel and folk.
For this new venture, MacRae hopes to bring together many of the skills he and his team have developed over the years to give the band and the audience a behind the scenes look at the recording process, from tracking to editing, and perhaps a few of the hard choices bands sometimes have to make while the clock is ticking.
“I’ve been a studio nerd for 20 years but every time I see anything shot in the studio it’s generally very edited and polished,” said MacRae. “That’s cool, but it doesn’t really reflect my experience of how it feels to be in the studio with a great band. I wanted to be able to showcase the music creation process with all the little details that are often edited out. The studio banter, inside jokes, agonizing over decision making, compromising, as well as the technical nuance that goes into creating music.”
To add to the experience, the audience will be encouraged to interact with the band and maybe help shape the direction a song takes.
“Sometimes a band will bring a friend or partner to the studio to hang out while they record so we really want to give the audience that type of experience of seeing behind the curtain,” said MacRae. “We’re going to have a dedicated person to respond to questions and curate a conversation going back and forth between the audience and the band. If someone wants to ask a question about why we made a certain choice or make a poll and ask if the audience preferred take two or take three we want to invite them into the studio experience. It’s less a live show and more of an interactive music experience.”
Outreach Productions’ live studio session with Kill Chicago will be streamed through Facebook Live on November 29 beginning at 7 p.m. Watch it here.
