Have you ever met a modest Canadian? Well, that's a silly question. If there is one moniker that hangs around the necks of even the most talented Canadian it is modesty. Producer, song-writer, performer, and manager Mitch Merrett would easily be top pick of any artist looking for someone to support them creatively while also having their back on the business end of things. True to his Canadian identity, when you bring this up the first thing Merrett does is talk about what he refers to as his team.
Merrett's current team includes fellow Canadians Chad Brownlee and Hayley (McLean). Brownlee is of course the former pro hockey player turned country star and Hayley, a relative newcomer who has found a strong advocate in Merrett. " She is a seriously talented Guitar Player and Singer/Songwriter. We have been working with her for a few years now and are just putting the final touches on the new album which is due out in early October. Fender just rated her the #1 Female Guitar Goddess on their website a few months ago which was a total surprise to all of us on the team. Right now I am completing her debut album."
Managing careers (including his own) all while writing, producing and performing is something that comes naturally to Merrett. "I guess it came from the early days of playing clubs and really not having a team to help with getting to the next level so I just started to assume those roles. I enjoy wearing multiple hats in this industry because of the state that it's in and how things change daily. More and more people are doing the same thing. I kinda have adopted a motto, 'If anyone is gonna F$%K it up it might as well be me' then there is only one person to blame."
Unlikely Merrett will ever be blamed for anything other than using his Midas touch. Amongst Merrett's successes is co-writing and co-producing the CCMA (Canadian Country Music Association) award winning single for Aaron Pritchett 'Hold My Beer'. He was also recently nominated for a 2013 CCMA award for Producer of the Year (Crash – Chad Brownlee; Listen – Chad Brownlee; Catch Me If You Can – Jess Moskaluke).
Merrett often works out of his own home studio in Langley, British Columbia. Coincidentally his work space is outfitted with several key pieces of gear from BC based Radial Engineering and its acoustic division Primacoustic. "My favorite piece right now is my Workhorse. It's loaded with the Komit (Compressor/Limiter) and Q3 (Coil EQ) which I use with my vocal chain in conjunction with a 1073. I also have some guitar toys in there – an X-Amp, EXTC and the Shuttle Insert which gives great options for re-amping my guitar signal and unique mic'ing techniques if I need to. There are so many combinations in using the Workhorse with the 500 series modules. It's a lot of fun to experiment with."
"I used the Workhorse on all the guitars that Hayley plays on this album, including her acoustics. I don't like to use too much EQ'ing and Compressing – I leave that for the Mix Engineer but sometimes I just sneak it in where it's needed. With the Workhorse it's really easy to make things that sound good, sound great." He also employs Radial DIs in his studio. "I always run DI lines when recording guitars and usually just use them as a guide for editing because the wave form is so easy to see or if we have a crazy idea for an off the wall tone I have a track I can mess with. Hayley has a pretty great tone to begin with so the work in getting that to tape is simple."
Merrett controls the acoustics of his studio with a selection of Primacoustic products including a London 10 kit he installed himself. "It was quick and easy and you can literally hear and feel the difference it makes as you start mounting the kit to the walls. One of the best additions to my studio so far. It's amazing the quality of recording I can do in my basement with the addition of some simple affordable upgrades to a room." His room is also equipped with a pair of Primacoustic Recoil Stabilizers and a Voxguard. "The Recoils came highly recommended from friends in the business and I see them at pretty much every major studio I have worked in from Vancouver to Toronto to Nashville. The Voxguard is just a no brainer to me, I use it all the time recording vocals and guitars it just makes complete sense and helps deliver better quality recordings."
This August Merrett will put on his producer hat for Chad Brownlee's new album in Nashville. "We are really looking forward to this as it will be his 3rd album we have worked on together and the first we will do in the Music City." The second album and current album were both nominated for a Juno for 'Country Album of the Year'. "This time around I am pulling in F. Reid Shippen to Co-Produce and Engineer with me and he will mix the album as well. Reid is super great and has won several Grammy Awards as a Mix Engineer."
At the end of the day when Merrett removes whichever hat he has been wearing he looks forward to getting right back to it. "I enjoy waking everyday knowing I get to make music and help carve a path for new artists and keep food on the table for my family. I love the travel and meeting more and more people that I have looked up to over the years."
When asked if anyone has ever called him Midas Mitch, Merrett laughs: "No but one day when I win a Grammy I will change the business cards to read that!"
Hayley McClean's latest: Sounds Like a Love Song produced by Mitch Merrett and Hayley Mixed by F. Reid Shippen using Radial products.
Chad Brownlee song: Listen (CCMA 2013 Producer of the Year nomination for Mitch Merrett)
For more information on the Workhorse (8 slot power rack), EXTC (guitar effects interface), Komit (Compressor/Limiter), X-Amp (reamper), Shuttle (insert loop) and Q3 (coil EQ).
