BILLY GRAZIADEI
Firewater Studios
http://firewaterstudios.com
Billy Graziadei is the owner of Firewater Studios,the lead vocalist for Biohazard (acknowledged as one of the earliest bands to fuse hardcore punk and heavy metal with elements of hip-hop), and the former guitarist for Suicide City. With 20-plus years in the music industry, Graziadei has sold over four million records. Over the years he has worked with an impressive list of rock, metal and hip-hop acts, including Cypress Hill, Pantera, Hatebreed, Slipknot, House of Pain, Type O Negative, Sepultura, Reakwon (Wu-Tang Clan), Full Blown Chaos, Agnostic Front and Cro-Mags.
CHOOSING A STUDIO
I focus on the rooms. I want to hear what they sound like. To do that, I walk to different parts of the room and clap my hands to check the room tone. I also inspect the studio equipment. I prefer Neve consoles and vintage outboard gear. I like to combine different heads and cabinets, and don’t like pre-sets.
RECORDING OPTIONS
There are many different ways to record today; you’re only limited by your budget. Overall, there are four options: artists could work out of a producer’s studio; a producer could go to the artist and work out of a different studio; you can do pre-production via the Internet (Skype or Nightcap) and record at a mutually agreed upon studio; or, you can record using Skype or Nightcap (I prefer Nightcap) with a direct link with the audio feed. In fact, I’ve done that last option more than once when an act is in another country and can’t afford to fly me there.
CHOOSING A PRODUCER
A producer should take artists to another level––one they didn’t even know they could reach. I love being challenged myself and I try to challenge artists to be the best they can be. It’s important to establish a good rapport if you want to achieve that. I’m an artist myself so I want to do what’s best for them. In fact, I tell artists that they shouldn’t spend all their money on their record––maybe an EP will do. They should save some money for marketing, promotions and touring. Yeah, I may be undercutting my services, but I want them to succeed. Their success would reflect well on all of us.
POST-RECORDING ACTIVITIES
As a signed artist I know how important promotions and marketing are. Sometimes they can create a buzz that spikes sales or bookings. So, I talk to my clients about that, and try to help them formulate a post-recording plan. Their work isn’t done when they finish recording; it’s just beginning. In fact, 80 percent of the time new acts don’t make it to the next record. Artists should realize that if no one hears their record it doesn’t matter how great it is.
