Morning Metal: Interview with Pebble Studios’ Cory Bergeron
Mr. Bergeron! The man behind the board who has created some of Ottawa’s best records.
What drew you to audio engineering?
I started playing several instruments at a young age, and it finally got to a point where I wanted to record what I was playing to show to my friends. Luckily, my Father had a simple home recording set-up, so he taught most of what he knew. I had no idea what I was getting into.
Who was your first artist that you recorded professionally?
The first artist that I recorded professionally (and by professionally, I mean out of several basements, including my parent’s) was Old Rules. For some reason, they trusted me to record their Blurred EP when I was fresh out of school. The project took forever, but all in all, I think everyone was happy with the way it turned out.
Out of all the projects you’ve taken on, what would you say has been the most challenging?
In what aspects made it so challenging?
Every project I record has its own unique set of challenges. With that being said, it’s hard to pinpoint one specific project that’s been more challenging than others. A lot of challenges that occurred can usually be addressed in the pre-production stage, but most bands tend to neglect it. I’ve quickly learned to ask as many questions as possible before the recording process to make sure everyone is on the same page.
One re-occurring challenge is: unrealistic deadlines. These deadlines are sometimes set by myself, or set by the artist. I take every project incredibly seriously. I want to give 110% into everything I do, but I’ve realized I’m only human. Great things take time. If you limit the amount of time and creativity you spend on your project, you’re limiting the potential of the final product.
For bands in and around Ottawa, where can they check out some samples of your work?
My co-workers and I currently touching up the Pebble Studios website. My worked will be posted there soon enough.
Here are a few samples for right now;
PINE – you bury me
Old Rules – Blurred EP
The Lionyls – “Get Down Santa”
(L-R, Robbie, Sean, Anto, Cory, Mike, Zach and Alex; December 2014)
I get the impression you and the Lionyls were meant to work together.
What has it been like working with them?
Are you working with them for any new releases (that you could tell us, of course!)
The Lionyls and I are basically family. I’ve seen them grow as musicians and as people, and they’ve seen me grow as a producer and as a human being. Working with them is always an absolute pleasure. They are some of the best and hardest working Musicians/Performers in the city. I honestly believe nothing can stop them from achieving what they want to do. Recording an act like The Lionyls makes you remember why you go into the industry in the first place. Needless to say, they are a class act.
We may have a couple things in the works, but there isn’t much I’m allowed to discuss. Catch them at their next show and maybe they can tell you what’s going on. 😉
If you could work on one project, past, present or future, who would you choose and why?
If you could work with another producer, who would you choose?
I would absolutely love working with the band Brand New. They’re one of my favourite bands because of their songwriting and production style. I could go into detail for pages about what I appreciate about them as Musicians, but I’d just recommend listening to their discography.
If I could work with any Producer, it would be Sam Pura. He is the man. Everything he touches becomes sonic gold. He lives and breaths his craft day in and day out. He is as passionate as any human could ever be about audio. I would love to talk to him about his production philosophies and I’d love to shadow him during a session. He is proof, that if you work hard, you can achieve great things. Again, Sam Pura is the man.
Do you have any upcoming work that we should keep a look out for?
The studio schedule is almost book up until March. I have a lot of extremely cool things that will be released in the next month or two. All I can say is, stay tuned!
For booking inquiries, studio prices and more – how can bands get in touch with you?
If you wish to inquire about booking a session or taking a tour of Pebble Studios, send me an email at cory@pebblestudios.com.
Thanks again, dude!
My pleasure!
Check out Pebble Studios’ past history of clients, gear & more by clicking here!
James Rockso – Host of CKCU 93.1 FM’s Morning Metal & Music Publicist at Dark Matter Relations