Congratulations to B&B Studios who has been nominated in Production Award: Recording Studio of the Year in the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2024. Vote for B&B Studios now!. It’s going to be another great night at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards on Saturday 30th November in Inverness Leisure. Why not join us for a brilliant night of music and awards. Buy a ticket here.
We asked Richard of B&B Studios the following questions.
Tell us about yourself
I’m Richard Werner, owner of B&B Studios, and I have been playing, recording and producing in the studio for an unbelievable 23 years.
I created B&B Studios to record soloists, bands and small ensembles, and to bring projects right through the mixing and mastering stages, to create brilliant productions.
I began sound engineering back in 2001 at that well known studio that was Pierhouse Studios, as assistant to Peter Haigh, then left in 2007 to start B&B Studios, in Edinburgh, which I continue to operate to this day, and is the very subject of this nomination.
I play drums, percussion and keyboards, have a knack of making unique tools for the studio, and make a mean cup of coffee too. I enjoy all aspects of the studio process, from demoing and musical brainstorming, right up to creating the final master.
I’m ably supported by my wonderful wife Louisa, and we have two young girls, who are both at the start of their musical adventure.
Why are you involved in Scottish music?
I came to Scottish music via an interesting path, I studied Popular Music to degree level, but started work at Pierhouse Studios in concurrence with my studies. Martyn Bennett’s eponymous ‘Grit’ had just come out, of which I was a massive fan; that album was perhaps the gateway for me into our scene, and simultaneously I was flung in at the deep end as assistant engineer on Linn records’ The Compete Songs of Robert Burns’, vols 10 – 12, with the inimitable Fred Freeman. Needless to say, I met a veritable ‘who’s who’ of recording artists at the time, remain good friends with many, and I’ve developed a sustainable career from those wonderful early encounters.
One chap I met, and totally hit it off with, is one of my best friends, the living legend whom is Sandy Brechin. Sandy went on to establish Brechin – All – Records in the noughties, and I’ve been involved in creating the bulk of his label’s back catalogue. To this day, Sandy keeps me busy working with old friends and new, with something like four albums on the go just now, mixed in with ceilidhs, copious amounts of camaraderie and industrial amounts of coffee!
Aren’t we so lucky to have such a rich seam of talented people in Scotland? The friendships I’ve made, and the astonishing projects I’ve been involved in over the years all add up to exactly why I can’t see myself doing anything else but be involved in Scottish music!
B&B Studios has become something of a hub in Edinburgh to create wonderful recordings, and it's somewhat become my role now to nourish and maintain the studio, so I can continue to provide my production support to the industry.
Any particular career highlights?
Back in the midsts of time, I met an inspiring songwriter, radio presenter and producer, known to us all as Frieda Morrison. She had this great dream of producing an hour long magazine style show, presented entirely in Scots, called Scots Radio. Over a decade later and well over 100 programmes in, we continue to make this gem of a show, which brings to our attention all the wonderful things going on in our fair country, whilst showcasing our brilliant music. That’s like a perpetual highlight, every one we make is interesting, no two are the same and the production can certainly keep me on my toes, as we fly in guests virtually over the internet, sometimes have guests live in the studio and all whilst handling pre-recorded interviews and music in real time. Great fun!
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Phil Smillie from the Tannahill Weavers on a couple of albums, most recently Solstice, which is just out in time for Christmas and is a seasonally themed album. It was so much fun to make and play on, even if I did a lot of the work in the height of summer!
Working with Fred Freeman on countless albums, Tannahill 1 to 4, the two Hamish Henderson tribute albums, the Borders series, The Complete Songs of Robert Burns to name a few.
Making albums with Steve Byrne, his own Songs from Home, Mark Dunlop’s solo album, Scott’s Sangs, the minstrelsy of the Borders, two albums with Irish singer Francy Devine and an unforgettable trip to Dublin.
Countless epic encounters with Frank McLaughlin, recording his duet with Stewart Hardy and mixing A Scot’s Chorus featuring Mick West to name but a few.
Recording with Sandy Brechin, Christopher Bång and Jimmy Johanssen for a week in the middle of the beautiful Swedish Countryside.
I’ve made some truly terrific recordings with Marc Duff producing, he’s always awesome to have in the studio, on both sides of the glass.
And how about North Sea Gas? I’ve been involved with them on every album bar one this century! I almost feel like I’m part of that band, we have such a great time making music.
Making incredible fusion music with Tam Fergusson of Jacob’s Pillow and Pictism, and handling the Scottish element for The Ramstampit’s debut album, a high energy punk / folk crossover band, with pipes, whistles, fiddles and accordion meeting high energy drums, bass, guitars and in your face, deftly written vocals from front man Iain Kilgallon.
I’ve recorded the Proclaimers, twice. That was absolutely epic.
And here’s to those groups and artists who come in and smash an album live, sometimes in a day. No fussing with post production, just raw, live performance. I like that. Super rehearsed and ready to go, confident. Gill Bowman is expert at it. The lads from Skelpt excel at it. Cameron Fraser and his band Boulder Fields were the same, and the whole thing going down live can really just take your breath away.
But I suppose the biggest of all for me must be the fact that I help to produce recordings, which are really records of performances in time, of exquisite musicianship. We capture these moments in time, performances of pure brilliance, never to be repeated. I think of our true legends, those who are no longer with us, that I have had the utmost pleasure of putting in front of microphones and capturing their unique talent for ever more. Jim Reid, John Croall, Lionel McLelland and Rise Kagona, one of the original Bhundu Boys, are but a few.
Dougie MacDougall, an absolute legend on the button box, I came up with Sandy Brechin and friends to record him at his home in Inverness. I was so lucky to make recordings for Ian Green, and be a part of his amazing world. Rod Paterson was in the studio with me only at the start of the year, he came in to produce his ultimate album, his swansong, with his band Bring In The Spirit. We knew it would be his last, and indeed said goodbye for the last time not long after. I think those are the real highlights, if I can call it that; being entrusted with preserving their legacy for evermore.
What are your plans for the future?
Recording and production is so interesting. The fundamentals remain the same, yet there are always unique aspects of projects to overcome, new problems to solve, new sounds to be discovered and new people to meet and make great music with. And I’ve got a never ending pile of audio circuits and components I’m trying to turn into the next fun tool to use in the studio, so I’ll be cracking on with them at some point!
I’m so, so enthused with the younger generation coming up, recently I’ve been working with Jared and Rianna Muir, aka Binky Blue, who fuse electronica with home grown trad tunes, and Ragin’ Ceilidh Band; Cameron Nixon, Cavan Rogers and Steven Stark, who have a unique approach to making progressive, interesting yet easily accessible ceilidh music. I loved having Lewis McLaughlin learning studio techniques with me and be my assistant for a while, until he went to pursue and develop his own unique, beautiful songcrafting farther. I’ve been working with Magnus Turpie, a talented multi – instrumentalist and top notch button box player, with a dry sense of humour much like my own! I just love seeing the next generations come up, and my plans include nurturing them and help them to make amazing recordings.
I’ve recently been involved with creating the audios for a computer game called The Protagonish, by College Fun Games. I recorded the actor’s voices, of which I was one, and also had a big hand in developing the original music for the game. I’d absolutely love to do more of that.
Yes, I’ll never be far from B&B studios. I’m really just planning on being there to be honest, continuing to make some great recordings with you all for as long as I can!
B&B Studios Social Media
Website: https://www.facebook.com/bassandbrilliance
Facebook: @B & B Studios Edinburgh
Twitter: @
Instagram: @bandbrecordingstudios
YouTube: @BandBrecordingStudios
TikTok: @
The 2024 MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards are on the 30th November 2024 in Inverness Leisure Centre! You will be able to watch it live in person (buy a ticket here). Watch it live in the UK at 9pm (GMT) on BBC ALBA and and around the world here. Bands performing on Saturday 30th November include Julie Fowlis, Skipinnish, Laura Wilkie and Ian Carr, Highland Young Musicians and Arc Fiddlers, An Dannsa Dub, BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award winner 2024 Calum McIlroy and more!
If you would like to support Hands Up for Trad in their work with Scottish trad music and musicians why not become a friend of Hands Up for Trad. In addition to our high profile events like the Scots Trad Music Awards, we also deliver a less well known, education programme for young people from 8yrs right through to young adults at the start of their careers. Read more here.
