There’s an abundance of great music coming out of Essex right now. From the ethereal otherworldly vibes of Beckie Margaret, through to the alt-pop of BLAB, via Youth Club and Indian Queens – it’s an impressive list, and one that seems to grow longer by the day. Though the music is diverse, there is a common denominator that seems to link things together: Southend-based studio, SS2 Recording, and engineer/producer, Rees Broomfield.
Tucked away on a fairly nondescript trading estate in the heart of the town, Broomfield (along with co-founders Sam Duckworth and Jay Malhotra) has gradually pieced together a studio that not only looks and sounds incredible, but has become a hive of activity – home to artists such as Duckworth and the aforementioned Beckie Margaret. I’ve been aware of Rees’ work for a long time – mainly through the sound of Youth Club, the indie pop band that he both plays drums for and co-produces. Their signature sound – if you haven’t heard it – is lean, slick, and immaculately produced pop music with a permanent eye on the summer months. If that sounds like a your thing, then you can join the 20,000-odd monthly listeners they have on Spotify. Anyway, with so much interesting stuff coming out of the studio, and a lot of it with Rees’ name on it, I’ve been keen to throw a few questions his way.
So far on the blog, I’ve spoken to musicians about what they do mainly in terms of writing. For this piece, I thought it would be a nice change to talk to somebody who not only is part of the writing, performance, and recording of music, but who also oversees much of the process for others. I spent a few days wondering whether or not I should reach out – as I’m sure there’s a pile of stuff to be mixed, tape heads to be cleaned, and surfaces to be disinfected (such is the new normal) – but eventually decided to chance my arm. As a lover of studio stories and finding out how things were/are made, I was pleased to get a yes.
(Note: as ever, my questions are in bold and Rees’ responses are in plain text).
• Hi Rees, I’ve been doing these conversations over email with musicians to find out about how they go about writing and recording, among other things. What’s interesting about you is that you’re kind of in both camps. While I wanted to discuss your work as a producer, I think it’s a good idea to start with Youth Club. What’s going on with the band at the moment?
Not many plans for Youth Club at the moment. We all have lots going on in our personal lives so are enjoying a bit of a break. Especially while all gigs are off currently.
• SS2 looks to be thriving at the moment, helped along by the fact that the music scene in Southend especially is so strong. When I visited a few years ago to see the Lucky Strikes record a live album, it looked very different. Whenever I look at photos of bands in session, or on your Instagram page, I’m just blown away by the amount of gear and the setup you’ve got there. At a time when it’s probably never been harder to run a studio, what do you think is the secret to the success?
I’m not sure there is a secret to success running a recording studio as it’s a tricky business. I think where we differ is we have really good gear and a nice big space while also coming in cheaper than many established studios in London. SS2 has been a partnership for many years now, so between the three of us we have built up good relationships with lots of artists from all over the UK. We now also have accomodation so bands can lockdown with us for longer periods without the commute.
• Could you give a little background on how SS2 came to be? I understand you run it with a couple of others – Sam and Jay. What made you get together?
I originally setup the studio back in 2015 to be able to work with some bands I was producing and also give Youth Club somewhere to rehearse and record. In 2017 Sam and Jay moved out of their studio in Hoxton and joined forces with me in Southend. This is when things really started to take shape and we are constantly growing and improving on the facilities and equipment.
• As a musician and producer, do you find yourself more drawn to engineering and the general production process or do you still get more of a kick from performance?
I would certainly say I’m more of a studio hermit but I must say I am missing performing live. Hopefully there will be some opportunities for live shows in the next couple of years.
• What got you into this line of work? Do you remember being fascinated with a certain record or a particular record producer as a kid?
I just fell into production and music in general really. I was fascinated by a friend’s drum kit when I was 7 years old and played drums and percussion from that day on. As a teenager I began getting heavily into DJing and programming which ultimately landed me with a good skill set to be able to help others with overall recording and production in my early twenties. These days I’d definitely say I’m deeper into the engineering side but can always jump into programming and beat production when it’s needed.
• Being a drummer, is groove the first thing you’re looking for in a mix? Listening through the Youth Club stuff in particular, it’s slick and dynamic, and those songs are all about the feel. How do you go about capturing that in a recording? Also, I guess, when you have a band in and it just isn’t working, is it difficult not to pick up the sticks when nobody’s looking…
Yes 100%, especially with Youth Club. I think the key to getting a good feel is to use human beings to record the instruments and partner those performances with digital production. I’ve been lucky enough to work with lots of great drummers so I really enjoy helping them achieve thier vision so don’t often feel the need to jump on the kit myself.
• I mentioned the scene in Southend at the moment. There seems to be an abundance of talent, with a lot of it filtering through your doors. I’m your opinion, what is it about the town that’s making it happen?
I think the people are what makes Southend music so exciting at the moment. Lots of locals who may have ended up with successful careers in London are starting to move back to Southend and appreciate what we have. Local label Cool Thing Records are really flying the flag for new artists from Southend and we are happy to be working with many of those artists.
• How have you managed to keep things ticking over at the studio through the lockdown period? Not just the inconvenience of not being able to have artists in, but also how have you managed to make stuff work since the rules were relaxed?
It’s certainly been a really tough period and still continues to be. We were closed for over 3 months but we utilised that time to really improve the communal areas of the building and make the whole place COVID-safe for the future. It’s now working really well and means everyone can create great recordings in the relaxed way we are used to while still being able to keep social distance and stay on top of more rigid hygiene routines.
You can find out more about SS2 Recording on Instagram, Facebook and their website.
I stood up & I said yeah 
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