WCA #500 with Catherine Marks - From Architect to Producer, Fearlessness, Supportive Mentors, Managing Creative Conflicts, and Capturing the Immediacy of a Moment

My guest today is Grammy-winning London-based producer and mixer Catherine Marks, who has worked on projects for boygenius, Wolf Alice, and The Mysterines.   In this episode, we discuss Upbringing in Australia Early exposure to music through parents' record collection Participation in a Yamaha piano course at an all-girls school Development of interest in songwriting and record production Studying architecture at the University of Melbourne Taking a year out to work in Dublin Introduction to Dublin's music Immersion in live music and DJ nights in Dublin Discovery of interest in music production and reverb Transition from architecture degree to music production career Learning about music production while working for Flood Recording a song with Elastica, gaining Flood's attention Fearlessness and willingness to take opportunities Early advice from her father and Support from the Dublin community Early experiences in the studio, Multitasking in various roles Learning via observing, asking questions, and reading manuals Development of skills and studio efficiency Mentorship from Alan Moulder Working with producers like Dmitry Tikovoy, Ben Hillier, and Flood Importance of capturing the immediacy of a moment over technical perfection Discipline to let go of awareness and move forward in projects Managing creative conflicts and rising from unknown engineer to sought-after producer Establishing connections with key individuals in the music industry Importance of mutual understanding and communication in the recording process Working with Alan Moulder and Flood, enhancing her career Mutual respect and high expectations foster professional growth Importance of enjoying projects and respecting colleagues Prioritizing a balanced lifestyle over immediate success Pressure to maintain career momentum and need for self-care to prevent burnout Consistent commitment and passion for work Experiences and reflections on winning a Grammy award Highs and lows of industry recognition Challenges of being away for extended periods during album work Anticipation for future projects and collaborations Matt's Rant: 500 Episodes and Pressing On Links and Show Notes Catherine's Site Catherine on Instagram Credits Guest: Catherine Marks Host: Matt Boudreau Engineer: Matt Boudreau Producer: Matt Boudreau Editing: Anne-Marie Pleau  WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell  Announcer: Chuck Smith