The Cranberries were one of the most successful groups to emerge from the U.K. indie scene of the early '90s. Combining Noel Hogan’s shimmering guitars with the Celtic lilt of vocalist Dolores O'Riordan, they enjoyed a string of international hits that, for many, helped define the era.
When The Cranberries were recording their five multi-platinum albums, it turns out that Noel Hogan was taking notes. “I used to love watching Stephen Street and Bruce Fairbairn working away at the mixing-desk and thought, ‘If I ever get the chance to do some production myself, I’ll grab it,” says the guitarist who, lest we forget, co-authored such chart-conquering hits as ‘Linger’, ‘Dreams’ and ‘Zombie’.
The opportunity Noel was looking for presented itself in 2003 when, after nearly 13 years of non-stop touring and recording, The Cranberries decided to take an extended career break. Inspired by the aforementioned A-List producers, he converted one of the rooms in his Limerick, Ireland home into a studio. “It was like going back to school in that I had to figure out how all this shiny new equipment worked,” he laughs. “I’d learned a lot making the Cranberries records, but there were gaps in my technical knowledge that I just had to get a book and read up on.”
Noel was obviously a fast learner because within a few months of opening a Pro Tools manual – “Now that was bloody scary!” – he was assembling what became the Monoband album with XTC and Alabama 3 programmer Matt Vaughan. Feted for not only its great songs, but also its spirit of sonic adventure – “There were no rules, or formula, just what sounded good” – it paved the way for what now five years later is a thriving studio set-up.
“Being a musician myself, I know that the recording process can be intimidating, so I try and demystify it a bit and make bands feel comfortable,” Noel reflects. “That said, there are times when they need to be pushed and taken out of their comfort zone in order for a song to realize its full potential. You’re as much a psychologist as you are a producer!”
Those who’ve benefited from this philosophy include Limerick’s Supermodel Twins; Mullingar rockers, The Aftermath; and Reema, a Cork band who are currently assembling their debut album with Noel who’s also diversified into mixing and running his own Gohan Records imprint. Noel has been fortunate in being able to call on the services of Cenzo Townshend, the legendary British engineer whose CV includes New Order, Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party and Babyshambles. “Cenzo is a friend of (producer) Stephen Street’s who’s helped a lot with the setting up of the studio, and is my ‘go-to guy’ when I need to know anything about sound.”
“Being part of The Cranberries was amazing, and it’s possible that we’ll do something together again in the future, but I’m getting just as big a buzz from my production work and am really looking forward to all the different projects I’ve got coming up.”
Check out the exclussive "Zombie" preset for GTR3
www.gohanrecords.com
