Eve Nelson

By Alex Teitz

   Women in the studio should not be rare. One of the most knowing and driven producers is Eve Nelson. Nelson began as singer-songwriter but came into the studio working with such greats as Donna Summer and Angela Bofill. In 1994 she joined forces with Bernadette O’Reilly to form Nelson O’Reilly Productions. Nelson O’Reilly’s first success came with a young artist by the name of Billy Crawford. These days Eve Nelson can be found working with Willa Ford on her CD Willa Was Here, both as a producer and co-writer. Nelson has also worked with Heather Nova, and the late Eva Cassidy. She is also the producer for the soundtrack to the new movie Serendipity.

EN: Well it really varies depending on what kind of song I’m writing. For instance if I’m writing for a younger pop artist such as a Willa Ford, I usually come up with a track, several tracks and several melody ideas and I collaborate with the artist to get an perspective of what they want to say. ‘Cause I’m not twenty. That’s what I do when I’m doing pop.
When I’m sitting down and writing something from my heart like for Eva Cassidy that’s just sitting at the piano, either alone, or with another person and letting something come up. Whether it’s out of my own life, or someone else’s life. I grab inspiration from everything. It really does depend on what kind of song I’m writing on whether it’s a project or whether I’m just sitting down to write.

FEMMUSIC: What is the biggest challenge producing an album?

EN: I think it is very challenging to find great talent. That’s very challenging. It’s also very challenging to be in sync with record companies because there are so many chefs in the kitchen, if you know what I mean? I think that would be our challenge. Everything else is actually very fluid. The creative process is wonderful. It’s the legal stuff. For working with a young kid we have to do very complicated contracts and court ratification. So I think more of the challenges are on a business level not on a creative level.

FEMMUSIC: What is the best experience producing an album?

EN: Um (thinking) My best experience? There have been several so far. I think my best experiences thus far when I was starting out. When everything was new and how wonderful it is. I think working with Donna Summer on one of her records, Mistaken Identity, that was one of my best experiences just because it was my first and also she’s such a mega-talent.
Some of my other great experiences are just the process of writing. I think that is, to me, the most when I’m connected with an artist. I loved working with Heather Nova who I just worked on with Bryan Adams. I co-produced something for Heather Nova. It’s really hard to choose. I take something away with each experience. There’s no doubt at the beginning when you’re kind of more virgin at everything it does have an element of excitement that you don’t lose (laughing) as you go on but the newest of the artists I worked with such as Donna Summer and Angela Bofill in the early, early days was very exciting for me.

FEMMUSIC: As a woman in the music industry have you been discriminated against?

EN: Well that’s really an interesting one, and I get asked that question by every interviewer. I myself was never aware that it was unusual to be a female record producer until I had record executives calling me going, “Wow! You’re a woman.” (laughing) Uh, YEAH.
Then I realized, I don’t know if I’ve been discriminated against. Maybe I have and I don’t know it. I tend to work really great with females, not that I don’t work great with males as well but because I sing as well I have a deep connection with female vocalists. I think they’re so used to feeling dominated in a sense, at least this is what I’ve been told by them. I’m not making this up. They love the idea of working with a woman. I think it makes them feel a little more equal….But I don’t know if I’ve been discriminated against and maybe I have and I don’t know it. I have had record executives call and go, “So you’re a woman. I need to meet you.”
I’m like “Alright!” We can do this too you know. I do have to say that it has made me stretch more. I am a jack-of-all-trades. I program the stuff. I play the stuff. I engineer the stuff. I mix the stuff. Where as a lot of producers have a lot of different people doing all this stuff; I kind of learned how to do it all. I don’t know if I did that because it’s harder to be a woman. Maybe I did, you know?

FEMMUSIC: What one thing would you like to change about the music industry?

EN: Wow. I would love to change, this is probably every artist’s comment, I would just like for people to really start concentrating on putting more meaning into art and putting more meaning into music. I would love, even though I’m a victim of it so It’s a little hypocritical, the constant exploitation of sugar pop and the constant jumping on a success. I wish it was viewed, maybe it takes a war to do this like what’s going on with us now, I don’t know. We really need to start to take art more seriously. If we’re going to spend $3-400,000 on a video really make sure that’s it a great song as well as something you’re going to make a lot of money on. I think there needs to be more said out there because we’ve become a disposable society I think the music business has become very disposable as well. So I would like to see turnaround.

FEMMUSIC: Who are your favorite artists?

EN: Oh God. I well to tend to gravitate to the older…I’m a great lover of Carole King and Stevie Wonder. Those are two of my favorites. I’m a great lover of modern day artists such as Sting, and Sarah McLachlin. I love music from so many different eras, but on a pop level those are some of them. You need more? (laugh)

FEMMUSIC: Do you have a preference between digital or analog?

EN: I like to use both. I very much see the necessity for digital in today’s world. It’s very important. I use both. I mix on ProTools, I have analog desks, lot of analog outboard gear that I put things through. Old compressors and stuff like that but I do love the combination of both. I’m not a big, big fan of strictly digital. I like when there’s some analog in there.

FEMMUSIC: What do you think the analog adds?

EN: Warmth, humanness, feel without a doubt.

FEMMUSIC: What was the initial vision of Nelson-O’Reilly Productions, and how has that changed over time?

EN: I think Bernadette (O’Reilly), my business partner, really had the vision, believe it or not, more than myself. I don’t think I necessarily had a vision until we discovered Billy Crawford and signed him and developed a young talent ’cause we had never done that. I had been…for the part had been content doing a production here and there on several different albums. Once we signed this young man our vision became let’s develop young talent or talent as we see it come along. I don’t necessarily [think] that we were looking to compete with giant production companies that sign a million artists a year. I think we really just wanted to very boutiquey, work both in accordance with production deals and as me just as a producer working with various artists such as Willa (Ford) and Billy (Crawford) and Heather (Nova) and these people I’ve been working with. I think our vision at this point is we would like to put out some great music, and have a good time doing it and reap the rewards of it. We don’t necessarily want to be a factory. We want have unique, interesting but yet sellable talent.

FEMMUSIC: What advice would you give to someone who like to become a producer?

EN: I would suggest they really suggest that they look into all aspects of music. I think it’s very important to be well rounded these days. I think it’s changed very much from years ago when you could come in and hire everyone and just oversee it. I think these days you really have to get your hands dirty. I would suggest that they learn an instrument. I think that’s incredibly important. Any instrument, especially guitar or piano. To definitely get familiar with electronic equipment as soon as possible whether it’s just a little 4-Track system, 8-Track system, ProTools what have you. To get knowledgeable on recording and to get knowledgeable on a musical level. I think is really two of the most important things in being as producer.