Headliner Radio

Producer Andrew DeRoberts, the creative force behind rising country star Alexandra Kay’s second album, Second Wind, discusses the making of the record and the collaboration that shaped its sound. Bringing a fresh, modern edge to Kay’s country style, DeRoberts helped craft an album that has made a strong impact on the charts, with lead single Straight For The Heart achieving one of the biggest first-week country radio debuts by a solo female artist. He discusses how he balanced country authenticity with pop influences, the studio techniques that helped define Second Wind, and what it takes to create a record that connects with both audiences and radio.

Manchester soul artist Mica Millar discusses the making of her new album, A Little Bit of Me – a self-written, self-produced statement recorded at the iconic Miraval Studios in the South of France, the residential studio owned by Brad Pitt. As she enters the next chapter of her career, including a major UK and European tour, Millar reflects on finding her voice, recording at Brad Pitt’s studio, the art of producing her own vocals, and the challenges of making the difficult second album.

Blaine Harrison, lead singer of UK indie rock band Mystery Jets, discusses the making of the band’s seventh studio album, A Hole To See The Sky Through. Named after Yoko Ono’s minimalist art piece of the same name, the album features the original artwork on its cover, following special permission from Ono herself. Harrison explains why Ono’s work made such a lasting impression on him, and reflects on how Mystery Jets’ songwriting has evolved over the years. He also looks back at the band’s approach to touring, and how life on the road has changed since they first started out more than 20 years ago.

Former drummer, songwriter, studio owner and self-described “cynical recording engineer,” Dave Hetrick has built his career trying to bridge the gap between engineering obsession and commercial reality, along the way helping brands such as Event Electronics, KRK and ADAM Audio grow, evolve and ultimately reach successful exits. Now, as president and chief revenue officer of Royer Labs and Undertone Audio, he is applying those lessons to two of the most respected names in high-end recording. In this candid conversation with Headliner, Hetrick reflects on the hard lessons learned from his time at KRK, why some boutique companies succeed while others fail, how to earn trust from sceptical engineers, his upmarket product plans for Royer Labs and Undertone Audio, his goal to “un-pigeonhole” Royer Labs, and he reveals his next brand acquisition plans.

Two-time BAFTA Award-winning composer Jason Graves, whose work spans the hit games Dead Space, Tomb Raider, Until Dawn, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, and Still Wakes The Deep, delves into his score for Supermassive Games' latest cinematic survival horror adventure, Directive 8020. He explores his thinking behind the deceptively simple three-note motif at the heart of the soundtrack, crafting unsettling musical textures, and shares how Cubase helped bring the game's evolving sonic world to life.