"Behind some of the world's greatest hits lies a great question: does constraint breed genius? In this Podcast Edition, Drummer Steven Gilchrist (Graham Coxon, The Damned, and Boney M) and Grammy winning engineer Liam Nolan (Rihanna, Stormzy, the Black Eyed Peas) sit down with our Host Ashea to reveal the behind-the-scenes of Adele's 'Hello,' the meticulous process behind the legendary Drumopolis project with Tony Visconti, and what it really takes to engineer records that resonate globally.

In This Episode:

• Inside the Adele 'Hello' sessions: 
• The mic chain that captured one of the biggest vocal performances of the decade (U47, Neve 1081, 1176)
• How Tony Visconti designed Drumopolis: capturing '70s legend with modern flexibility across 29 microphones
• The Decca tree, room mics, and why a tea towel on the snare matters (vintage tone with intention)
• Why recording vibe, comfort, and 'reading the room' is non-negotiable—and what that looks like in practice
• Analog vs. digital: the tape machine, commitment, and why limitations can raise the stakes for performance
• Managing expectations: why clients listening on car stereos ask for mixes that don't exist, and how to set boundaries
• Democratizing music production: why tools like Drumopolis matter beyond the studio
• Working with Rihanna, Stormzy, the Black Eyed Peas & will.i.am: lessons from sessions with global superstars

About Our Guests

Liam Nolan

Liam Nolan is a recording and mix engineer who has recently transitioned to freelance work after years at Metropolis Studios in Chiswick. Over his career, he's engineered sessions with some of the world's biggest artists, including Adele, Stormzy, Rihanna, AJ Tracey, the Black Eyed Peas, and will.i.am. He was the engineer on Adele's Grammy-winning 'Hello,' credited for his work in a writing session that became chart history. His approach prioritizes artist comfort, technical precision, and understanding the unique sonic demands of each session. He specializes in capturing vocal performances and crafting the sonic identity of records at one of the world's most legendary facilities.

Instagram: @liamjnolan | Website: mixedbyliamnolan.com

Steven Gilchrist

Steven Gilchrist is an accomplished drummer, percussionist, producer, and engineer. He's performed with legendary artists including Graham Coxon, The Damned, and Boney M. As the owner and operator of Brixton Hill Studios, he works as a session drummer, producer, and engineer. Under his name Stephen Evens, he's currently working on his fifth record, all of which (except the first) have been recorded to tape. He collaborated with Tony Visconti on the Drumopolis project for Toontrack, providing his Ludwig drum kit and his mother's Premier snare for the sound design. Steven is a strong advocate for analog recording, commitment in the studio, and the philosophy that limitation breeds creativity.

Instagram: @thestephenevens | Brixton Hill Studios: brixtonhillstudios.com

About Our Host

Ashea

Ashea is a platinum-selling songwriter, music producer, and audio engineer from the UK. Her production and mixing credits include work with Alan Walker, Holy Goof, TS7, Billy Da Kid (Kiss FM), Steve Smart (Kiss FM), The Wideboys, MER, Sony Music, 2Tone Records, BBC, and SVT1 (Sweden). Through the Production Expert Podcast, she brings industry insiders together to explore the craft, process, and philosophy behind the world's greatest records.

Website: asheamusicofficial.com Instagram: @iamashea

Featured In This Podcast: 

• Metropolis Studios: metropolisstudios.com
• Toontrack Drumopolis SDX: toontrack.com
• Brixton Hill Studios: brixtonrecording.com
• Genelec UNIO Monitoring: genelec.com/unio
• Source Elements Suite: sourceelem