Pro7ect has announced its intention to return to Brighton’s Hotel Pelirocco in 2017 for another week of musical collaboration with producer Andrew Levy taking part in the event for the second consecutive year.
Now in its fourth year, the retreat gives songwriters and artists the opportunity to work with A-list producers to write, record and produce music. These face to face collaborations with producers such as Liam Howe (Lana Del Ray/Ellie Goulding/FKA Twigs), Stew Jackson (Massive Attack/Phantom Limb) and Andrew Levy (Brand New Heavies) has already resulted in success, with a number of songs from previous events attracting attention from the international music industry.
‘Our aim is to facilitate creative retreats where songwriters, producers and musicians join forces to inspire musical collaboration,’ says Lisa Fitzgibbon, who co-founded Pro7ect with Ivor Novello nominated producer/composer Ian Wallman. ‘The benefits of collaboration are obvious – this year, for example, 14 participating songwriters and artists wrote and recorded 15 songs in four days. That level of creativity would be hard to sustain on your own, but when you get a group of like-minded people together, it is amazing to see what they can achieve.’
The Hotel Pelirocco setting lends an element of creativity to the experience. Now a by-word for those seeking seaside getaways laced with glamour and hedonism, the hotel has 19 individually themed rooms each reflecting a different aspect of Rock’n’Roll culture. Since its inception it has attracted many celebrity and music industry guests including the Happy Mondays, Primal Scream, Scissor Sisters, New Order, Chrissie Hynde and the Chemical Brothers.
For the duration of Pro7ect@The Hotel Pelirocco, four pop-up recording studios are installed at various locations around the hotel. Each is equipped with recording technology from renowned equipment manufacturers such as PMC, Focusrite/Novation, Roland and Audio-Technica. Participants work in teams led by a producer and write a track a day for four days. The teams are changed each day and the songs are either written for one of the artists in the room or to spec using tip sheets supplied by Pro7ect. Every evening there is a feedback session where teams play the result of their day’s work to the entire group.
‘This approach works really well – as can be seen by the successes we’ve had with songs written during previous Pro7ect@The Hotel Pelirocco retreats,’ Lisa Fitzgibbon says. ‘Elle Exxe is recording two of our songs on her new LP and another tack has gone to a synch option for TOWIE. A track written this year is also an option on the next Brand New Heavies album, while singer/songwriter Eddie Prove may include at least two tracks from this year’s retreat on his next album.’
‘It’s a great experience – an eye-opener and very inspirational,’ says Andrew Levy.
Pro7ect is a global network of musical professionals that facilitate creative opportunities for songwriters, producers and musicians to collaborate at residential writing retreats. We inspire musical collaboration. Pro7ect will take place to Brighton’s Hotel Pelirocco from the 12-17 March 2017
