December 2024: Steve Maggiora & Kim Melville - Mars

This was my submission for the 2024 ‘Produce Like A Pro’ production contest. The artists provided lead and background vocal tracks as well as a piano track. I added acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, drums and a string section for the first chorus. The piano and chord progression reminded me of November Rain in parts and inspired the rain sample at the start and the first drum fill.

The instrumentation has been kept straight forward and organic sounding (even with the strings and drums that were created using samples), which to my ear felt most appropriate given the feel of the song and the nature of the vocal performances.

The vocals remain front and centre throughout. Having said that, there is a rise through the whole song that peaks just before the end where it all goes back to just piano, vocals and a hint of acoustic guitar.

I focussed on trying to accentuate the emotion of the song rather than adding random bits of production. As such, it provides a good representation of what you could expect given an opportunity to work with you.