Dominic Bailey-Clay is an in-demand producer, multi-instrumentalist, new(ish) Dad and all-round good egg (see pic). And, furthermore, he’ll be hitting things for Bike to The Future.
Solid State
Dom is one of those musician on whom many rely but of whom few are aware. He is responsible for producing some of the truly great acts to emerge from our environs and beyond. At the mixing desk, he’s an absolute legend but is also not afraid to get his hands dirty and muck-in on a multitude of instruments.
I first met Dom when he was working with local heroes Port Erin, with whose bass player I was performing in Rivers of England. We spent many a happy hour together at Glastonbury festival. Which became increasingly happy, the more I accepted the offers of shared herbal cigarettes…
Mixing it Up
Having become aware of Dom’s wizardry in the studio, I approached him to mix some tracks for my recent solo album ‘Never There at All’*. Not only did he do a blinding job, making sense of my sometimes over-complicated arrangements, he also augmented these with great session playing of his own. Replacing sampled electric guitars with real ones, layering acoustic drums on top of pre-recorded loops and dirtying-up Hammond and strings samples, Dom transformed my efforts into something way better than I could have achieved alone.
Spreading The Love
So, it was a natural step to introduce Dom to Rivers of England (with whom I play drums). He duly produced our recent EP ‘A Quarter to Eight in Spring’, with stunning results. Stand-out tracks are ‘Time Rolls On’ and Dom’s re-mix of our take on ‘Always on My Mind’. The latter has been enjoying radio play as far afield as Germany and Macedonia (no – me neither), so we’re poised for that long-awaited breakthrough!
Stage Presence
With all that behind us, it’s a joy to have Dom make a guest appearance in Bike to The Future. Dom joined me – briefly – onstage for my last Fringe show ‘Think of a Conclusion’, so he knows the ropes. He’ll be the one at the back, keeping us all on pointe and driving home the groove.
Did I Mention My Album?!
As mentioned, Dom produced my solo album ‘Never There at All’ from his wonderful studio, Nine Volt Leap, in Melksham. I can thoroughly recommend both to any musicians out there looking for a convivial recording space and a proactive producer. Dom has a terrific range of drums, synths, guitars and other instruments on-hand to enhance your performance. His studio also boasts an impressive array of vintage outboard effects, to get that unique sound you’ve been searching for.
Several songs from ‘Never There at All’ feature in ‘Bike to The Future’, so what better way to prepare yourself for the show than to grab yourself a copy? ‘And how would I do that?’ I hear you say. Well, it’s funny you should ask…
Free Download
* Just forward me your booking confirmation (to brian@madmusik.co.uk) and I’ll send you a link for the album download.
And to get your booking confirmation, you’ll need to book. Which you can do here: