Nick Launay on Recording Lou Reed, Kate Bush, Midnight Oil

Throughout the years, Nick Launay has worked with Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, PiL, Gang of Four, Lou Reed, Kate Bush, Midnight Oil, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire, INXS, Talking Heads/David Byrne, and The Band of Skulls. Here he discusses why raw sounding records take as much work as polished ones, why live albums require a different mixing approach — and why he prefers small drum rooms to big ones. And beyond all of that: the idea of capturing an enthusiastic performance.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club "Wrong Creatures" Bonus

Following the release of the new album "Wrong Creatures" by the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, the band decided to treat its fans to a cassette-only EP. "In addition to the 12 songs on the album, we had four more songs," explained producer Nick Launay.

Launay is one of today's most preferred record producers due to his success with recent albums by Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. He is among the most successful producers of the post-punk era, helming records from pivotal acts including Public Image Ltd, Talking Heads, Kate Bush, Gang of Four, Killing Joke, and The Birthday Party.

Nick Launay mixing Nick Cave

Interview with NICK LAUNAY, producer for Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Grinderman, The Cribs

"It was like [the Yeah Yeah Yeahs] deliberately didn't have a fixed plan. No rehearsals - it was all about just going in and creating."

The years have yet to dim the passion and rebellion in the heart of producer Nick Launay. Almost three decades after having first made his name in the post-punk era by helping crystallise the reactionary roar of Public Image Ltd, Birthday Party, Midnight Oil, Gang of Four and others, he's still the man to call on for wild and visceral thrills, as evidenced by recent defining records by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (USA Top 20 & UK Top 10), Nick Cave (UK, AUS & GER Top 10), Grinderman and, most recently, The Cribs (UK Top 10).

After adding former Smith Johnny Marr into the mix of mayhem surrounding The Cribs, it looks like the British band has managed to latch on to another opportunity that could skyrocket them into musical maturation; working with acclaimed producer Nick Launay on their next studio album.

With Marr now co-writing songs, the British brother band — who have quite the "cult following" in the U.K. — have test drove some of the new material for the album on a few dates of their recent, short UK tour.