Nick Launay shares his idea about what's important for a good production and mix: the mood and the feeling of the track and the performance. He will select and use specific mixing processors like reverbs or delays specifically with the intention to augment the emotional idea of the track. He also stresses, that in his opinion, the performance with the best emotion and mood should be preferred over the one that might be more accurate from a technical perspective.
Nick Launay's approach to production and mixing is deeply rooted in capturing and enhancing the mood and emotional essence of a song. He particularly emphasizes this for his work with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, underscoring that mood is often the most vital aspect of record-making. This involves not only understanding the mood intended by the songwriter but also exaggerating it through strategic choices in overdubs, reverbs, and other tonal elements to evoke different feelings.
Launay stresses the significance of selecting takes based on the mood and feeling they convey, often favoring those over technically perfect performances. He observes that takes with slight imperfections or tempo variations can sometimes enhance a track's emotional impact. Some of the most impactful recordings that he has made are those with inaccuracies and mistakes, because they add to a record's charm.
Launay's advice to record makers, particularly those working with rock bands, is to prioritize capturing the mood, feeling, and character of the musicians and their chemistry. This focus on emotional authenticity over technical perfection is what he believes makes music truly move people.