Hollywood, CA – March 2018 – The indie-pop band Sister Speak chose United Recording to master its new EP “The Stand.” The album combines acoustic and electronic music into a refreshing new sound.
Sister Speak is comprised of frontwoman Sherri Anne on vocals, acoustic and electric guitar; Jacob Miranda on bass guitar; Sarven Manguiat on electric guitar, keys and vocals; Kimo Shim on percussion; and Stephen Haaker on drums.
“We set out to do an EP similar to our last album, showcasing acoustic music with new electronic elements,” said Sherri Anne. “The album’s unifying theme is individual freedom and features uplifting songs with messages of love, hope and inspiration.
Upon completion of the album, Grammy Award-winning engineer and producer Alan Sanderson recommended United Recording’s Erick Labson to master the EP. Sherri Anne recalls, “Alan informed me that Erick was the top mastering guy in Los Angeles.”
“Sherri Anne received previous masters that weren’t hitting the mark. She provided me with several reference records that she liked and I just ran with it,” recalled Labson. “She requested the tracks to be open and expansive, but also have the ability to get the listener’s attention right away. I first heard her voice through a smart phone and it didn’t sound great. It was my job to ensure the sound was incredible on any system.”
Labson added, “I first focused on her voice and used some EQ to make sure there weren’t any peaks sticking out. I also used a little bit of MS mid-side processing to keep her centered, warm and present in the mix. Finally, I made space around the vocal so that everything could breathe. The EP translates well on both small and big systems, and still keeps her voice accessible. Once I started mastering the song and increasing the sound, the vocal started dropping back into the mix, so I added a half dB to the middle channel so that she would pop out again. And, there it is.”
“Erick livened up every track and brought out the electronic elements in a way that blended beautifully with the acoustic sound. There was also a combination of pop and indie components that’s appealing to diverse audiences,” said Sherri Anne. “He was able to capture my voice without it sounding overly compressed. I’ve tested it on 20 different sound systems and there’s a warmth to it that works on all of them.”
Sister Speak released their debut album in 2014 and has toured with various artists and performed at music festivals all over the U.S. and western Canada. The band won Best Pop Award at the 2017 San Diego Music Awards.
“The Stand” was produced and recorded by Avli Avliav and is available today on iTunes. To learn more, please visit: http://www.sisterspeakmusic.com/
About United Recording
United Recording is one of the world’s most recognized music studios, with more awards than any other recording enterprise. Music produced at United has generated more than 1 billion in record sales worldwide. More info: http://www.unitedrecordingstudios.com/
Pictured in United Recording’s mastering suite are (L-R) Sister Speak’s frontwoman Sherri Anne, United Recording studio manager Rob Goodchild, and mastering engineer Erick Labson. Photo by David Goggin.