"Being in a new environment, you'll meet other talented musicians who may have different musical interests to you which can really help you develop your sound and open you up to new possibilities."
Max Russell - BA (Hons) Music (Production with Popular)
Max Russell is currently studying on our BA (Hons) Music (Production with Popular) course. He performs as a drummer in a progressive metal band called Horses in Transit who are due to release their first EP. Outside of studies, he is involved in a variety of projects as a producer and mix engineer.
What made you choose Leeds College of Music?
I chose LCoM mainly due to its reputation as a great conservatoire and friends who attended the university had recommended it. Another reason was due to the city of Leeds being a great place for music and students.
What is the most mind-blowing thing you've learned so far at
LCoM?
In one of the masterclasses with Andrew Scheps, we learned about how he mixed the Stadium Arcadium album for the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. It was really interesting to learn about how a professional mixes and learning little details about the album like how it wasn't recorded to a click and how the sound of the album was created.
Is there anything that has really made you push yourself as a musician or anything new that you've not tried before?
When first coming up to university, I wasn't listening to a lot of metal music and was more into punk music. Meeting new people and spending time with the friends that I made at university caused me to change the genre of music that I predominantly played to progressive metal. As this genre requires a high level of skill and technicality on your instrument, I have really had to push myself to be able to play some of the parts, which has really helped my overall ability as a drummer.
What projects / performances have you worked on so far in your first year?
Since starting first year, I've been working with friends on a progressive metal band called Horses In Transit, and we're currently having our first EP produced and hoping to release it after the summer. As well as this, I have been working on other projects as a producer trying to get my name out there and I work on as many projects as I can within or outside of the university.
What sort of accommodation are you living in? What advice would you give to new students about accommodation?
I am currently living in student housing owned by Unipol which is really handy as Unipol help out with all aspects of renting and are good landlords. I would advise new students to make sure they look for accommodation early so they can look through their options and pick a good place to live with affordable rent. The earlier you start looking, the better your place is going to be.
What do you get up to outside of LCoM?
Outside of LCoM, I work on a few projects as a producer and mix engineer for a few bands and solo artists to try to get my name out there as a producer.
What is the best thing about living and studying in Leeds?
As Leeds is a pretty big student city, there are always a lot of interesting and fun activities going on. There are a lot of gigs going on almost every day, and lots of great places to go on nights out.
What advice would you give to a new student about to start at LCoM in September?
Come into LCoM with an idea of what you want to get out of the university but don't have it set in stone. Being in a new environment you'll meet other talented musicians who may have different musical interests to you, which can really help you develop your sound and open you up to new possibilities.
How would you describe your experience at LCoM so far in three words?
Enjoyable, informative, exciting
Study Production with Popular at Leeds College of Music
Come to one of our Open Days
Find out more about Max Russell and Horses in Transit: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud
