Bringing Live Music into the Visual Medium - Lachy Ferris from Aperture Audio
Lachy Ferris is an audio engineer based in Pōneke, and has just finished his studies at Massey University. For his major project, he recorded four live sessions featuring a wide range of artists including Casual Healing and XELA. Studio Halfgray worked with him to produce the visual aspect of this project. We had a chat with Lachy about his motivations, goals, and exciting future developments for his brand Aperture Audio.
How did you first get interested in music?
I grew up with an older brother who was obsessed with rock music, and he converted his bedroom into a home studio - so I've always been exposed to it. One day I found an abandoned guitar in the closet, and taught myself to play and just kept experimenting and learning from there.
What made you decide to go into the audio engineering side of the industry?
It started off as me wanting to get better at recording and producing my own music, but then I found myself helping out with events and feeling my work was really valued by people in the community. A lot of inspiration for my work comes from aspiring to create similar environments to events I've been to in the past that made me fall in love with music.
For your project, what made you choose live sessions as your medium?
Well I think live music is the best kind, there is an energy you can't get any other way. I really wanted to take advantage of Massey's amazing resources while I could, and push myself to master the art of recording. Also, considering Covid and seeing cool live videos like the NPR Tiny Desk concerts and a few great videos of local bands by you, it seemed like an appropriate medium.
How did you choose your collaborators and musicians?
It was just a mix of friends and local acts I'd seen - I thought they were really worth making more accessible for people.
What do you think sets live sessions apart from studio recordings, and music videos?
The intimacy and rawness of it, it's really honest and relatable.
What have you learnt from this experience that you can take forward into the future?
Heaps and heaps. This project really pushed me to be super onto it in the studio and also how to work professionally and collaborate with others.
So, what’s on the horizon for Aperture Audio now that you’ve finished your degree?
I’ll keep saving and buying equipment, and one day I'll have the home studio up and running! I’d also love to have enough gear to host a DIY festival sometime.
Who would be your dream artist to work with in the studio/to record?
HUMMUCIDE, tehe ;)
Spoiler Alert! Thanks so much for chatting with us, we’re so stoked with how the sessions came out!