Picture: Chycki jamming out on Alex Lifeson's white Gibson ES-355 (Allaire Studios, near Woodstock, NY)

BW&BK; recently caught up with Canadian producer Richard Chycki, who boasts a discography that includes RUSH, Mick Jagger, AEROSMITH, Kid Rock and DREAM THEATER vocalist James LaBrie to name only a few. The following is an excerpt from the story, with Chycki discussing his recent work with Rush and Toronto-based all female indie act SCARLET SINS:

Conversation turns to Chycki’s exploits at home in the rock and metal community. Earlier this year he took on two very different projects in terms of scope: legendary icons Rush and their new album Snakes & Arrows on one side, the debut album from up-and-coming all female act Scarlet Sins on the other.

“I recorded and mixed Snakes & Arrows, Nick Raskulinecz produced it,” Chycki says of his latest Rush experience. “We both had a common goal to make a modern yet more vintage sounding Rush CD so it was a very complementary relationship. Nick’s an accomplished engineer in his own right having worked with the Foo Fighters, so I very much respect the trust he put in me. Regardless of which band I’m working with, I never feel like my gig is just a job. I’m not the weekend nightshift boy at 7-11 so I’m very grateful. But I will say that in between all the listening and meter watching, once in a while you look up and see Geddy riffing out and the thought crosses your mind – ‘Holy Fuck! I’m recording Rush!’”

Chycki’s involvent with Scarlet Sins album came as a surprise to many people given that – with all due respect to the ladies – the band is a small time unsigned act. He was hardly slumming it by any means, but when your discography boasts international million selling albums you certainly don’t have to take on smaller projects. On top of that, the girls have gone on record saying Chycki initially refused to work with them because he “hated” their original demo.

“Anyone that hears the Sins CD can’t believe it’s a bunch of girls,” says Chycki, who is quite proud of the record. “That’s such a stereotype, isn’t it? Really, they’re simply a solid, energetic band with good songwriting. Given that they rock and don’t need to play the overt sex card at all. They’re an obvious marketing dream for a label with any A&R; foresight and that’s certainly reflected in the head-turning within the industry going on for them right now. For the record, I didn’t hate the material, the demo just didn’t sell me and I was in the middle of a Rush project at the time. I was asked to come down to their rehearsal space and listen to the band there. They sounded nothing like their demo and I could hear the potential much better in person. They were so freakin’ nervous … kinda funny really!”
“About working with indie bands, one of the things I didn’t have early in my career as a musician was a mentor. Having no roadmap and no access to proliferating technology like MySpace was quite a frustration back then. So, this is my way of giving back. I get personal gratification from taking good people with a quality band that has caught my attention, putting it together, kicking it up a bunch of notches and helping them knock the ball out of the park. It’s a karma thing.”

Go to this location for the complete story.

For more information on Chycki and his work go to www.richardchycki.com and www.myspace.com/richardchycki.