Interview With Songwriter & Solo Artist Terry Gilbey
In this interview, Terry Gilbey discusses his debut album The Reading, the gear and creative processes behind his unique sound, future musical projects, and more.

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Terry Gilbey, a talented solo recording artist based in Cambridge, UK, whose debut album, The Reading, is an eclectic blend of Alternative, Indie Rock, and Psychedelic Rock. Released in November 2022, the album showcases Terry's unique approach to music, blending genres and moods into a cohesive and engaging listening experience. With influences ranging from The Beatles to Grizzly Bear, Terry's work reflects a deep appreciation for diverse musical styles.
In our interview, we explored Terry's journey into music, from his early influences and gear choices to his creative process and the production techniques behind his tracks. We delved into how his gear, contributes to his distinctive sound, as well as his thoughts on balancing traditional instruments with digital sounds in his recordings, insights into his upcoming projects and more.
Can you tell us about your journey into music and what inspired you to become a solo recording artist?
My parents used to leave a radio on under my cot when I was a baby, so I guess that is probably where my love for music came from. My grandad had a collection of records from the 50s and 60s that he shared with me and an organ which I used to play every time I visited him as a child.
In my early teens I was in the school choir until my voice broke at which point I discovered The Beatles and decided to buy an electric guitar and learnt to play that. I was in a band until my early twenties and played a few gigs, but unfortunately, work and study meant that we drifted away from each other both geographically and in terms of music taste.
My life became busy with other things including family and a demanding job and therefore it was easier for me to become a solo recording artist rather than trying to co-ordinate availability with other musicians in a band. Working by myself enables me to let ideas come to me naturally to develop into songs rather than the pressure of coming up with something at a specific point in time. It feels less forced and constrained, and more natural.
Your debut album, "The Reading," features a variety of genres. How do you approach blending different styles, and what influences your musical direction?
I generally find it difficult to assign my music to a particular genre as I don’t set out to write a song in a particular genre, songs just come to me in whatever form they present themselves in and I try to retain that initial feeling as best I can. In truth, my music probably runs along the boundaries between the genres rather than laying at the extreme end of any of them. This includes the boundaries between indie rock, folk rock, alternative, psychedelic rock and post-punk. In addition to avoiding the extremities, the album is held together as a piece of work by common elements such as my vocals, certain sounds and effects, mood, atmosphere, storytelling, and the way the tracks tend to develop in complexity as they progress.
My musical direction is influenced by the setting that I am in when songs come into my head, the instruments available to me, and the influence of other artists who I have listened to over the years. In terms of settings influencing particular tracks this could be sitting in a park in Spring watching blossom falling from cherry trees (Blossom); lingering behind on a family walk along a windy remote coastline listening to the sea and gulls in solitude (The Hermit); a spooky candlelit Halloween night (The Reaper); or waking from a dark and strange dream and composing a song on grand piano in an empty hall (Noir).
In terms of other artists who will have influenced me this would include The Beatles, The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Mission, Gary Numan, Pink Floyd and Roy Harper, Midlake, Grizzly Bear, The Black Angels and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. However, I listen to quite a broad range of music and therefore I’m sure there are other artists who influence my music subconsciously.
You mentioned using Presonus Studio One as your DAW. What features of this software do you find most beneficial for your recording process?
I’ve used a couple of other DAWs briefly in the past, but I found Presonus Studio One to have a great balance between being user-friendly and its range of features, instruments and effects.
To be honest, I’m more of a songwriter than a technically gifted guitar player and therefore having the ability to record multiple takes and choose those without errors is probably the feature that I find most useful, but I guess that feature is available in other DAWs too.
Your primary bass guitars are the Aria Pro II and Squier Jaguar short scale. How do these instruments influence the sound and feel of your tracks?
The Aria Pro II has an active pickup selection on it that gives it a nice bright tone whilst still retaining depth. This bass did become a bit temperamental though, so on some of the tracks that I recorded later in the process I switched to using my son’s Squier Jaguar short-scale bass instead and found that I was able to achieve the sound I wanted still with that but it was more fun to play.
I don’t set out to write a song in a particular genre, songs just come to me in whatever form they present themselves in and I try to retain that initial feeling as best I can
The Rickenbacker 330 fireglo and Squire Strat are iconic guitars. What made you choose these models, and how do they contribute to your music's unique tone?
The Squire Strat was my first proper guitar after upgrading from a couple of cheap guitars, I chose a Strat because I had read that it was quite versatile, which indeed it has been over the years. I had a choice between two models one with a rosewood fretboard and the one which I chose which had a maple fretboard. I should have tried them both out as although the maple fretboard looked shiny and potentially easier to glide up and down on than the rosewood fretboard, I subsequently found the opposite to be true.
Having been a huge Beatles fan I had always wanted a Rickenbacker and for years whenever I passed a music shop, I would pop in to see if there was a 330 that I could have a play on, never thinking that I would be able to own one myself. However, my relatives clubbed together and bought me one for my birthday, so where I can I tend to use this. The frets seem to be closer together than on some other guitars at the body end and my fingers aren’t the longest, so I find it easier to play. In terms of tone, the controls enable me to control the blend of different tones on each pickup, and I feel it’s a great guitar for riffs and picking around chords.
You will also notice an acoustic guitar on a couple of my tracks (Bombing Campaigns and The Hermit) this is my Ovation Celebrity 12-string electro-acoustic which comes in handy for when I need a completely different sound/tone.
For keyboards, you use a Roland EM-10 for initial work and DAW sounds for recording. Can you explain how you integrate these tools into your compositions?
I work out my keyboard parts on the Roland EM-10 because it’s easier to play and doesn’t require me to fire up my PC, but the range of sounds on it is limited when compared to the DAW and therefore when it comes to recording, I create an instrument midi track on the DAW instead.
I haven’t found a way to use the EM-10 as a midi controller in Studio One yet, but my experience using external midi controllers in the past hasn’t been great in terms of latency issues, so it hasn’t been high on my agenda.
The Shure SM58 is a classic microphone. What qualities of the SM58 make it your go-to mic for recording vocals or instruments?
I wanted a mic that I could use for both performing live and recording, and the versatility of the Shure SM58 LC means that I can use it in both situations.
Working by myself enables me to let ideas come to me naturally to develop into songs rather than the pressure of coming up with something at a specific point in time
Do you have any particular techniques or settings you prefer when recording your guitars and bass to capture the best sound?
In terms of techniques, I connect the output from my effects units into my PC via a Behringer mixer which I can use to control levels, EQ and compression.
In terms of settings, I love chorus and reverb on both guitar and bass. I also like a bit of overdrive but I tend to avoid very heavy distortion settings, particularly when strumming.
How do you approach using digital sounds from the DAW versus traditional instruments in your music production?
Usually, the first thing I do when recording a track is to create a midi drum track. Then I record the bass and main guitar tracks by plugging them into whatever effects unit I’m using and from there into a Behringer mixer and then finally into the line in socket on my PC to record on an audio track in the DAW.
I usually record the vocals next in a similar way via the mixer. After that, I add any additional guitar overlays via the mixer, create midi tracks for other instruments such as strings, brass, synths, etc, and any changes needed to the drum track. I then apply any DAW effects that I need.
The one exception to this is (A Song) which is an old song of mine that I had recorded on an old Fostex multi-track tape system. With this, I captured it as a single audio track in the DAW to retain the original feel of the track.
Are there any pieces of gear or software you’re currently experimenting with or hoping to incorporate into your future projects?
I recently bought an Ibanez SDGR 5-string bass that I have started using instead of my son’s bass, so I am currently recording a track with that. Having that extra string provides the opportunity to reach even lower notes.
I also bought a transducer for my wife’s violin and therefore I would like to fit that at some point and see what it sounds like playing that through my guitar multi-effects unit.
What can listeners expect from you in the future? Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations we should look forward to?
Having spent most of my life listening to albums on vinyl my dream was to release an album myself which I have done now. However, it appears that the “way to go” for indie artists such as myself nowadays on streaming platforms is to release singles.
I have therefore been working on a single which I hope to start mixing and mastering soon. It’s a bit faster and rockier than anything off my debut album, but again nothing too extreme. In the meantime, I would be grateful if your readers could listen to my album, which is available on all the usual streaming platforms. Having other people appreciate your music is just the best feeling...
Connect with Terry Gilbey
Bandcamp / X / Instagram / Facebook / Spotify / YouTube
Listen to 'The Reading'
Stay tuned for more from Terry Gilbey as he continues to craft unique sounds and share his musical journey. Don't miss his upcoming releases and dive into The Reading on your favorite streaming platform!

About Chris Roditis
Chris Roditis has been an active musician since 1995 in various bands and projects across a variety of genres ranging from acoustic, electronic to nu metal, british rock and trip hop. He has extensive experience as a mixing engineer and producer and has built recording studios for most of the projects he has been involved with. His passion for music steered his entrepreneurial skills into founding MusicNGear in 2012.
Contact Chris Roditis at chrisroditis@kinkl.com
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