In July 2022, 13 songs were written and recorded by 26 artists gathered from as far afield as New Zealand, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Brighton, Bradford and Norfolk attending Pro7ect’s 7th annual songwriting retreat at Rockfield Studios in Wales. Their work has been added to the growing Pro7ect catalogue that is available for licence by artists, producers and record labels, as plans are taking shape for next year’s event

‘Our first post-Covid residential retreat – was a triumph,’ says producer and singer/songwriter, Lisa Fitzgibbon, the creative inspiration behind Pro7ect. ‘We are honoured that Rockfield Studios has invited us back again for 2023 and we are gearing up for an even bigger event. Writing and recording at Rockfield is one of my career highlights, and I am so excited to share this experience with other artists and songwriters.’

Next year will two four-day retreats and a one-day Masterclass for aspiring songwriters, plus a music production educational seminar entitled 8 Hours At Rockfield, which is organised by Pro7ect sponsor Prism Sound in association with the Audio Engineering Society.

Since its launch in 2013, Pro7ect has brought together artists, songwriters, musicians and producers. Their collaborations have resulted in nearly 80 tracks written and recorded, 18 of which have been released. There have also been four syncs, three albums produced by P7 artist collaborators and nine production opportunities for participating Headline Producers through the P7 Alumni network, which promotes collaborations and professional opportunities for P7 artists and is open to everyone who attends a Masterclass or a retreat.

Pro7ect’s success lies in its ability to pair artists and songwriters with internationally recognised producers who are there to guide the recording process and capture the collaborative efforts of those taking part. Producer Greg Haver (Manic Street Preachers, Mel C) who was Headline Producer in July, says: ‘Something inspiring happens when you put a musician in a room where they know their heroes have been… 60 years of heritage just comes out of the walls (at Rockfield), and it’s a wonderful, inspiring place to be.’

For 2023, Pro7ect has lined up two Headline Producers to run its residential sessions – Emre Ramazanoglu, a versatile songwriter, producer, mixer, and programmer who is a founder member of Jazz band Ill Considered and has produced and mixed projects for many artists including Noel Gallagher, Richard Ashcroft, Lily Allen and Paloma Faith; and writer/producer Kaity Rae, whose credits include The Shires, Lisa Pac, Betsi Gold and Tragic Sasha.

‘Creating and dwelling at the iconic Rockfield studio is going to be an incredible experience. I can’t wait to meet and collaborate with everyone,’ says Rae.

Also returning to Pro7ect for a second year is producer Gethin Pearson (Badly Drawn Boy, Charlie XCX), who will run the Masterclass in conjunction with Fitzgibbon. This session takes place on 22 July for people who are at the start of their songwriting adventure and want to learn more about their craft.

More: www.pro7ect.com