The Recording Booth - David Edward Booth

30/03/2026

15 years.
Back in the 2000s I did music part time and alongside that worked as a volunteer co-ordinator, working mostly with young people. It was a pretty good combination. Then in early 2011, Government funding cuts ended those jobs for me and a whole bunch of cool people doing some very worthwhile work. It was pretty s**t. At the end of March, pretty much 15 years ago today, we were laid off.
That's when I took a leap and became a full-time self-employed musician, music producer & songwriter. It's not a life I'd recommend for anyone who values financial security highly, but instead of that I get to do the job I always wanted to do. Music.
Here's to another 15 years, fingers crossed!

20/12/2025

Still can't quite believe it, but yesterday this happened...
The 'Wintersong' collaboration between Kyson Point (the duo I have with my wife Kelly) and our good friends Lucy & Jon Hart (aka Honey and the Bear) has been a joy to bring to live audiences for the last few weeks, but the icing on the cake was definitely a visit to Broadcasting House in London yesterday to play three songs live on the BBC Radio 3 In Tune programme. We were made to feel so welcome by everyone from the first security guard to the last. Huge thanks to presenter Petroc Trelawny, sound engineer Martin and the team behind the scenes Sue, Rachel & Naomi. The show is now on BBC Sounds if you'd like to catch up!

08/12/2025

As an independent freelance music person, sometimes it can feel like you put in the work to develop your craft, try to maintain & grow the business, hours, days, years of graft, and not a lot happens. But then occasionally you get an offer completely out of the blue that restores faith in why it's worth the effort.
Back in October Kelly and I were contacted by BBC Suffolk and asked if we'd like to take part (as our duo Kyson Point) in a very special concert recording, to be broadcast around Christmas. Of course we would!
You could say the event yesterday, in a very full Ipswich Minster, was the culmination of years of just turning up and doing a good job. So many live sessions back when Foz did the drive time show, appearances on BBC stages at various events, phone interviews where you say just enough and keep it relevant. Basically being a nice person/group to work with.
So, thank you to the broadcasting legend that is sound engineer David Butcher for the invitation and top bloke/producer/presenter Jon Wright for looking after us (and the photo).
Thanks also to our great friend Lucy Hart for joining us to make a temporary trio!

03/12/2025

That's me in the corner... shamelessly multitasking...
This photo was taken by Rev Rob Leveritt on Sunday 30th November at Benhall church, Suffolk. It was the first of four 'Wintersong' shows - a seasonal collaboration between Honey & The Bear (Lucy and Jon Hart) and Kyson Point (my wife Kelly and I).
At this point I was playing cajon, but on the night I also sang, played guitar, bodhran and flugelhorn. The day before I did live sound for Kelly's Vocally Vintage gig at Wickham Market Christmas Market and later Merry Hell at Leiston Film Theatre. The day before that I mixed the Wintersong album in my studio.
You could look at this and summarise that I'm a 'jack of all (music) trades' with the associated label of 'master of none'. Well, maybe, but I'm happy to be judged on the quality of my work.
My point here is that I believe that the broad range of work I do makes me a little bit better at each element. When I'm playing percussion, I understand what it feels like to be a singer/guitarist and what that role needs from a percussionist. When I'm recording a singer-songwriter client in my studio I understand what emotions they're going through when they sing their heart-felt song.
The simple fact is, the only reason I've been able to maintain a career in music is because I can turn my hand, carefully, thoughtfully, with built-in experience, to a range of tasks.
So, with that... three cheers for all my fellow multi-instrumentalist multitasking portfolio career creative industries freelancers! 😊

16/11/2025

A little something different tomorrow morning. Rise and shine!

What are you doing tomorrow (Monday) morning at 8.40? How about listening to us chatting to Wayne Bavin on the wireless (BBC Suffolk)? We'll be talking about a very special live appearance and recording we're making on 7th December. Tune in!

10/11/2025

03/11/2025

What is The Recording Booth? It's me (David) and it's my studio.
What do I do? I love writing songs, crafting them, playing them live, recording them, mixing them, releasing them. I do all of this with Kyson Point alongside my super-talented wife Kelly but I could also do this for you too! Well, not the playing live bit, but if you want someone you can really trust to help take your songs or song ideas from phone recordings or notebook scribbles to something fully produced & mixed, ready for release, send me a message!
Photo by Kev Workman.

12/10/2025

03/10/2025

really looking forward to manning the faders for Eabhal at Froize Suffolk tonight. Still a couple of tickets left I think. Come along to hear Scottish folk at its best!

01/10/2025

😊 Mentoring is a two-way thing. When I volunteer as a Mentor for Help Musicians I give my time, I listen, share some experiences, thoughts and ideas to hopefully help someone navigate their journey in music. But I get so much in return. New ideas, new ways of thinking about old issues, new friends and yeah, a feel-good factor to boot!

You don’t have to figure it all out on your own.

Co-Pilot connects you with a mentor to guide you through challenges, share advice, and help you make confident career moves.

If you're interested in taking your career to the next level, apply to Co-Pilot here: https://www.helpmusicians.org.uk/get-support/develop-as-a-musician/co-pilot-the-musicians-mentoring-network

29/09/2025

Singer-songwriters!
Are you looking for a recording engineer/producer to work with on your single, EP or album?
Would it help if they were a working singer-songwriter themselves, so they really understand the whole process?
What if they were also a multi-instrumentalist (drums, guitars, percussion, brass…) with 25 years of professional recording experience and had their own studio in Suffolk, UK, with high quality gear and super-relaxed ambience?
Give me a shout and let's see if I can help!
David Booth