FEATURE:
Produced By…
Shola Aleje
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SIMILAR to albums…
where we recognise the artist and maybe consider the producer(s) less, do many people listen to their favourite radio shows and think about the producers behind them!? Although she has a dream job (it is one many of us would love), Shola Aleje is a superb audio producer who deserves big credit. Working as a podcast producer and delivering her must-hear Moods for Moderns monthly show on Totally Wired Radio (which I hope returns at some point), here is someone who has a huge love for music and radio! Radio/audio production is a job that requires a huge degree of knowledge, organisation, concentration, focus and patience. Many people assume that the broadcaster/D.J. do most of the work and the show sort of puts itself together! One of my all-time favourite broadcasters, Aleje is Assistant Producer for Lauren Laverne’s breakfast show on BBC Radio 6 Music. I am sure Laverne would be one of the first to say how integral Aleje is to her show – as an award-winning broadcaster, the breakfast show host knows how important and hard-working producers are in terms of ensuring the shows run smoothly! In future features, I will spotlight other audio producers behind some of the best radio shows. There is no doubting the fact Lauren Laverne’s weekday BBC Radio 6 Music show is the best way to wake up. Beside the eclectic music and infectiousness of our host, make sure you tune in. Aleje is sometimes name-checked on the show – whether because she has put together a great feature or selected a fantastic tune, there is a real bond and respect between the broadcaster on the microphone and the producer who is such an important support.
IN THIS PHOTO: Aleje with fellow producers Lucy Madge and Mark Higgins alongside Lauren Laverne on her first breakfast show in January 2019/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC
I can only imagine how difficult it is – even with years of experience – to keep a fast-paced radio show going without error! It is testament to producers like Shola Aleje that we cannot hear any cracks or blips (not many anyway – they are human after all!). Not only is the technical skill impressive. I feel a lot of the hottest and most memorable music that is played on the BBC Radio 6 Music breakfast show is because of Aleje – whether that is a hot-off-the-press cut or an old gem that has not been played in a while or languished as a deep cut for all of these years! I know she has given advice to potential producers and those hoping to follow in their footsteps before. I would love to hear a video interview where we get more insight into the daily role. Perhaps (when most of the pandemic restrictions have lifted) we cab get a look inside the breakfast show studio at Wogan House, London. Listening during the week, one can feel and detect Aleje’s presence; though I know there is this interaction during the show that we might not be aware of – a literal window into what happens during the breakfast broadcast. Of course, the BBC Radio 6 Music show is not the only feather in Aleje’s cap! If she had more time on her hands, I am sure she would love to put together a documentary or take on other projects.
Before I move on, I want to bring in a 2019 Fred Perry article where Aleje discussed some of her favourite music. Not only is the first song she played on-repeat one of my firsts – as I am a child of the '90s-; she cites David Bowie’s Station to Station as one of her favourite albums. I adore that album and would love to hear songs like TVC15 (my favourite cut from the record) played more:
“What do you do?
Radio Producer at BBC 6 Music, also produce the odd Podcast here and there and present a monthly show called ‘Moods for Moderns’ on Totally Wired Radio.
Describe your style in three words:
Changes daily depending on what I'm listening to, watching or reading. A bit mod, bit '60s/'70s, a bit del boy when it comes to jewellery, definitely obsessed with anything that is well cut and sits nicely above the ankle. So, in three words, hmm - a slightly ‘Androgynous Mary Quant’?
Which music defines the teenage you?
The Clash were a huge influence on me, they knocked me for six when I first heard London Calling, I related to them so much, especially the crossover in genres and the fact that they were friends with people of different races - I remember that being a huge deal for me.
When I think of artists and moments that single-handedly changed the course of my listening habits, I’ll never forget the moment I first saw Captain Beefheart performing late night on TV when I was a teenager - I didn’t know music like this existed.
What was the first song you played on repeat?
The Cranberries - 'Linger'.
I used to listen to this song several times a day at one point, I don't know what it was about this song, but I remember feeling absolutely heartbroken listening to it like I had experienced some kind of heartbreak personally... I hadn’t - I was bloody 14! I also remember listening to Roxy Music - 'Both Ends Burning' on repeat around that time too.
A song you wish you’d written?
The Specials - 'Do Nothing' as the lyrics showed a real social snapshot of Britain in the late '70s and Dusty Springfield - 'All Cried Out'. I just love how this track is so unashamedly about heartache, proper heartache, which we all know is absolutely horrific when it happens to you!
Best song to bring people together?
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - 'Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)' or Madness - 'It Must Be Love'.
PHOTO CREDIT: Shola Aleje
Is there a song you like that people wouldn’t expect?
I’m a mixed bag when it comes to the music I listen to, but I've been listening to a lot of Ludovico Einaudi, John Barry and Ennio Morricone to calm me down recently! Also enjoyed the new Harry Styles album.
A song from your favourite album?
David Bowie - 'Stay' from the album 'Station to Station' - it’s the perfect track to get you dancing, and an album track I've been listening to on repeat recently is Paul McCartney - 'Monkberry Moon Delight.
What new music/bands are you listening to?
Really loving Confidence Man and Klaus Blatter at the moment, I love the latest Michael Kiwanuka album, and I’ve also gone back deep into Richard Russell’s 'Everything is Recorded' record”.
One of my favourite shows to listen to is her Mood for Moderns on Totally Wired Radio (“Moods for Moderns is a monthly show hosted by Shola Aleje which takes you on a themed musical journey. From the early days of Krautrock to the sounds of The Haçienda, the mix will also include a scattering of archive clips and interviews. Shola will also be playing an eclectic mix of her current favourite earworms each month”). There are not many producers who work on the other side of the microphone! The passion Aleje has for music means that we get to hear her as a world-class audio producer and a host in her own right. I feel that, as the years go by, she will inspire many others to go into radio production (I hope that she stays on Lauren Laverne’s show for a very long time, mind). There is also this other career as a broadcaster/presenter. I think she could have their own permanent show on a station like BBC Radio 6 Music or Soho Radio – as her musical selections and commentary is infectious and hugely warming and interesting. I like Aleje has an appetite and love for Captain Beefheart in the same way as I do for Kate Bush (Beefheart was a definite influence on her music). You can follow Shola Aleje on Instagram and Twitter.
I cannot embed everything that Aleje has been involved with. Listen to the Get It Off Your Breasts podcast series that she produced which ran between 2017 and 2019. Aleje is really inspiring to listen to! I can relate to a lot of what she says during the Freelance Pod talk from 2018. She also produced for The Hotbed podcast (I have missed out some of her work, though one can check her LinkedIn profile). I hope, too, that Aleje is offered new interviews and podcasts. She has been the producer for an award-winning breakfast show and helped it to bring in hordes of admiring listeners – one mustn’t undervalue the sheer brilliance of Lauren Laverne though, with audio producers like Aleje on her team, here is a show that can go from strength to strength for many years to come! I am not certain whether, time-permitting, she will adopt any more projects. As a producer and host, Aleje is awe-inspiring and so inspiring. I use that i-word a lot, I know – though that is the best way to describe her. From her excellent Totally Wired Radio shows to the fact that, one suspects, a lot of her downtime away from work is spent diving into vinyl crates, assembling playlists and hunting for the best new music…here is someone who has a very long career ahead of her! It would be cool for BBC Radio 6 Music to run new interviews and bits for their YouTube channel, where they talk to those behind the scenes who are so invaluable. Whilst not heard, audio producers are as important as broadcaster regarding radio shows!
I am going to finish off in a second. I may well feature other producers from BBC Radio 6 Music. I wanted to kick off the mini-series with Shola Aleje to run alongside my Station to Station feature (I started that series with Lauren Laverne and I have extolled her virtues many times). Hearing Aleje mentioned by Lauren Laverne a lot on her show (or ‘producer Shols’, as she is called!) because of a great musical moment, a seamless and wonderful series – such as her curation for 6 Music Salutes or The People’s Playlist – or a terrific discovery, it is obvious how much affection there is for her on the show and on BBC Radio 6 Music as a whole! For me, she has compelled me to get more into radio; to, at some point, get round to producing a podcast about my all-time favourite artist. I know there are so many people out there who have been impacted by Shola Aleje and have pursued a career in broadcasting and radio because of her. Not only does she have impeccable music taste and an unquenchable thirst for great new music; here is an audio producer who is among the very best in the game. I am trying to cover everything off here, and I hope that I have not missed anything out! As my blog approaches its tenth anniversary (in November), I still think I have stuff to learn; ways I can improve and expand. Shola Aleje has been a broadcaster for years though, as with every avenue of the creative industry, she will keep on learning and developing. It will be utterly fascinating to see how her career evolves and what challenges she takes on – though, as I pleaded before, we have to keep that sisterly bond between Laverne and her strong for as long as possible! A salute to a phenomenal producer who, in addition, is an exceptional broadcaster, music fan, mentor, inspiring figure and all-round legend. There is no doubt that Shola Aleje is someone that many people…
LOOK up to and admire.