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For a lot of industry folks who have “made it”, they’re more than happy to use their powers “for good” by helping to boost the profile of “the little guy”…to pretty much whoever’s willing to pay their fee. On the other hand, while Public Hi-Fi headmaster Jim Eno retains a well-deserved rate for most clients, his decades of experience have led to a keen observation; in the world of production, his peers rarely identify as women.
Whether you think of it as philogyny or affirmative action (just don’t call it a DEI endeavor), Project Traction (in its still-young run) has continued to provide strong opportunities for women looking to get some time behind the board in a producer/engineer role. And after the success of the inaugural Volume 1 ATX class of collaborations, Eno’s casting the net further North to tap into the Centennial State.
Yep, Project Traction’s Volume 2: Colorado compilation is chugging along and gearing up to release in full next year. As always, Eno’s there to chime in and give guidance as needed, but by and large, he’s letting these talented ladies have free reign in shaping their recording partners’ sound. The latest example? Fort Collins’ Co-Stanza finding middle ground with Ecuador’s Neoma with “Bet On Love”. In her very first outing producing someone else’s work, Neoma did an outstanding job of finding an ’80s-inspired niche for Co-Stanza’s emotional, breakup-imbued indie pop original, almost like The Cure cozied up to something a little more downtempo and acoustic. All in all? Nicely done and an impressive team effort.
