Hillsong UNITED is the perfect example of what differences between how Michael the guitar funny thing is we did that acoustic version while
you get when you’re missional about pouring player and Michael the producer approaches we were still trying to finish the actual album.
into the next generation. If you stop and think the instrument? I guess wiping the slate clean and starting
about it, it’s almost hard to fathom the fact that again on a song that we hadn’t even yet seen
were just the youth worship team. But what is the whole way through was kind of a daunting
inescapable is the influence they’ve had on the process, but there was something nice about.
landscape of modern Worship music. Where They say the sign of a good song is being able
the Grammy nod for “What a Beautiful Name” to sing the melody and lyrics over standard
was certainly a big affirmation of Hillsong’s chords and you’d be happy, and I do think
impact, their ‘raise from within’ approach is the that’s the case with that song.
real story behind their success. And one of my
favorite ‘characters’ in the story is Michael Guy
Chislett.
Hillsong UNITED // “Whole Heart”
[WM] Speaking of arrangement, the vocal
[MGC] I play a lot of guitar at home and in the arrangement on the acoustic version is
studio. On tour sometimes Joel will be talking gorgeous, can you walk us through the process
Michael aka MGC’s skill as a producer probably to the audience for ten minutes or so, and a you guys took on that track?
exceeds that of his guitar playing which is lot of the time I just noodle on something a try saying a lot considering the fact that between to come up with something I can loop for ten [MGC] One of the really big benefits with our
him and ‘Droff (Nigel Hendroff that is), you’d be minutes at a time. So the “Whole Heart” riff was guys is that they sing together a lot, they’ll
hard pressed to find two guitarists who’ve had something that I’d been fiddling around with for sing together on a Sunday. We ran that song
more impact on the sound of worship guitar. probably six months. “Whole Heart” which is probably three of four times before we actually
So, it is with great pleasure that we once again in 6/8, and the riff that I’d been doing was in got into it, so Joel was quite particular. When he
get a chance to connect with MGC! 4/4. It took my probably a half an hour to try sings he’s very isolated, it’s hard to explain, but
and make it sound palatable in 6/8, but I think it Joel doesn’t have a very high voice so when
[WM] There are lots of different kinds of was a really good fit melodically and it fits really the melody goes up he usually kind of sits
producers, some hands on, some less so. well with what’s going on. There’s a bunch of into a harmony as soon as that happens. So
Noting that you’re in the United touring band, little bits of music that I tend to keep coming I think that’s sometimes a good thing because
you can’t help being ‘in the mix’ to a certain back to, and the riff in “Whole Hearted” is one it makes other people kind of step up. “Whole
extent. Do you toggle hats or is your guitar of those. Heart” is a good example of where you see
playing just one of the brushes at your disposal?
the harmony arrangement stuff take shape. It’s
[WM] As definitive as the guitar part on “Hold quite cool, those guys sing together so much
[Michael Guy Chislett] I enjoy playing guitar Me Now” is, the acoustic version is not only in a that they sort of just figure it out.
so it’s nice to sit in a room when someone is different key but it just has acoustic guitar and coming up with a song. I read that Daniel Lanois no hint of the guitar line. As an arranger, what [WM] As I recall, you guys use Ultimate Ears
would sit in the room when people were coming do you think about when working with a full IEMs, but in that video everyone is using Audio-
up with stuff because it was less confronting. band and in turn when stripping things down Technica closed-back studio headphones. I see
Sometimes, if the producer is behind the glass for an acoustic version like that? a lot of people using their IEMs in the studio,
it can put a big divide between the artist and
why did you choose the phones instead?
the producer. I feel like I am lucky that I can sit
in and play guitar. The downside of it is that I [MGC] I think that using in-ear monitors in the
become part of the furniture and it’s hard to get studio is a pretty big commitment, because you
things finished sometimes because we hang cant just pop your ear off quickly, it’s almost
out so much. With the good there’s always a like a more daunting situation. It makes sense
little bit of bad I guess! when you’re in front of a crowd and there’s lots
of sound going on, but when it’s a really small
Hillsong UNITED //
“Whole Heart” (acoustic version) quiet intimate performance I tend to like regular
and played on some huge records. The [MGC] I think as long as the melody and the for the singer. It just feels different when you’ve
song “Whole Heart” is pretty much wrapped lyric is present, that’s the main thing. I like got in ears in I think. There’s a much bigger
around your guitar part. What are some of the hearing stuff in different ways all the time. The divide when you’ve got in ears in, and most
[WM] When you lived in L.A., you were mega-
producer Butch Walker’s go to studio guitarist
April 2019
headphones because it feels less intimidating
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