Over the Bank Holiday weekend I found myself heading across to Monmouth for a last minute booking. Only a few days before I had received an email out of the blue asking if I would be interested in documenting the recording of Hattie Briggs debut album at Monnow Valley Studios. Of course I immediately jumped at the chance!

Documentary photography is what I love doing and I have always been interested in capturing behind-the-scenes images of events such as this. Much of my BBC photography meant that I could capture the entire process of putting on a concert and I even managed to get into the studio to document Centrefolds recording an EP last year. This, however, was quite different - being able to stay overnight and be completely immersed in the recording process meant that I could capture a wide range of images.

The location itself was rather amazing - an old mill (I'm presuming!) in the middle of nowhere with the River Monnow flowing just a few metres from the studio and chickens roaming free keeping us all rather entertained. Various artists have recorded here including Stereophonics, Manic Street Preachers and Oasis (in fact the artwork for Oasis debut single "Supersonic" was a photo actually taken in the recording studio itself).

It was an amazing couple of days and I was made to feel really welcome by everybody involved. I'm eager to hear the finished album now - the sounds that were coming from the studio while I was snapping sounded just beautiful!