Golden Ears Music Production is founded by Brian West, a Grammy, Juno, SOCAN and BBC World Music Award winning Musician, Song Writer, Recording Engineer and Music Producer.

 

The list of artists West has worked with reads like a passport of the musical landscape. A venture that began when Brian was 17 and picked up an acoustic guitar. He was fortunate to have idols like U2’s The Edge to inspire his imagination and love for music making.

 

As a Rhythm Guitarist West joined the jazzy, soulful, R&B band, The Philosopher Kings. It was a positive sign when he won his first Juno for Best New Group in 1996. West went on to tour with international heavy hitters like The Fugees, Jamiroquai, Kool & The Gang, Maxwell and the iconic Al Green. 

 

As 2000 approached Brian aspired to expand his musical talent. This was about the time he met Nelly Furtado. Whoa Nelly! became the flagship Album for which West Co-Wrote and Co-Produced songs, “I’m Like a Bird”, “Hey Man,” “Party Just Begun” and “My Love Grows Deeper Everyday”, West had no idea that the album, an eclectic pop record with sounds from all over the map, would hit as big as it did. In addition to multiple Juno awards, West garnered the esteemed 2002 Grammy nomination for Producer Of The Year for their work while Nelly won the Grammy for Best Female Pop Artist. As the Co-Producer of Nelly Furtado’s Album Folklore Brian Co-Wrote, the endearing ballad, “Try”. In addition to contributing to her 2010 Latin Grammy-winning Spanish language album, Mi Plan, the multi-talented musicianeer found himself right back on stage playing Rhythm Guitar in her band as they toured from Europe to South America.

 

Brian is passionate about Artist Development and is the one thing he feels he has had the greatest success at in his career. “I just love finding somebody at an early level, helping them figure out what their voice is and discovering how to capture that on a microphone or on a recording,” he explains. In his role as collaborator, calling himself an “accompanist” who can pull the best out of an artist by simply jamming with them. “We go back and forth,” he explains. “It’s an exchange of ideas, a relationship where the music is doing all the talking.”

 

One of those newcomers included K’Naan. In 2002, Brian met the Somali hip-hop artist through a War Child Relief project out of Toronto. Brian Co-Produced the perfect sonic backdrop for the African wordsmith, catapulting the young artist to the top of the heap in hip-hop. West later worked at the legendary Tuff Gong Studio in Kingston, Jamaica to produce K’Naan’s critically acclaimed sophomore album, Troubadour which went on to receive the ‘Best Newcomer’ Award from the BBC. West’s production of “Bulletproof Pride”, featured lead singer Bono of the band U2, who performed the song live at Bill Clinton's Decade of Difference benefit concert held at the Hollywood Bowl.

 

From his Music Recording Studio on Hollywood Blvd. In Los Angeles, Brian worked with world renowned Stars, Sia, whom he co-wrote “Salted Wound”, featured during the climax of the film Fifty Shades of Grey. Brian co-wrote “Desperation” for L.A. songstress Judith Hill (of Michael Jackson’s This Is It). A song that was featured in the Spike Lee’s movie, Red Hook Summer and Twenty Feet from Stardom.

 

Brian continued to influence the popular culture of music with Red Bull Record’s Artist AWOLNATION, whom he co-wrote and produced, “Kill Your Heroes”. Brian’s reputation as a, “Producer that could get it done” afforded him opportunities to work with some of US's greatest Pop Artists and bands like, Maroon 5, “Man Who Never Lied” and Andy Grammar, “Honey I’m Good."

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Brian has come a long way since he was a teenager who picked up a guitar to Producing some of Canada’s Greatest talents from Nelly Furtado,  K’Naan, Arkells, “Private School” to Elise LeGrow, “Is What It Is” and “Grateful."

 

Intuitively Brian counties to  the resonate across genres including Canadian Country Music Award winning B.C. Artist Raquel Cole, with,“Slow Motion” and “Fire Child." From Real World Studio in Bath, UK to The Warehouse in Vancouver, BC, Brian Co-Produced the 2024 debut album Water In The Dessert, with songs, “Walls”, “Atlantic Times” and ”Nomad", by Ethiopian born B.C. Artist Zada. 

 

Always ahead of the curve, Brian is grateful to write and produce with the bi-lingual Artist, Kelly Bado, whose songs, "Parce Qu'on S'aime" and “Typical”, are sure to have you singing and dancing!

 

Whether it’s Pop, R&B, Soul, Hip-Hop, Electronic, Jazz, Gospel, Indie, Rock or Country, Brian continues to successfully produce genre breaking music.

 

If Brian’s not making music, best believe he’s listening to it. And, West can boast a favourite in practically every genre: Herbie Hancock, Marvin Gaye, Radiohead, Coldplay, Bob Marley, Paul Simon, John Lennon, Bjork, U2 and Miles Davis all stay in heavy rotation in his household. “The best records are recordings about the human condition,” he says thoughtfully. “It’s the simplest sort of moments that tend to live the longest.”

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Having lived and worked around the world Brian is grateful to settle on the west coast of Canada with his wife and 2 daughters. Brian is tremendously excited to continue to Develop, Song write, Engineer, Record and Produce music at his new Golden Ears Music Production Studio located in the Greater Vancouver area of Maple Ridge.