Team Quick Reference
The MCA Team
One-page reference for each key collaborator — who they are, what they're responsible for on MCA, and what they need to know to do their best work.
The artist. Writes the songs, runs the vision, and the reason Midnight Church Aftermath exists.
Co-founder of the label. Wires the landing pages and email flows together across every release.
Primary co-writer and co-producer on Midnight Church Aftermath, and the closest creative collaborator on the record from the beginning. Potential duet partner on Small Talk.
Full brief — role, songs, notes›
Blue Foley — Role & Context
- Role: Primary co-writer and co-producer on MCA. Potential duet partner on Small Talk. Has been the closest creative collaborator on this record from the beginning.
- Songs written together: Primary co-writer on the majority of the album — verify full credit list before finalizing.
- What he needs from this doc: The Pre-Production Book at midnightchurchaftermath.com/pre-pro is his primary reference. The Marketing SOP is secondary context — he should understand the overall marketing arc so his creative decisions are informed by it.
- Key things for him to know: The stomp-clap Greatest Showman thread runs through four songs (You Better Fix My Life, Apple and the Tree, Renovate Me, Midnight Church Aftermath) — these need to be produced with awareness of each other. Shapeshifter, Making God Laugh, and I Wonder What It's Like are the three most modern-sounding tracks and need organic instrumentation pulled in to fit the album's vintage warmth.
- Duet consideration: If Blue is on Small Talk as a duet partner, his audience becomes a co-launch asset for that release. Coordinate content strategy across both accounts on drop week.
- Marketing note: The "two people who actually get each other" dynamic between KB and Blue is visible content — behind-the-scenes of their writing/recording process is some of the most authentic content available for Small Talk's marketing.
Nashville co-producer and engineer running the Dark Horse Recording sessions. The one who makes the sonic vision real in the room.
Full brief — role, studio, budget›
Eric Torres — Role & Context
- Role: Nashville co-producer and engineer. Running the Dark Horse Recording sessions April 23 – May 25, 2026. The person who makes the sonic vision real in the room.
- Studio: Dark Horse Recording Studio, Nashville.
- Budget reference: MCA Producer Budget tracked in Google Sheet ID 1VX0z50Y6ATomWXAbY1_TKZnu5VOa_6lJskEQV7CufMs. Invoice KB-002 (half deposit) pre-loaded.
- What he needs from this doc: Primarily the Pre-Production Book. The sonic palette, production approach, artist references, and individual song sheets are his working documents. The Marketing SOP is background context — he should know the release order and singles priority so session scheduling reflects it.
- Key things for him to know: Fireproof is the lead single — if session time is tight, that song gets prioritized. The three modern-sounding songs (Shapeshifter, Making God Laugh, I Wonder What It's Like) need intentional organic instrumentation discussion in pre-pro. The Greatest Showman stomp-clap thread across four songs should be produced with awareness of each other for cohesion.
- Schedule note: Loose recording schedule and blackout dates need to be confirmed before KB departs for Nashville. Gmail draft to Eric was prepared for this — send before April 23.
- Marketing note: Eric and the Nashville sessions are content. The studio, the players, the process — this is the behind-the-scenes footage that feeds weeks 4–5 of every release cycle. Brief the videographer to capture Dark Horse footage alongside session work.
J
Videographer for the Nashville sessions. Behind-the-scenes footage, music visualizers, and the still set — two visual modes, one world.
Full brief — role, visual modes, deliverables›
Justin — Role & Visual Brief
- Role: Videographer for Nashville sessions. Responsible for capturing all behind-the-scenes footage and music visualizer content during the recording trip (Apr 23 – May 25, 2026).
- Schedule note: Justin's booking needs to be coordinated around Eric Torres's session schedule and blackout dates. Confirm Eric's schedule first, then lock Justin.
- Two visual modes — brief him with both:
- Mode 1 — Kacey Musgraves reference (stills): Cinematic, composed, film-grain B&W for control room / warm amber for live room. Shoot through things — glass, mic stands, door frames. In-between moments over posed shots. Detail shots: hands, gear, cables. Artist in both work mode and joy mode. Hats and headphones are a signature look — get those shots.
- Mode 2 — Beth Hart reference (movement): Raw, kinetic, fly-on-the-wall. Heavy intentional blur and soft focus. Never straight-on — from behind, from the side, through glass. Vocalist mid-phrase, fully in it, not between takes. Caption does nothing — footage does everything.
- Music visualizers: These are the primary video assets for singles releases. Each visualizer needs to feel like it lives in the MCA world — blue hour tones, warm low-mids, vintage texture, nothing shiny or over-produced.
- ⚠️ Easter egg — every music video: A vintage clock (1970s or 1980s style) set to 4:32 must appear somewhere in every music video. It does not need to be prominent — in fact it should be subtle enough that most viewers miss it on first watch. This is intentional album architecture. The clock represents 432hz — the tuning frequency the album is recorded in (vs the industry standard 440hz). Do NOT call attention to it on screen. It should feel like set dressing. The audience finds it. This detail is confidential until KB reveals it publicly.
- The Booth to Room cut (Template #003): Shoot KB singing a key lyric in the booth (15–30 seconds), then capture the playback moment in the control room. The vocal timing needs to carry across both clips seamlessly when edited together. Review the reference reel before shooting: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXzjJQhlZZr/ — this is the exact format to replicate.
- Deliverables needed: Raw footage for social content (vertical and horizontal), edited visualizers per song, still photography set (color + B&W), behind-the-scenes reels for release cycles.
- Brand world reference: Blue hour. Smoky edges. Warm low-mids. Vintage textures. Nothing fake. Nothing shiny. The Pre-Production Book artist statement page has the full world description — share it with Justin as a creative brief.
Marketing assistant supporting the Midnight Church Aftermath rollout.
Full brief to come. Send me her details and I'll fill this in.