Talking Shop: Bernard Butler

Duffy handed Butler the Brit Award and Music Producers' Guild trophy

As a member of Suede, Bernard Butler was a guitar hero who helped write some of the biggest indie anthems of the 1990s, and helped usher in Britpop in the process.

Butler has moved behind the mixing desk and has won the Brit Award for best producer and the Music Producers' Guild award for producer of the year.

He co-produced, co-wrote and played guitar on the UK's biggest-selling album of 2008 - Rockferry by Duffy - as well as taking the controls for artists such as Black Kids, Tricky, The Libertines and Sharleen Spiteri.

After the Music Producers' Guild ceremony in London, he spoke about the art of production, new Duffy material, and why a Suede reunion is unlikely.

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You've worked with a variety of artists - what do you try to achieve with all of them?

I just want to make records that I like. That's all. If I don't like it, then no-one else is going to like it.

I know what kind of environment they want to be in - because I've been in environments that I don't like Bernard Butler on producing for other artists

How do you decide which artists to work with?

If I like them. I'm lucky because what's happened has been really quick so I've been offered things that I just like, and I've got lucky.

With someone like Duffy, I just met her. Anyone in this room could have met her on the same day and I just got lucky. We wrote a song the first day we met. That song was called Rockferry. That became the title track of her album, and that's history.

Why do artists come to you - what do you bring that other producers might not?

To some people, it's useful that I'm a songwriter and musician. I see things in terms of songs before I see the studio. I'm thinking about the studio in my mind but I'm not discussing the studio.

You come at it from a songwriter and artist's perspective?

Yeah, you understand what's going on, and you can double-cross them a little bit because you know what they're thinking, and know how to deal with it.

I know what they want. I know what kind of environment they want to be in. Because I've been in environments that I don't like.

Producing is mysterious to a lot of people - how hard is it, and how hard is it to deal with artists?

if you can help lift somebody for three minutes out of that dreary existence then I think that's a major achievement

I don't find many artists difficult at all. No-one's said it should be easy, and it's not easy. The prize is big, and it's a great prize. Not these [pointing to awards] - I mean the prize of making a great record that moves somebody. I'm completely devotional about that idea - I have been since I was a kid.

Pop music has a currency that goes beyond lots of other art forms. I do something that I really love and a lot of people I know don't do things they love.

If you can help lift somebody for three minutes out of that dreary existence then I think that's a major achievement.

Who are you working with at the moment?

At the moment I'm working with Duffy.

There have been some reports about her changing direction and going all Mariah.

[Sarcastically] Oh yeah, that's exactly the truth. If I had a pound for every time Duffy changed direction