Is too much gear a bad thing? Hazel Mills says “option paralysis is very real” – and it could be killing your creativity

When it comes to music production gear – MIDI controllers, keyboards, microphones, plugins – there’s no shortage of options available. But could so much choice actually be a bad thing?

As a producer, the temptation is always there to invest in a new piece of kit in the hopes that it might unlock new and unexplored sonic territory. But might it be better, rather than invest money in new equipment, to invest time in thoroughly learning how to use the gear you have?

Hazel Mills, singer, songwriter and session musician – not to mention Kylie Minogue and Florence and the Machine collaborator – says “option paralysis” is, indeed, a real thing when it comes to gear.

“Option paralysis is very real,” she explains in the latest episode of MusicTech’s My Forever Studio podcast, made in partnership with Audient.

“I don’t often have all of the gear that I have access to set up and ready to go at once. And I could do that if I wanted to, but I almost don’t. I’d rather just have combinations good to go.”

She continues: “I’m a real advocate of limitations, meaning that you can actually be more creative rather than having all these different pieces of gear [that you] only ever really learn on the surface. Whereas if you’ve got one piece of gear that you use for a year, you really get to know it.

“You don’t just get to know how to use it, you also get to know what your relationship is with it, and what your voice is when you’re using it.”

Hazel Mills is the latest guest on Season 8 of MusicTech’s My Forever Studio podcast, where we task some of the top producers and songwriters to put together their dream Forever Studio using any gear they desire.

While it’s an environment for freedom, there are some strict rules in the Forever Studio. Guests are permitted a limited number of items in their creative space, so they have to choose carefully. There will be nostalgia. There will be anecdotes. There may be gags. But there will be no bundles!

Subscribe to My Forever Studio on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and check out all episodes so far via MusicTech.

Sam is the Associate News Editor for Guitar.com and MusicTech. Thoroughly immersed in music culture for the majority of his life, Sam has played guitar for 20 years, studied music technology and production at university, and also written for the likes of MusicRadar, Guitar World, Total Guitar and Metal Hammer.