Craig came to me with a song called “Reveal.” At that point, it was a simple piano-and-vocal demo that he had sung himself. He already knew he wanted the finished version to feature a female vocalist, but the most important thing was taking the song further without losing what made it personal.
Building Around the Heart of the Song
As I worked through the arrangement, I focused on creating movement and giving the song somewhere to grow. The key change became an important part of that buildup, while the strings helped add emotion and shape the transitions.
Craig described himself as old school, so some of the production choices were different from what he initially expected. The string line in the introduction took a little time to grow on him, but he trusted the direction and gave honest feedback throughout the process.
His priority was never simply getting the song finished quickly. He wanted it handled carefully and done well.
Once the instrumental arrangement was in place, we moved into the vocal production. Chevon Corlew-Coleman recorded the lead vocal, along with background vocals that helped lift the song as it moved toward the key change.
When Craig heard the completed vocal version, he admitted that he had been nervous to listen. The song was deeply personal, and he was concerned that a fuller production might lose the spirit of the original demo.
Instead, he felt that the song had been elevated while still remaining true to what he had written.
There was one lyric that had been sung incorrectly on the original demo, even though the lyric sheet had the correct version. We corrected the line, completed the final mix, and also delivered a performance track.
Where the Song Went Next
A few months after the project was completed, Craig reached out with unexpected news. Gladys Knight had heard “Reveal,” loved the song, and wanted to record it.
That was not something we could have predicted while producing it. The focus had simply been on serving the song, preserving its message, and building a finished production that still felt like Craig’s original vision.
“Reveal” remains a reminder that strong production does not always mean changing the identity of a song. Sometimes the work is recognizing what is already there, then building around it carefully.