The short, strange story of recording in your car

British singer Sinéad Harnett recently recorded in a Renault 5 E-Tech electric vehicle, joining the small, unique group of artists who have recorded tracks in a car.

New York, NY (December 5, 2024) – Renault recently asked British singer Sinéad Harnett to record for a promotional video in its new 5 E-Tech electric vehicle, and although the company falsely claims it is the first track ever in taken from a car (not even close), it’s still a fun experiment.



The British singer got behind the wheel to re-record some beautiful vocals from her single “Thinking Less,” giving the French automaker the opportunity to showcase the car’s serene interior as well as its intuitive audio controls. The vehicle’s baguette holder was used (really) to mount Harnett’s microphone, and the interior sound system was used for playback.

Good equipment was used on the project – the unnamed engineer in the passenger seat used Apple Logic Pro to record the proceedings, and we spotted an AKG logo on the back of the microphone’s shock mount; Based on the silver band around the middle, we suspect it was an AKG C214 large diaphragm capacitor.

In a press statement, Adam Wood, managing director of Renault UK, noted: “Sinéad’s world-first re-recording and remixing of her hit single is the perfect opportunity to showcase her skills.”

Well, actually there are a number of artists who have recorded in cars, but this was certainly the first time anyone has recorded in a 5 E-Tech – because the car doesn’t officially come out until spring 2025. It could also be the first time someone has recorded in an electric car, or perhaps with power provided by an electric car if the laptop was plugged in somewhere.

However, cutting in a car is pretty well documented – in 2017, Rolls-Royce had the Skepta recorded in the back of a sleek Phantom VIII. The company was eventually forced to pull the promotional clip after social media commentators discovered that the grime star was not wearing a seatbelt while the car drove through the Swiss Alps. However, you can still see the video in our coverage.

A few years earlier, in 2014, Chevrolet invited Midwest rockers The Gentlemen Mutineers to record in a Chevy Impala (see our coverage here). For the clip, lead singer Frankie Turner strapped himself into a Blue Microphones snowball, while Grammy Award-winning engineer Mark Pastoria of Harmonie Park Studios recorded the result on his laptop.

Still, Ben Vaughn’s entire 1997 album has to be the greatest automotive recording achievement of all time. Rambler ’65which was taken in the slowly rotting title vehicle. This resulted in one of the funniest interviews ever Pro Sound News and we wholeheartedly recommend that you take a few minutes to read the extremely entertaining read. While you’re there, check out the silly mockumentary Vaughn made about recording garage rock in a driveway.

If all this has inspired you to haul some gear out to the car and start recording, check out .’s reputable, practical guide Mix Contributor Frank Verderosa, who detailed in April 2020 how he used vehicles to record socially distanced voiceovers during the pandemic. Give it a try and maybe you’ll soon experience the dashboard lights playing.