Pro Music Producer

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: Co-writing and producing a national song which was used by the New Zealand Police as a PR campaign for their new phone number. It was really important that the song delivered the message for the new phone number, as it would affect how New Zealanders thought to call the police for various types of emergencies and requests.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Composing and writing a lot of music for television and film, and also working with artists. When I'm not doing music, I do sound design and audio post for adverts and short films.

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: To deliver my best interpretation and version of their artistic vision while respecting their art and creativity.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love how music creates and carries an energy. It is a way to bring the positive out of negative things. It's transformative. It's an escape. The things I like the most... - When I/we get lost in the flow, and next thing we look up and the day is gone. - The smile on my clients face when we've done a good job together. - Knowing that if we're both vibing it then there's a good chance that their audience will feel the same.

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: A big misconception about writing music is that it can be "easy" or "not a real job", but in actual fact it can be a very serious job when you're working with the right people.

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: Find a producer who suits you for your style and your desired outcome. As an client and artist, you want someone who is on your page and can interpret what's in your head to bring it to life.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Punchy and polished, good energy.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: Childish Gambino. No two songs that he makes are ever alike. The creativity and individuality of everything he creates is mind-blowing. He is incredibly expressive, and same goes for his collaborators.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Get it right at the source, and make sure you set your gain correctly. Beyond that, you can tend to do whatever you like.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: Pop, Dark Pop, Hip Hop and RnB, Acoustic, Pop Rock, Indie.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Songwriting and Production. I consider them to be one skill in that they weave together beautifully and exist together.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: A sum of all my influences, personality and ambition. Coming from a guitar background, I like a bit of punch. I also like a bit of polish so I would align my style with pop that's in the Top 40. It also depends on the song. Sometimes, you have an idea of the song and what it should be, and if you're lucky, you can create it like you had in your head. Other times, you have no idea what's going to come out or how. That's where creative exploration gets really exciting.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What do you want to get out of this process? What's your voice as an artist that you want to develop? Which artists influence you? Are you open to me making creative decisions to help your song - which may change what you've already done?

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: My telecaster, headphones, UAD Apollo Twin interface, Macbook Pro, and external hard-drive.

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I've been recording and mixing music for 8 years, but started out playing guitar before that. I started out working more with hardcore/metal music at first, then moved through a bit of folk and alt music, then settled more into something close to pop music. I've worked with a lot of local artists in my area, and have made about 10 records. Recently I've made my way into post-audio and have worked on hundreds of adverts - mixing for broadcast in NZ, VO/ADR recording, dialogue editing, foley & SFX.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I generally like to meet with my clients first, get talking, hear about them personally, their tastes and listen to their demos (if they have any). Then we record a scratch track and get to work on producing a full instrumentation for their song including vocal arrangement. From there we record the final vocals, then I go away and edit/mix and prep the track for mastering. I usually don't mix and master, but have done so in some instances.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work mainly in the box unless I have access to outboard gear. I run the latest version of Pro Tools, and use industry standard mixing tools like UAD, Soundtoys, Waves, FabFilter and plenty more. I've also invested in a large library of samples, sound effects, synths and Kontakt instruments. Guitars: Fender USA Telecaster, Gibson SG (USA, 1970s), and a good studio bass. Monitoring - Adams.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: A lot of modern pop. Also: The Beatles, Matt Corby, Tame Impala, Billie Eillish and Finneas, Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Childish Gambino and their producers. Their work is all amazing.

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: My work is largely in two areas; music production and music for television. Working with an artist and developing their demos into finished products; singles, EP's and albums. And, writing catalogue music for tv and advertising.