Brian Squillace

Indie Music Producer

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79 Reviews (70 Verified)
Brian Squillace on SoundBetter

Let me help you discover your sound! Whether we are starting a song from scratch, or building on your existing demo, I can turn it into a professional playlist-ready track. Tracks I've produced have landed on Spotify and Apple editorial playlists, as well as been featured by blogs like NPR Music, Spin, Noisey, and others.

I'm a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and mixing engineer. I've been playing and writing music actively for 15 years and operate out of my home studio in Los Angeles, CA. I'm obsessed with music, and I love nothing more than helping other people get excited about their songs. I love to hear someone's vision and make it a reality for them. It's the best part of my job.

In addition to producing, I am active as a member of the band LANNDS (Run for Cover), and I am the touring drummer for Yuno (Sub Pop).

TERMS:

Turnaround time: 1-2 Weeks
Revisions: I work until you love it!

Hit the contact button above and reach out! I'll respond ASAP.

Click the 'Contact' above to get in touch. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Credits

AllMusic verified credits for Brian Squillace
  • Tender

79 Reviews - 21 Repeat Clients

Endorse Brian Squillace
  1. Review by Brianna A.
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    Would 100% recommend working with Brian. He’s awesome! Works until the you’re happy with the final product!

  2. Review by Victor Lin
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    Brian is an amazing producer. He has great music sense and very patient when it comes to fulfilling clients' expectation. It has been a great fun working with Brian and will strongly recommend him to others

  3. Review by Victor Lin
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    Amazing producer! Very creative and pay attention to details. Love working with Brian!

  4. Review by Martin J.
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    It was a pleasure to collaborate and the result was great!

  5. Review by Stancia
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    Brian was a dream to work with as always! Cannot say enough great things about him. You cannot go wrong with hiring him for your production and mixing needs.

  6. Review by Gabriela L.
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    If you're looking for someone who will really take the time to get your song out of your head and into the real world, Brian is your producer. He is so patient, understanding, and talented, that he collaborates with you efficiently and effectively to get the right sounds into your track. Definitely helped me blend my unique vision of making an indie folk-pop song. Thanks, Brian!

  7. Review by Avish
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    by Avish
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    Tasteful production and quality mix. Incredibly patient, professional and ever so understanding! It was lovely working with Brian

  8. Review by Stancia
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    Working with Brian was so amazing, I had to come back a 2nd time! Really and truly, Brian is an awesome producer, multi-instrumental musician, and mixer. He's so attentive and easy to work with. Been a great experience!

  9. Review by Stancia
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    Brian was an absolute treat to work with. He took all of the notes I gave him and came up with something amazing! His attention to detail, ability to take direction, and his ability to generate creative ideas and flesh out existing ones are the traits that stuck out to me. It's been an awesome experience, and probably one of the most efficient and seamless production efforts I've experienced with a producer. Thanks Brian! I'll definitely be back.

  10. Review by Annina K.
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    Brian is an insightful professional. My experience with Brian was smooth and extremely pleasant; he recognized who I am as an artist and executed my vision perfectly by upgrading the song. He is very informative with everything he does and is great at communicating and understanding the client even when it comes to broad ideas. I highly recommend his services.

  11. Review by Sian H.
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    Brian is a true professional - he takes the time to understand your musical style and intentions and works diligently to bring your vision to life. Would highly recommend.

  12. Review by Dillan Wheeler
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    I had the pleasure of recording drums for another one of Brian's songs. His tracks have a great feel and his direction is so concise that we were able to finish the project in a matter of days. He is professional and easy to work with.

  13. Review by Baffin Records
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    Another great experience working with Brian! Highly recommend for Production and Mixing--Baffin Records will be proud to release this track soon!

  14. Review by Verena B.
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    Brian did an amazing job producing and mixing another song of mine. Great communication, excellent mixing and just a pleasure to work with.

  15. Review by Verena
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    by Verena
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    It was great working with Brian. He's a talented producer and musician with all the tools: instrumental skills, great taste in music, amazing mixing skills and very respectful of the artist's vision. I wanted to learn more about production during this project and Brian gave me a lot of helpful tips. I will definitely work with him on future projects.

  16. Review by Dillan Wheeler
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    I am so lucky to have worked with Brian. He provides clear direction, responds quickly, and really builds you up to do your best work. The song we worked on has a professional and polished sound. It was arranged so well, which made it easy to vibe to. I highly recommend working with him if you have the chance.

  17. Review by Svetlana R.
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    Great communication with Brian! He has a good taste on composing and editing sound. Really like his own band as well.
    Thank you for your work!

  18. Review by Tyler P.
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    Let me just say first in foremost that Brian is an amazing producer. He is attentive, creative, easy to work with, extremely talented... I could go on and on! We have worked together on two songs so far and I cannot possibly recommend working with him more. Brian takes his time to really get to know you and your influences in order to begin creating a song with you that is absolutely incredibly unique to your sound! Do yourself a favor and take your music to the next level and work with him!!

  19. Review by David Z.
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    Great working with Brian. Patient, prompt and and a great ear for what is needed in the production of my song. Awesome mixing work too. Highly recommended and I will use his services again.

  20. Review by Brianna A.
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    Always a pleasure to work with Brian! Couldn't be happier with the results!!

Interview with Brian Squillace

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

  2. A: I'm really loving the track that I have as my profile track at the moment: Lea Cota - Sugarcane. She's a brilliant songwriter. She brought that song to me knowing that the song was great, but not having a strong vision for how it should sound instrumentally. Together we discovered a sound for it, and she's had a lot of success with it. I love watching music get released!

  3. Q: What are you working on at the moment?

  4. A: I have about 10 things going on at all times! If I don't have at least 5 tracks I'm working on at any given moment then something is wrong. My life has to be full of music.

  5. Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

  6. A: Yes, for mastering - Dale Hiscock, and for indie/folk production - Taylor Neal.

  7. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  8. A: I love the sound of old analog records. With that being said - I've been doing digital home recording since high school, and it's what I know. I love using digital tools to really distort audio and get crazy sounds. I think that's the world I'm most comfortable in. Give me a sample that you recorded off of your voice memos on your iPhone and let me turn that into a dance track for you. That's what I love about digital music.

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

  10. A: I promise we're going to work til we get it right. I'm not tied up in revision amounts and all that. I want to make sure you're happy, and we're going to communicate effectively through the whole process and get you to where you want to be. You'll leave happy.

  11. Q: What do you like most about your job?

  12. A: I get to watch people get stoked about their music! I know what it's like to be working on a track and want to listen to it nonstop, in the car, on a walk, whenever. I love it when I send a file to someone and they can't stop listening to it.

  13. Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

  14. A: The thing everyone asks is - what do you think about the track? I love to be honest. I'm going to tell you what's working about it, and what's not, from a production standpoint. If I can't identify what's wrong, how can I fix it?

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

  16. A: A lot of people think that production is about having the right equipment and plugins. The best producers out there could make a hit in garage band. Yes, fancy tools help and are fun, but absolutely not necessary for creating meaningful music.

  17. Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

  18. A: What's inspiring you right now? What music is making you lose your mind?

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

  20. A: Look for a real relationship with someone! Don't let a producer make you feel like you're on an assembly line. Your music deserves personalized attention, and even when hiring online I think you should expect that.

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

  22. A: Well, on my desert island I'm going to need electricity. I'm bringing a sampler, macbook, microphone, interface, and a midi controller. I'm happy.

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

  24. A: I've been doing this my whole life, to some extent. Even when I was younger, I was having all my friends bands come record with me. I started off playing in punk and emo bands in high school. I eventually migrated to indie rock and spent my 20s focused on playing in as many projects as I could. I learned that my happy place in a band is something that looks like a producer role. At some point people started paying me to produce their music, and I haven't looked back ever since.

  25. Q: How would you describe your style?

  26. A: My style is psychedelic, dynamic, and dreamy. I love soundscapes and big explosive moments. I love having production details that are there only for the most attentive listeners.

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

  28. A: I have a huge list. And maybe it's not even about collaboration - I'd like to be a fly on the wall in some studios. If I could see how the record '22 a million' by bon iver was made, I could die happy.

  29. Q: Can you share one music production tip?

  30. A: Don't think too hard! You'll end up talking yourself out of your best ideas. Gut instinct is a powerful tool and should always be considered.

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

  32. A: It's a big spectrum from pop and indie rock, to experimental electronic. I think the thread that connects them all is that I'm all about mood. I love a song that will attach itself to your memory, or give you goosebumps. I think any genre can do that, and it's all about once you find that sound, don't overcomplicate it.

  33. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  34. A: I'm good at listening. I want to hear what an artist wants and deliver. Sometimes artists are unsure of what they want because they are brand new, and I want to instill confidence in someone that their vision is valid and possible.

  35. Q: What do you bring to a song?

  36. A: I bring alternate perspectives. I know that sounds like an obvious thing - but it's important. Most of my artists are working by themselves, and when you're the only one writing and recording a song, it's really easy to get stuck in negative feedback loops and never be happy with a song. Often times it just takes an outside ear to tell you something is working or it isn't, and suggest some alternative routes. The amount of time I can save someone just by simply agreeing or disagreeing with them with some honest feedback is really invaluable.

  37. Q: What's your typical work process?

  38. A: The process is really unique for each artist. But almost always, the first step is establishing a connection. When we're working remotely, it can be frustrating when your producer is just a message on a website. I like to really "meet" someone and hear about what they're in to, and what they're musically most excited about. After that, we have a conversation about how we're going to move forward with their track. I usually like to start off with a small chunk of the song, maybe the first verse and chorus, and really stylize that and establish a vibe before we work on the entire track. I want to give the artist a chance to give me real feedback and guide me before we get too far into the track. Once I get the feeling we're on the same page, I jump in and work on the whole thing.

  39. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  40. A: I have a cozy home setup in a bedroom of my apartment. It's been acoustically treated, but beyond that it's about comfort for me. I love being surrounded by my instruments and nice warm lighting. It makes creativity flow. If you live in LA and want to come work in person, let me know!

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

  42. A: Justin Vernon, Chaz Bundick, Jack Antinoff, Benny Blanco, to name a few.

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

  44. A: My job is all about listening. I try to hear what the artist is really imagining their record to sound like. Sometimes, it's about discovering that sound together. If an artist is unsure of the exact direction to go, I love to dive deep with them and explore possibilities.

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Ana Green - Gems

I was the producer and mixer in this production


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    Ana Green - Gems
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    Ordinary by Lea Cota
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    LANNDS - HITEM
Terms Of Service

I work until we get it right. Turn-around time varies, depending on the project and my schedule. I'm very quick to respond and communication is important. If you need something rushed, let me know.

GenresSounds Like
  • Clairo
  • Olivia Rodrigo
  • Sylvan Esso
Gear Highlights
  • UAD Arrow
  • Yamaha HS8 Monitors
  • AKAI MPK249
  • Soundtoys Plugin Bundle
  • Logic Pro X
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SoundBetter Deal

Discounts on bundling tracks! Contact me for more info.

  • LANNDS 'In The Garden' on NPR MusicNov 15, 2021

    https://www.npr.org/sections/now-playing/2021/11/03/1047717275/lannds-in-the-garden