Brandon James on SoundBetter

As an artist myself, I have an understanding of creative direction, and vibe. I'm devoted to bringing out the Artist's true aesthetic through their music. My music has landed Top Charts on both Spotify and Apple Music, such as New Music Friday, Best of the Week & US Viral. My projects have been featured in Paper Magazine & BuzzFeed, to name a few.

I am an Artist, Producer, Beat Maker and Songwriter. I grew up playing drums, piano and guitar in various projects. At the age of fifteen, I placed No. 1 in the Ventura County Guitar Center Drum-Off, giving me an edge for beat making. I have had the pleasure of working as a songwriter and producer with music execs Evan Bogart (Beyonce, Rihanna, The Neighbourhood) and Emanuel Kiriakou (Celine Dion, Frozen Soundtrack), helping artists to develop their sound.

I specialize in Vocal Production, Mixing/Mastering, Beat Making, and writing top lines and string arrangements for multiple genres. I love working in a collaborative environment. My goal is to compliment the Artist, and help them bring their vision to life. What makes my productions unique, is my ability to select rare samples and arrange them in an interesting style. My knowledge of Music Theory and love for Classical music is beneficial when creating string arrangements for compositions in film.

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Credits

6 Reviews

Endorse Brandon James

by Vox V.
Verified
Brandon is a very talented and caring professional
by Lauren Day
Brandon creates music through more than just the sense of sound. Brandon sees, tastes, and touches music. Music speaks to him in colors and textures, which is how is able to do the master work that he does. He creates his own world where, somehow, he births tracks that seem too good to be true. He is the most talented producer I have ever worked with or met. In my eyes he is a prodigy and i know one day the world will see that too.
by Chris L.
Brandon is an extremely talented musician who can play multiple instruments at the highest level of musicianship. He is extremely creative and is well adapted to all styles of music. He’s also quick and very driven, often finishing a project on the first attempt. He’s easy to work with and tries to work with his clients to find the best fit for what they are looking for.
by Easton Fier
There are very few out there who can produce like Brandon can- he’s the real deal. Outstanding results on our EP together and I can’t wait to work with him again. He brought my vision to life seamlessly and elevated my vocals to the next level. He’s efficient, masterful, patient, and not to mention so much fun to work with. Get ready to rock 🚀
by Michael Couture
Never have I met a more passionate and artistically driven person than Brandon. He continuously challenges himself to push the boundaries of his music, to create something different, but most importantly to try anything. Not only a supremely talented and versatile musician but a producer who makes the collaborative process feel exciting, every time.
by Daniel Iglesias Jr.
Often times I come across artists who are either master musicians (people with traditional training and expertise behind an instrument) or ""new wave creators" (people who work in an out-of-the-box fashion, developing new sounds and pushing the formula or music in new interesting directions from behind the computer). Brandon is one of those rare talents who encompasses BOTH. I've worked with him on numerous projects and he never lets me down - always delivering fresh music with expert execution inside a unique and distinctive production palette.

Interview with Brandon James

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I am proud of the full-length that I just finished writing, and producing. I feel like I created a genre, which has been a goal of mine for many years.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I'm currently wrapping production on a full-length
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: I don't
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Analog. I like how "Fat" or full the production sounds when using Analog. It also adds a classic feel to a piece
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Question: Who I am influenced by, or what inspires me to do what I do Answer: Art, nature, culture, movies
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: With technology being so accessible today, a lot of people think that Producing and Mixing music is easy, and that anyone can do it. In my experience, people view what I do as sort of a lazy art, when really it takes a lot creative brain power and patience.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What's your vision? What artists inspire you? What are some negative experiences in music, you've had? What are your expectations? What's your deadline?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Be transparent, and upfront about your expectations
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Laptop, Mic, Drums, Piano, and a Lavalamp
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I was raised in a family of all musicians. I have been playing and teaching music my entire life. I was inspired to become a Producer/ Songwriter after many failed attempts to sign multiple bands I was in to a major record deal. I've experienced the music industry from both behind the scenes, and firsthand as an artist, and I realized that writing and producing music was the only time I felt fully in control over the project. I have been playing music for 28 years, and producing now for 8 years.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: dark, brooding, powerful, bold, atmospheric
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Lana Del Rey, because she has a strong vision/ brand and an amazing voice/ unique sound.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: I listen to the song really low in volume, so I can hear how the different components sound together. This also helps when mixing, because you can hear if parts of the mix are too loud.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Pop, Alternative, Hip-hop, R&B
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Writing the top line is a skill that comes to me naturally, and effortlessly.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Top line, melodies, lyrics, drums/ beat, production
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Before beginning the process, I always like to get to know the artist a little bit; What is their sound? What inspires them? etc. Once I know what that particular artist is looking for, I start creating a chord progression through use of either samples or live instrumentation. Next, I create a lead or riff that compliments the chord progression, add drums, percussion and bass and then move on to vocals. I like to start by writing the melody, followed by a story for the lyrics. Once everything is laid down, I can then mix and master the song.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: Sound-proof studio out of my house, including Logic Pro X, DW drum set, Music Man Bass, Les Paul guitars, SPDX, Focal Trio6 Be 8 studio monitors, Rode NT1-A and Neumann TLM-102 studio mics, Novation Launchkey 49 keyboard, Universal Apollo Twin MKII Quad Audio Interface, Warm Audio WA-2A Optical Compressor, Splice, Omnisphere, Ableton Live, Native Instruments, Kontakt 5.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Rick Rubin, Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman, Emile Haynie, Noah James Shebib, Travis Barker, Zeuss, Joey Jordison
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Top Line Writer, Mixing Engineer, Producer and Song Writer
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I'm constantly getting to work with new people. Most of the time it's a very inspiring and cool experience. I have the flexibility of not working a typical 9-5 job, and I get to express myself through my work.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I promise to listen to them. I promise to do my best to deliver a piece of music that they will love.