Producer | Mix | Eng | Drummer

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Hopefully, if I am doing my job properly, completely 'transparent'. If someone hears two different artists that I have mixed and can't tell that I mixed both of them - then that makes me happy. It's not about me, it's about the individual artist and bringing out of them what makes them great, I am only there to facilitate the process - not to put my personal 'stamp' on it as such. Yes, we all as mixers have our own quirks, but I like to think that the audience needs to hear the artist first. It's their wedding, not mine. It's their song, it's their art.

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

A: I generally work on alternatives of any popular styles of folk, EDM, country, R&B, Hip Hop, rock. It's hard to put some of what I work on into those categories, but i guess they would loosely belong them. I'm always interested in pushing the boundaries and creating something unique. I love music that tells a story or paints an emotional landscape.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I would say my approach is simply making sure that I am starting from the correct premise. I tend to be very methodical…‘Do I have the best choice of EQ, Compressor, Reverb, etc… for this track?’ With mixing I’ll constantly work on something until it clicks into place – you just know it when you stumble upon something great, and I guess I spend more time getting the right combination or setting from the outset before I move on. Same with recording - I am a big believer in getting the sound right at the source. I think you always struggle at the mixing stage when the recording is not right, and in some ways that is 'old school' thinking - when these days you can fix almost anything, but to me it never has that same magical quality as a great performance captured well.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work primarily from my mixing studio at home which is a completely in the box setup running Pro Tools 12. I’m using plugins that I know well and that I am confidant will give me and my clients the results they are after. It’s got everything I need to pull a great mix and if I need to record anything, I simply use any one of the various studios around me that fit into my clients’ budget, and this makes for a very flexible way of working. If I am mixing, clients can either pay that extra amount to have their song mixed on an SSL console and through outboard gear in a top studio or they can save some money and still get great results on a budget with an in the box mix. More and more people are starting to realise just how amazing an in the box mix can be when you’ve got the right person driving those 1’s and zero’s. Digital mixing is getting closer to what we love about analog mixing everyday.

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

A: As a mix engineer I am influenced greatly by Jack Joseph Puig - having studied with him in France at Mixing With The Masters back in April 2014. It's also hard to move past the work of Michael Brauer and Chris Lord Alge. As a music fan - The Beatles. As a drummer I am a huge Steve Gadd & Jon Bonham fan.

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

A: I work on a variety of mix projects that are sent to me from around the globe - all different styles, but so far mainly singer songwriter. Locally I tend to be involved in all processes, from producing, recording and to mixing.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Spend a great deal of time getting a great sound at the source, whether that is through the EQ on your guitar amp, mic placement or positioning of the instrument in the room. Fixing it in the mix is just crazy - unless of course the performance was amazing barring a few bum notes here or there, that is a different story.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My ability to get inside the heads of the musicians or artist and bring emotional clarity to their productions.

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

A: I have to choose only one? Ed Sheeran - When he sings, you feel it in your heart, and he is just a guy with a guitar and loop pedal. Amazing performer. Others would be Sam Smith, Bruno Mars, Adele, Pharrell Williams, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder - I love many different artists...