Production Studio

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

A: I am especially proud of the work I did with Hellfire Kit. The album has 17 tracks and I did all the drums, mixing, and mastering. I even played bass on a few tracks. Besides the large body of work that it represents, I am especially proud of the album because of how unique the concept was.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I just finished three techno instrumentals today. The next project on my schedule is a song I wrote with a vocalist a few years ago, but we have re-recorded some vocals so we can pitch it for sync opportunities.

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

A: Not yet, but I'll let you know.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital because it is more affordable and convenient. If it's good enough for Andrew Schepps then it's good enough for me.

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

A: I will follow through with the work no matter what.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: New problems and solutions every day. I also love building my creative and technical skills.

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

A: They mostly ask to hear music I have worked on. I then send them this link: matthoustonmusic.com/listen

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

A: That it is fun 100% of the time. In reality, it is only fun 95% of the time.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Can I hear a demo? What is your goal for this work? Who are your influences? How quickly do you need this done?

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

A: Listen to their work and see if it feels right. Providers like me can tell you any story they want, but if you can hear their work and it feels good then you are on the right track.

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

A: A shovel, a knife, a large towel, flint, and a spool of twine.

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

A: I went to university for audio production. Before that, I played drums in a few bands at school and after school. All-in-all I have been a musician for over 20 years. The last 10 years have been where I would say I really started learning "music-making" as it pertains to production and recording.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I'm a chameleon when it comes to style honestly. I guess I would describe it as versatile. A few common things even between all the styles of music I work on are interesting harmonies, syncopated rhythms, complex textures, and attention to detail.

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

A: I just want to work with great singers who are easy to get along with. Some notable artists you may have heard of that I think fit this description are Charlie Puth, Kacey Musgraves, Julia Michaels, and Cody Fry.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Just use ur ears brooo. No just kidding! Truly the most important production tip is to listen to other people's music with a critical ear. Take mental notes of things you hear and try to ascertain how you might recreate those things. Do this while working on your own music, and don't wait until you start mixing!

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

A: I really work in so many styles it is hard to answer. For instance, I just finished three up-tempo techno tracks for a client recently, but before that, I was working on an RnB track to pitch to Diddy. It really depends. I do find that I enjoy working on heavier genres in general, and lots of the music I make involves guitar to some degree.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Coming up with ideas. I am never short on creativity, so I can come up with as many ideas as needed for special moments in songs, endings, and melodies.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Whatever is missing

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Nothing about this type of work is really typical because it happens on a case-by-case basis. However, if I am producing a song for an artist, I like to listen to the demo quite a bit and chat about it first to get an idea of what the artist is after. I also like to ask about inspirations and have them show me any tracks they want their music to sound similar to.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have most of the major audio programs in my studio so I can easily open sessions from different clients if needed. I have also tried all of them and found some that I like and some that I don't. My space has all the necessary equipment, such as studio monitors, audio interface, control surface, and instruments. I have invested heavily in audio plugins so I can mix and produce at a very high level efficiently. I have also corrected my studio monitor profile with Sonarworks to get an extremely honest sound from my speakers.

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

A: I love any producer/musician that creates and writes their own music. Imogen Heap, Tennyson, and Tame Impala are three that I love for that reason.

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

A: I record vocals in my home studio and produce and mix instrumentals for songwriters.