Session Guitarist

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

A: Working with Bert Heerink was a big highlight for me. My dad and I used to listen to Vandenberg's track "Burning Heart" during every car ride to some gig in the middle of nowhere. My dad followed that band ever since he was 12 years old, so when I got the call to play "Burning Heart" with Bert, my dad and I were going nuts. Definitely one of my favourite memories with my dad!

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Every day is different. One day I have to play hard rock, and the next I have to grab an acoustic and play on a country song. It forces you to keep every aspect of your playing on point. That challenge excites me every day!

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

A: I usually work on pop, but it completely depends on the artist. If they need a rock player or someone who can play through changes, I’m their guy!

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My sound and feel. I want to make every session sound like a performance to make the track come alive.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: A fresh approach, and more life. I like collaborating with the artist, so if they have a specific vision in mind, I will help them realise it

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

A: I love the old school session musicians, like Steve Lukather, Larry Carlton and Tim Pierce. My favourite producer is definitely Al Schmitt. He knew the source had to sound as good as possible before messing with any processing. I try to live up to that ideology with every session I do. If the source is good, everything else will be less of a headache to get right.

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

A: I have been playing professionally since I was 17 years old. I did everything from bar gigs to national television, festivals and club venues. I have more than 5 years of professional recording experience. Ranging from home studios, to studios like Rockfield Studios, and Abbey Road Institute Amsterdam.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Live, fresh and always prepared to go the extra mile.

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

A: I would love to work with David Paich. He’s one of my favourite songwriters and his attention to detail is something I have always admired.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Listen to your parts with an arranger’s ear. I often see guitarists showing off in the studio trying to cram all their skill and tricks into the whole song. More often than not, less is more. Before playing a part, I always ask myself whether a specific section actually needs a guitar part.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Studio time is expensive, so I make it a top priority to be as efficient as possible. Since a song is often something personal, I try to get a good understanding of what the artist wants to convey with their work. I then dive into my equipment to dial in the right sounds for every part I’ll be recording. Feel and intent is very important when laying down parts in the studio. So, in order to have a fresh sound I play only a few takes of each part in order for it not to sound like a computer.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I run a custom built PC specifically designed for music production with my daw of choice, Reaper and I use a Universal Audio Apollo Solo audio interface. Guitar wise, I have a wide selection of equipment from Fender, Eastman and Taylor guitars. I use a variety of amps such as a Koch Twintone II, a Fender Deluxe Reverb. I also run many digital simulations from Universal Audio, Positive Grid BIAS Amp 2.

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

A: I usually do sessions where I am given a track without any guitars on it. Most of the time the artist knows they want guitar on their track, but they have no clue what the parts should sound like. That’s where I come in. Writing parts on the spot and getting it on tape as good and as quickly as possible.