Vocalist/Guitarist/Songwriter

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

A: Most people know me as Brady Lee the country music recording artist, the guy who makes Midwest Country Music, but a lot of folks don't know how many songs I write, or that I play on red-dirt and Texas country records, have songs on Texas radio, and work with some of the most prolific pop and Americana producers in the world. I love branching out, and collaborating. It's so much fun to explore the world of music.

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

A: this'll probably shock you but I'd bring my acoustic guitar, a cell-phone, a Focusrite 2i2, and a pair of AKG 414's and I'd just make Tiktok videos of my own songs, acoustic cover songs, and just record acoustic bangers all day and night!

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I always tell people that I sound like that inexplicable Fourth of July feeling. If you want to know what that sounds like, imagine if Keith Urban was the lead guitar player for Coldplay. That gets you pretty close. The best way to do it is just listen to my music though haha.

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

A: You know I've had the privilege of working with some of the biggest producers and writers in the world, people who have worked with Post Malone, Taylor Swift, Coldplay, Sabrina, it's absolutely nuts. I'm blessed beyond belief with the people I've worked with. And normally this is a place to say that I'd love to work with like Johnny Reznik or Bono... but honestly I just want to make great music with my friends. It's cool to have plaques and awards on the wall, but I think the best feeling is chasing down songs with people I love and believe in.

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

A: I usually work on my own artistic project (Brady Lee), but I'm always in the writing room whether that's Nashville or LA, working on country music mainly. I love a good detour to work on indie pop or electro pop stuff though. If it's catchy, creative, and sounds like a stadium of people could be screaming it in unison, I want to be working on it.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I'm always working on my skills, from singing to guitar work to producing. But I'd say my strongest skill is finding value and striving for true artistic performances. I may not be the best guitar player you've ever heard, but if I hear a part, I'm not giving up until I get it right. Or if there's a tough vocal pass, you can rest assured that I won't give up til it's right, even if it takes a few days. At the end of day, I just want to make great music with great people.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I've always thought that I just want to provide the most value. Most of my sessions start with me as a songwriter but eventually I'm recording a few guitar tracks and singing the vocal. One of my favorite memories is being in Nashville and calling a few songwriter buddies together for an idea around 10am, and by the evening we had a full band in a recording studio cutting the track, microphones running all over the place, and ended up with a tune called Making Great Time (which is out!), around 3am.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: This is where you'll find out I'm a bit of a nerd, but I have a few different set ups... I've worked in some pretty killer studios like Ocean Way, Sound Emporium, Blackbird - but most of my remote tracking comes from my home studio, which I built literally from the ground up! It's a really creative design with soft walls to prevent poor reflections, bass traps to nix any standing waves, and I also built it as a pentagon shape so there's no sharp corners or parallel walls. Everything about that room was designed to be a perfect little tracking space. Probably like 90% of my entire artist catalog was recorded in that space. Aside from that, I'm a collector of great gear, and I have an arsenal of all the great mics, from the Telefunken U40, U87, Shure SM7b, AKG 414s, and the weird stuff too. I really like to capture the sound the right way, and between myself and my network of guys, we can get any sound in our head.

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

A: I could talk about this forever. Honestly most of the people I would tell you about are so far under the radar that it wouldn't even make sense... Evan Sieling and how he built a house around the idea of studio, BlueySport and his hidden gem of a studio in Hollywood... But if we're talking singers, I am amazed by people like Jonah Nilsson (Dirty Loops) and Clark Beckham. These guys are a caliber so far above the rest; the way they control their voices is just jaw-dropping. I could listen to them all day. I also love the production behind the latest LANY and Joan records; thick synth soundscapes like that just have a way to my heart. Lately I've been jamming hard to Russell Dickerson too, I love the way he writes and produces. Kelsea Ballerini is also an absolute gem of writer, singer, producer. I'm also super inspired by the soundscapes and anthemic-vibe of the 1975.

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

A: I have kind of become the guy that does quite a bit, hahaha. I'm always just looking for ways to add value, from songwriting to session playing to vocal work, mixing/editing, I believe in adding value. But typically I'm working in songwriting sessions where we end up cutting the track right in the room, and it's really fun taking a song from creation to finished product in the same day.

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

A: I'm most proud of a project called Watertown Summers. It was an EP I dropped about life in Wisconsin, where I grew up. It was the first time I think I nailed the sound that's truly inside of me. I self-booked a national tour off of that record, self-designed a whole slew of merch, and was able to play unique shows all over Wisconsin too because of (like a show in Watertown, WI). I've always wanted to be "the kid from Wisconsin" and I feel like that record truly describes the feeling of growing up in a midwest summer.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Right now I'm making the best music of my life, recording in studios around the country, and building and deepening friendships everywhere I go. I'm truly living the dream and it's the ride of a lifetime.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Meeting and collaborating with new people!

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

A: I don't know! Maybe that perfect takes are a real thing? The only way perfect takes happen is through compiling multiple takes, pulling the best from each, and fine-tuning each moment. I try to get as close to perfect as possible, but perfection just isn't a real thing until it goes through the editing process.

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

A: My advice is to have a vision for what you want, but keep your mind open. The reality is that everyone brings something to the table in the creative process. Find someone you really click with and use them often!

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

A: I started making music on an 8 track Tascam out of the basement of an old church building around the age of 14. It's been a wild journey. Throughout high school, I just kept making tracks. I spent time in theatre, performing in off-broadway type stuff, then in a pop-rock band for about 4 years that toured through middle and high schools for school dances and special events (yea, it's as awful as it sounds). Then I toured with a post-rock group called Native Tongues for about 4 years, until settling down with my wife and two boys in Milwaukee Wi, where I serve a local church as a music director, writing and recording songs through the week.

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

A: I've worked with a mix engineer named Justin Ginn about 10 times over and absolutely love his process. Another guy I've worked with is Chris Gala, who gives amazing production tips that bring a song to life.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I think tools are tools. In my opinion, analog is way more fun to work on, but digital can get you there!