Mixer / Musician / Encourager

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I released my EP "Despair" in 2021 and now I'm trying to work with sync agents to get it on TV and film!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital all the way. It's just way too easy to work with digital, and the difference between them is so small, most ears can't tell the difference.

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

A: I promise that I'll capture your best performance and make the song amazing.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I like when someone listens to their track for the first time and their eyes get wide with how good it sounds.

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

A: "How do we fix this?" Depends on what's happening, but in general it's either adding more contrast or taking something away. Whatever the loudest/busiest part of your song is, that's your 10, so if you don't have any 3's in your song, it's going to sound monotonous. Nobody appreciates that bassline until it's gone, and then it's magical.

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

A: The biggest misconception is that recording is this mystical art that is out of reach for the average musician. You can learn the basics, and that only enhances our relationship!

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: "What do you hear in your head when you think of this song?" "What are some songs you want this song on a playlist with?" "If another artist was going to cover this song, who would you want to cover it?"

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

A: The more you come in with, the easier it is to record. You're not dominating by having a strong vision. You're actually easier to work with. The hardest customers are the ones that say "I dunno, we could do anything." Creativity demands constraints.

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

A: my macbook pro, my apollo twin, my taylor guitar, my WA-87 mic, and a midi keyboard

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

A: I started making music in 5th grade, but I really started recording and writing music in high school. I started analog like we all did on a 4 track recorder (on TAPE, if you can believe it) and at the same time had a demo copy of Acid, which was really a loop making program but you could record on it. I still remember my first cover with my buddy, we sang Pearl Jam's version of "Last Kiss" and plugged a speaker into the microphone slot of my computer and it worked!

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Guitar-pop. Rock-inspired pop or pop-inspired rock, somewhere in that lane.

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

A: I'd love to work with Propaganda because he's SO different than my usual lane but I respect him and his music so much that I feel like I'd learn a lot from Prop and also be able to contribute in a meaningful way.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't get too precious with an idea. Just because it's clever doesn't mean it's the right thing.

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

A: Primarily pop-rock. Guitar and vocal driven music, lots of ballads but some upbeat stuff too.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I make people feel confident and bring out the best performances in people. Especially vocalists, we have a tough job and it's hard to know when you've really sold a solid performance.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring a vision of what it could sound like and what's missing. Sometimes you listen to a song and go "ooooooh, I know what this needs... and it's not more cowbell..."

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: When I'm mixing, I like to get a scratch track from the artist first and plug it into Logic, get the tempo and keys sorted, and organize the space. Then when the artist arrives I make sure we're on the same page for the vision of the song, then we record! Once we've recorded all the tracks I've needed and then some, I start that mixing! Once I find a mix I like, I sleep on it, then listen to it on my phone, in my car, and in high-quality headphones, to emulate what your fans will be listening on. Iterate as necessary, and salt to taste!

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My main setup is a mac pro with Logic, an Apollo Twin, and a ton of different microphones. I switch off mixing on Presonus monitors and Sony headphones (and of course, my car)

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

A: Almost every song I listen to, even if I don't necessarily like it, inspires me. A few artists I love and are constantly inspired by are Johnnyswim, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Billie Eilish, and Needtobreathe.

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

A: I primarily record and mix, but I often will quantize (make everything be in time) and pitch correct, and sometimes get the opportunity to play as well.