Producer | Mixer | Musician

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Currently I am making music for a production music library.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. Digital gives you so much freedom and flexibility but analog has the soul. Experience with both his vital. We are at the point in history where the choice between the two is almost indistinguishable interns of result. But having the skills to implement digital versions of analog gear takes a real understanding of the original technology. Luckily I have this experience. I was making music before the digital revolution.

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

A: If you have the raw talent, I guarantee the music we create will be as good as anything you've heard.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: That feeling of having made something which didn't exist just a few days prior. That feeling when you can't stop playing the song over and over.

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

A: That it is something that can be learned quickly. Takes years to develop your ears.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Show me three great records that your new song would sit beside on a playlist.

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

A: Make your choice by listening to the music.

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

A: Laptop, guitars, MIDI keyboard, UAD Apollo, headphones.

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

A: Having studied music at university I have been working professionally as producer, composer and musician for about 15 years.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: One word "craftsmanship".

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

A: I'd love to work with Arcade Fire. Their attention to detail and boundary pushing production within the context of crafted songwriting is endlessly fascinating to me.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Always clean up your low end on instruments with a high pass filter. Take out the mud in your mix by only allowing the frequencies that matter through. Always take the long view and listening at an emotional distance. Try to put yourself in the place of the listener.

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

A: I work in a wide range of styles. But I find myself most comfortable with songs that have been written from a real point of view of traditional songwriting craftsmanship. I tend to avoid cheap sounding pop, EDM and R&B. I prefer to work on music that has a timeless quality. And I like to work with artists who can truly play and truly sing.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: The ability to take hey simple idea and create a result that will move the emotions of the listener.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring enthusiasm, professionalism and a laser focused eye on quality. The work we produce must stand up against the very best in the industry.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: It really depends on the artist and the song at hand. Most commonly I look at mapping out a song in terms of structure first. The most important thing we are after is the attention of the listener and I really believe it's vital to construct a timeline which is engaging throughout. I also believe in a marriage between lyrics and sounds. For me the most successful records fuse lyrical sentiment with the emotional impact of the chosen instruments and sounds on the record. From there it's about defining the groove and the harmonic movement. Often I will focus on his short section and build out all of the layers to get feel that works. Then it's a case of zooming out and populating the rest of the song. However it's really important that everything is up for debate. Often layers produced in the early stages will be thrown out as new ideas impact on the evolving song. I believe in working fast and retaining that spark of initial inspiration.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Currently I use the UAD system. I have spent a lot of money on the amazing analog emulations within this set up. Having used a lot of the original analog hardware I'm a real convert to the digital emulations of today. Elsewhere I have an array of modern and vintage guitars (fender, les paul etc), Plus vintage amps by the likes of Vox (AC30TB). I also have a 1960s Wurlitzer EP 200 piano.

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

A: I'm a big fan of the band Arcade Fire and producer 'Thomas Bangalter" (of Daft Punk) helped to produce the album 'Everything Now'. I love the intersection of indie rock and dance music.

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

A: Most commonly I work from the ground up. Guiding to process from initial idea to finished recording. I believe one should start to envisage the sound of a finished record at the composition stage. Of course this can be a journey where things adapt along the way but it's vital to have a vision at the start. It's my job to help define that vision and make it a reality. I have a broad skill set that includes production, writing, arranging, mixing & mastering. Plus I play a range of instruments and write scores of things like string sections. Basically I am a one stop shop for making a record a reality.