Songwriter/Producer/Mixer

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

A: Nate Barnes is a drummer I use a lot and he's fantastic. Great intuition , feel and sound.

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

A: I would say try and have a vision of what you want and have some references ready. I find asking artists who they sound like is a great exercise because it forces them to think about who their audience might be.

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

A: U47. all time classic mic 1073 all time classic preamp. Gibson L1 because it's the greatest acoustic guitar ever made and I adore the sound of it. Laptop with protools I suppose since the mics and pre-amps would be useless without. Pultec because it makes everything sound awesome!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I use both. And they both have their pluses and minuses. Cutting tape is a pain in the butt for example but the warmth from tape is so lovely. Digital is so convenient in so many ways but I like to marry the two together. For example keyboards can often sound small and two dimensional in the computer but running them out of the computer , through a guitar amp and some pedals and back in , suddenly they sound so much more 3D.

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

A: Budget, turnaround , is my material any good? I generally tell the artist that I will do the best I can budget wise with in reason and I am always totally honest about the quality of the material. Having said that any ok song can be turned into a good song with the right know how

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

A: I wrote a song called Punchdrunk which George Harrison from the Beatles heard and offered to play on. I sent him the tapes to London and he put his parts down and sent it back. We spoke on the phone and he was the greatest. I wrote and produced that one also.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am currently writing a song called Haunt me again for Alicia Keys.

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

A: My promise is that if they work with me, they will get great songs written and a record that can stand up against anything you might hear on the radio.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I like working in the arts every day and I really like working with so many super talented musicians and songwriters. It never gets old

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

A: I think from a production stand point , it's that a producer is a silver bullet. He or she is not. Ultimately a producers job is to realise the vision of the artist.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I ask a lot of questions about the songs and arrangements. The vision. What the end game is in terms of once the record is finished. Are they open to opinions or are they very definite about what they want

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

A: I started in a band in Ireland , moved to America , got signed to Interscope, and then Island, made some records, had a few hits. Started producing and teaching at Berklee and have been doing that ever since.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My production style is very hands on from the songwriting all the way through the mixing stage. My own musical style is rootsy and rough around the edges but I also do quite a lot of electronic material which is a lot more polished.

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

A: Tom Waits. Because he is a genius songwriter and is alway original and pushing the boundaries .

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Simplicity is key. I would prefer one killer part rather than 5 ok parts. The ear can only process 3 sounds at once and the more stuff you pile on to a song the smaller it starts to sound.

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

A: I work in many genres. Lately I have been working with quite a few female singer songwriters but I also work in Americana style , rock , pop and so forth.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I am a good collaborator and I know what makes a good song.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: A deep understanding of what works in a song, lyrically, melodically and structurally. I have been a songwriter and have taught songwriting for many years and have taken apart and analysed thousands of songs. I feel like I can guarantee you will be happy with the results of the song writing process .

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I normally begin with the song , getting the structure correct, and fine tuning the melody , harmony and arrangements etc. At that point I begin working on the recording really trying to capture great performances without a crazy amount of takes. 3 is generally my limit. I try and go after the vision that the artist has and realise that as best as I can.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have protools hd and abelton through apogee rosettas with symphony cards. I have tonnes of mics and outboard gear, 1073's and Api pre-amps, and some great old guitars and basses. I also have some cool keyboards including a moog taurus 2 and a Prophet.

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

A: Tom Waits and Boy Dylan are on a pedestal. Massive attack are amazing. But I listen to all kinds of music. I really like Jon Hopkins and Underworld . I love Danny Lanois' vibe and Eno is up there too. As regards mixing , I have worked with TLA and like his work but also Mark Spike Stent and Andy Wallace.

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

A: I tend to be a collaborator type of producer in that i get involved early in the song writing process. I have taught songwriting at Berklee for a number of years so am deep in the songwriting world. Beyond songwriting, I do a lot of programming and session work and obviously a lot of actual recording and mixing.