Singer / Songwriter / Producer

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Four projects right now. Two that are solo singer/songwriters, One synthy Alt-Rock Band from the US and my own 4th solo album :)

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

A: Dishwalla's 3rd studio album, "Opaline". Its the best album I've been a part of making.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. Both are great for certain things.

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

A: We will take the time we need to in order for them to be happy.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The feeling you get when a song you're working in starts to find its magic.

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

A: Do you think I am ready to record? Depends on if they are or not :)

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

A: Its not science... and there are no rules.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What are you hoping to ultimately achieve musically? - I want to make that what we do fits with their ultimate goal.

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

A: Take the time to have a chat with a producer or songwriter. Make sure you gel with them before you commit. You have to feel comfy with the person you're working with and I am happy to chat / Skype with anyone who wants to chat a bit about the process.

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

A: My Martin. A Yamaha U3. Mac Laptop. U47. Scarlett 6i6 .

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

A: I started sing ing be fore I could speak, started playing piano at 5 and wrote my first song at age 9. At 14 years old, I began building a recording studio in the extra room at my parents house so I could record myself I would eventually rent out to local bands) Soon after, I started studying Bel Canto Opera technique at 18 and was also music major in college. So being a lead singer in a rock band was not unexpected destination when I got older. I was fortunate to sign to A&M Records in the early 90's with the Alt Rock band DIshwalla as the Lead Singer/Songwriter and did 2 album's with them before moving to Interscope after the Polygram/ Universal merger. We sold a couple millions albums before deciding to try moving to an Independent. We signed to Immergent records and recorded 2 albums there. After that, Dishwalla signed another Indy deal and recorded our 5th album in 2005. The band broke up after that last album and I started producing more after producing or co-producing much of the Dishwalla stuff. I continued on as a solo artist releasing my first solo album in 2009. I'm currently working on my 4th solo album. All along the way, I did my best to learn everyhting from some of the best people in the business. I hope to share that with other artist.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Organic and lush.

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

A: I would love to work with Lewis Capaldi... he writes great songs and has a mad set of pipes!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Make sure you schedule plenty of time to record vocals. They are usually the last thing recorded and therefore almost always rushed.... which is crazy being that they are the most important thing in a song.

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

A: Singer / Songwriter based Alternative Rock or American Rock. But I have dabbled in quite a few genres.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Getting the vocal the best it can be is my strongest skill. Being a singer myself, I have been there in the studio trying to capture the best take possible. That perspective has really helped my vocal production.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring the perspective of another songwriter, artist and singer to a song. I have worked with many producers myself and I always felt that if a producer brought one or more of those skills to the party, the song was ALWAYS better.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: First thing is making sure we have a song that is ready to record. Is the arraignment tight? is the tempo correct? Is the lyric connecting with the melody? Is the key right? These are things we can adjust once we start recording but I'd rather get it sorted before tracking anything. Then I like to get a good demo going. Get a basic rhythm track, piano or guitar with a rough vocal pass. That way we have a template to work with. Ideally I do try to capture everyhting in the best way possible so anything is potentially keeper. Sometimes the magic happens that first time :) From then on its just adding and subtracting until we get to the vocal which I like to take the most time with.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Its a hybrid studio with an analog front-end and a digital back end. I record everything into Pro Tools making sure to go through analog pre-amps and compressors prior getting into the computer. I want things to sound as organic as possible. I can record everything at my studio using all class A gear. The only thing I prefer to record elsewhere is an acoustic drum kit if its a big kit. My vocal chain is either a Neumann TLM103 or Telefunken AK-47 Tube Mic to either a Neve 1073 or a Summit 2BA-221 mic pre into either (or combination of) a UA 1176 or Inward Connections Brute compressor. I have Antelope Audio convertors and an array of studio monitors. I also have a variety of guitars and basses. I tend to mix in the box using Pro Tools but occasionally send the Pro Tools sessions to dedicated mixers like, Chris Lord-Alge, Adam Noble or Brian Schueble if the artist wants the option.

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

A: Ah man.... I hate this question.... Hmmmm, I love great song writers like, Peter Gabriel, Martin Gore, Van Morrison, John Fogerty, Prince, Lennon and McCartney, Cat Stevens..... The list is deep. Sylvia Massy and Bill Szymzck are both amazing producers and I have had the chance to work with them both. Learned a huge amount from both of them. Chris Lord-Alge is another incredible pro that I've had the good fortune to work with on quite a few albums.

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

A: It really depends on what an artist needs... but I typically Produce, Co-write (if needed), Record, Edit, Mix and Master each song I do with an artist. I also often play some or all of the instrumentation.