Touring Musician + Producer

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

A: I do a lot of pre production recording for my band Youth In Revolt, so a bunch of unreleased songs that I've written and we've written together. I recorded, mixed and mastered all of them.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: A full production start to finish for a client, and some tracks that need to be mixed for others.

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

A: I wish! I just started so hopefully I'll be able to recommend someone soon.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Hybrid! There's characteristics of analog you cant reproduce in digital, and digital characteristics you cant reproduce with analog!

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

A: I promise to be the best that I can be for your project, and make it the most emotional, in depth and awe-inspiring tracks you'll ever work on in your life.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love music, creativity, positivity, love and I love making people happy through the power of vibrational music.

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

A: "How much are your rates" I start at $500 a song for full productions (start to finish recording, editing, mixing, mastering, etc) and start at $350 a song for mixing and mastering stems (raw unprocessed .wav files) I'm always willing to give discounts of $100 off for first time clients and $50 off per consecutive songs (If you do 5 songs you'll get an additional $250 off)

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

A: That it's easy, it can be done in a bedroom, and requires no skill.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: If and when they're coming out with new music, and if there's anything I can do to help along the way.

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

A: If you truly value music at a personal an emotional level and are in it for the passion of music, creativity, positivity and love, and you're looking to take this seriously, reach out and let's discuss your project. All I want to do in life is help others with music, and I'd hate to see money be a factor of why people can't enjoy their passion.

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

A: BAE 1073 pre amp, rickenbacker 4001, PRS Modern Eagle, KRKV8's, Rme fireface800 with my computer attached.

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

A: I'm in a touring rock band called Youth In Revolt since I'm 17 years old. I've been touring for 5 years, been recording and writing music since I'm 9 or 10, messing around with Pro Tools 6.2 LE in my parent's basement.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I'd say its pretty unconventional. I never went to school for audio, I only learned from trial and error and using my ears.

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

A: I want to work with an artist who truly values music, the process of creating it, and the overall art in general.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Parallel processing is a life safer, along with Vocalign.

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

A: I find myself working in the rock genre, but I'm always looking to branch out to other things like R n B, Rap, pop, anything honestly.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Mixing, it's where my biggest passion is at. I love when a song is already composed, tightly tracked and edited so I can go all out on processing the instruments to make them sound clear, full and with tons of emotion and feel and not burn myself out on lining something to the grid.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: A vision that can only be painted with the artists instrument. I can bring anything I'd like to a song, but it's what the artist is trying to convey, and what I can do to reinforce that impact of emotion. I can help with catchy melodies for choruses, harmonies for certain parts, maybe a lead to bring out this word or note in a song. A lo-fi half chorus slamming back into the normal 2nd half? A riding bass line in the verse? Or "woahs" in a bridge/outro. I can literally help you with anything

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Recording: Start with any melodies for guitars you have in mind, work off that into some scratch drums, then bass, then programming, vocals, guitar leads and any more programming/leads that can enhance vocals Mixing: I start with the drums, kick in, to kick out, to snare top, to snare bottom, to the rack tom, to the floor tom, to the overheads, to the spot mics, to the room mics, to the bass, to the guitars, to the programming, to the vocals and then any FX/reverbs/delays that are necessary.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have an avalon u5 that goes into my 40 channel british Soundcraft MH3 analog console that I use the pre's and EQ's on, that goes into a 16 track tascam 85-16b reel to reel tape machine with DBX (noise reduction unit), then that goes into my RME Fireface 800 and then into my Macbook Pro. 90's KRK V8's for monitoring

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

A: I really enjoy John Feldmann's production style and Taylor Larson's, they're a huge impact on my sound in my mixes.

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

A: I usually find myself having clients come in to record a song and have it mixed and mastered, but I also get the same amount of work from people who send me raw .wav files to mix and master.