Recording & Mixing Studio

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

A: Your music will be treated with respect, you and your bandmates will be treated like family, and you'll be proud to share the resulting mixes with anyone without any caveats.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I get to make music for a living. What's not to love?

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: -What are you trying to say with your music? If I'm coming alongside you to work on this, we need to know what your music is about. What are the stories of these songs, and how can I best help to bring your music babies into the world?

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

A: Meet with them first. If you don't get along over a short coffee conversation, you WILL NOT get along in the studio. Inquire around at a few studios and evaluate your needs for budget, duration, and get it all in writing beforehand. Don't be too dazzled by fancy gear; you can do almost anything with software these days and expensive outboard gear will usually mean you have to spend more for a result that's not necessarily better than a digital studio.

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

A: I have a little Orangewood travel guitar that I was given as a present. I play that more than any other instrument. I'd take an SM57 because it's indestructible, a small 2-channel interface, a 2-octave MIDI controller and a laptop with decent speakers. Hopefully this desert island already has a generator, but this would give me everything I need to make a killer record.

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

A: I started in music back in 2000, playing bands and touring internationally throughout the middle part of that decade. I picked up recording because I loved the craft and wanted more of a mentoring role, which engineering innately lends itself to. I've been running Wright House since 2012.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Every sound has its place. You can hear everything, and there's nothing unnecessary in the mix.

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

A: U2, because I want to have tacos with Bono and there's an awesome taco truck right down the street from the studio.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Always add a tambourine to your chorus. It's audio special sauce and adds instant excitement. Bonus: if you can add strings to your bridge, you'll probably like it.

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

A: My wheelhouse is indie rock & alternative, although I also love working with funk, punk, reggae, country, and R&B. I have friends who work in hip hop that I'll gladly refer you to, but that's not my main skill set.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Is it a cop out to say professionalism? A certain je ne sais quoi? Honestly, I mostly bring the snacks. And a lot of helpful feedback on when to get quiet and loud. And a tambourine.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I like to meet with clients first to get a feel for whether we'd be a good fit for each other. If we click, we'll schedule a recording date. The first day is typically scratch tracks, laying down one guide instrument and a vocal. From there, if it's a full band setup and they want to play live, we go for it. Otherwise, if we're multi-tracking we'll build from the bottom up with drums, bass, guitars & other instruments & vocals at the end so they sit on top. In a multi-tracking situation, I like to get three good takes of each track so I have enough to work with when editing. Depending on the complexity of the project, principal recording can take around 3 or 4 sessions to complete. From there, I move into comping takes together, and if a client wants it, I can do some light vocal tuning. Last but not least, I mix everything, adding EQ, compression, and other effects to make it sound really pretty. Then, the happy clients & I toast to a job well done.

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

A: My mentor was a guy named Michael Vail Blum out in Hollywood. He laid an incredible foundation for technical knowledge along with studio etiquette. The guy is a beast, and if I ever get any form of recognition, he's gonna be the first person I thank. Other inspiring folks would be Graham Cochrane, Dave Schepps, and Chris Lord Alge.

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

A: By far, the majority of the work is with local artists who are just getting started. A few have recorded a little bit here and there, but many are entering the studio for the first time. So a big part of my job is to not only capture a great sound, but to help the artists feel comfortable, coach them on good techniques that will help them get a good performance, and feed them. We tend to snack a lot. I record a lot of solo artists and bands and mix the project for them as well, and clients are almost always blown away at the difference from the raw recordings to the finished mix.