Scottish Session Drummer

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

A: I'm most fond of my drumming on the Fluorescent Hearts records from back before I was doing all this.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: At the moment I'm working on my business online, behind the scenes.

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

A: I know Emily Dolan Davis is on here somewhere...

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Analog sounds, digital formats. lol

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

A: I promise to handle your recordings with the upmost professionalism. I really care about the final product and how my drums are going to be heard and so I put 100% into everything I do. If you not happy with it, I'll do it again until you are.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I like the fact I get to study my instrument and play it anytime I like. I love meeting new people and doing gigs, tours and recordings for them. The best part of drumming for me is hearing the final product or playing it live!

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

A: Do I record drums for cover versions? YES! Can you play this gig with us? YES, If I'm free that day!

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

A: That I just hit things for a living! I guess I do... =P

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I'll ask you to send your song with a click track if possible. To send me notes about the arrangement and how you want the drums to sound. I also like to ask what your intentions with the tracks are going to be and how your gonna use them.

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

A: Take your time to message me with as much information regarding your song and the kind of drums you'd like to hear. The best way for me to get you that perfect take is to arm me with as much knowledge as I can before I start.

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

A: Kick, Snare, Cymbal, Sticks, Laptop... =D

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

A: I've been recording from my studio since it opened in 2018. Prior to that I was teaching drums full time and gigging every weekend with the wedding bands like I still do. Before all that started and during my late teens to early twenties I was out touring with some unsigned bands and studying music at college. Good times!

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style is very much a mix of contemporary pop/rock with the energy of punk and the feels of reggae!

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

A: I'd love to work with some hip/hop & grime artists because that music is really poppin right now and most pop the tunes have programmed drums so getting to lay down some acoustic tracks on those records would be awesome!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: My music production tip would be first and foremost to get your instruments sounding as close to what you want for the song. Though my secret weapon has always been Youtube. You can learn anything on there. Hahah!

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

A: I mainly work on pop/rock songs.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I'd say my strongest skill is playing what's right for the song. That can be anything from an intricate linear groove to flow with the guitar/keys riffs to subtle grooves that just push the song along. Working closely with the artist helps me to figure out and provide what's their looking for and how to go about that.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I like to bring energy and dynamics to my recordings. I've got a good groove but can bust out some tasty fills too if need be! I like to create tension and release in songs and I'm also good at creating drum hooks. I'm also fond of accenting those vocal parts in an arrangement to really bring out some character.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: A typical day for me will be responding to emails and following up with clients in the morning along with checking out news and posting on my socials. After lunch I like to go to the studio and setup to record whatever tracks I need to do that day. After recording, I'll have some drum lessons to teach and after that it's home time. On the weekends I can usually be found out gigging with wedding bands all over Scotland.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I custom built my studio in 2017 so I could pursue my dream of having my own recording and rehearsal space. I take pride in using professional gear and making everything in my studio aesthetically pleasing and tidy. The walls have been treated with insulation and sound absorbtion and I've kitted it out with the best gear I can afford. I'm running Focusrite interfaces, Logic Pro X DAW and pre-amps along with Shure, AKG & Sennheiser microphones. I'm a big fan of Meinl cymbals and Tama drums but I've also got some Gretch snare, Mapex & Ludwig drum kits and another range of Paiste 2002 cymbals. This was I can provide various sounds and textures on my recordings.

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

A: My friends inspire me and the people who I've worked with on tours and shows. The people who are out there everyday creating content for the masses. I also enjoy watching the musicians who work from their home studio and provide videos and vlogs on Youtube. I'm a regular on Youtube!

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

A: The bulk of my work is from musicians who aren't exactly professional, meaning the majority of their income is not from musical activity but they do record and perform their own material and I basically help them do that by providing drum tracks for their songs. Occasionally I'll get to record drums for a signed artist which is a great honour but I'm happy doing all sorts of work for all sorts of people. I am a session drummer after all!