JOE MORALEZ is an American singer-songwriter, producer, and artist currently residing in Los Angeles, California. His most successful songs have been featured around the world through numerous commercial licensing campaigns and have garnered over a million streams on various music streaming platforms.
Since 2013, Moralez has worked alongside many Grammy award winning producers and engineers, including Steven Solomon (James Arthur, 5 Seconds of Summer, The Score), David Hodges (Blink-182, Christina Aguilera, Keith Urban), James Gabbie (Ed Kowalczyk, Goldspot), Benjamin Rice (Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez, Nick Jonas), Miguel Lara (Coldplay, Frank Ocean, Pearl Jam), Josh Hawkins (Mat Kearney, Super Duper) and many others to build what has become a growing catalog of sparkly commercial pop projects.
Moralez grew up playing the piano, drums, cello and trumpet, eventually writing his own music by the time he was nine years old. Originally inspired by artists such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, Tears for Fears, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Pete Yorn, he managed to find his own sound over the years while experimenting with different styles in the singer-songwriter, folk, electronic, r&b and pop genres. He is most notable for the texture and high tenor range of his voice, which has been often described as “angelic” and “soothing” by listeners. You can hear his latest cinematic-pop EP, We Can Be (2020), available on all digital download and streaming platforms.
Other projects by Joe Moralez — Awake or Sleeping | Songbird | Overachievers | LMRN
Website | elftreepublishing.com
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Interview with Joe Moralez
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: Skyler Day’s latest single, Sleepwalking. It was great working with such a seasoned songwriter and vocalist. The song grabbed the attention of Kacey Musgraves giving Skyler a unique mentorship opportunity.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: 2 new pop EPs An album Christmas syncs Multi-genre song placements
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Ryan Short, Mark Rudin
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Digital for my current set up and speed. Analog if money and time allows it.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: Satisfaction is my number one goal!
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Creative freedom!
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: How can you bring my song to life? If the song is good, the production will reveal itself.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That it’s easy. Music production can be time consuming which requires focus and bottomless patience.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What are your goals? What are you looking to get out of this project? How honest do you want to be with the music you’re releasing?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Come as you are. Trust the process.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: iMac (with Logic), Apollo Twin, SM7B, Arturia MIDI controller and an Electric Guitar.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I spent 10 years as a professional keyboardist for major label artists before dipping my toes in the studio as an artist. I released my first album in 2009 and have since gone on to release 2 full length records, 9 EP’s and 10 singles as an independent artist.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: West coast Pop, R&B, Singer/Songwriter vibes through the lense of a Texas boy.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: David Foster. He’s a legend. It would be incredible to learn and grow through his guidance.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Always have a circle of trusted music listeners give feedback on new material. This can often help uncover hidden or missed perspectives that can take a song from good to great!
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Pop, Singer/songwriter
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Vocals.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I bring over 20 years of experience as a songwriter and vocalist. My biggest strength is impactful attention grabbing melodies interlaced with a unique production. I love experimental productions, especially when writing pop.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Open a blank session, let an instrument inspire a melody and then allow the message of the song to present itself. Sometimes the lyrics come first which can dictate the production approach. I tend to stay open with production and allow the creative juices to flow freely as the music takes shape.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I work mainly from my little home studio which features a fully treated 8x8 hanging cloud and sound panels. I record in Logic through an Universal Audio Apollo twin with Yamaha HS8 and M-Audio BX5a reference monitors. If needed, I partner with several analog studios around LA, Nashville, Dallas, Austin and New York.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Big fan of Emily Warren, Max Martin, Jon Bellion, Benny Blanco.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Music Production and Sound Design
- ProducerAverage price - $1000 per song
- Singer - MaleAverage price - $200 per song
- Songwriter - LyricAverage price - $100 per song
- Top line writer (vocal melody)Average price - $100 per song
- Vocal compingAverage price - $100 per track
- Ghost ProducerAverage price - $2000 per song
- Podcast Editing & MasteringAverage price - $150 per podcast
My job is to execute and bring your project to life. If needed, I will make as many revisions necessary.
- Owl City
- Benjamin Gibbard
- Shawn Mendes
- Logic Pro X
- Protools
- Waves
- Arturia
- Omnisphere
- T-Racks
- Kontakt
