Pop/Rock/Hip-Hop Session Drums

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

A: I played drums on a song called Velvet by the artist Space Tyger that I am proud of. It features my live kit, on top of samples, with a very cool arrangement by Kyle, the artist. That song was a lot of fun to record in the studio and the sounds were a blast to find.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I have a few projects I am actively working on. One is an indie rock project that has heavy influences by War on Drugs, Bob Dylan, and U2. Another is an indie pop project that has influences in Frank Ocean, Maggie Rogers, and Tame Impala. Lastly, I am working on a record that is a mixture of western style and modern hip-hop. It fuses the acoustic-driven sounds and lyricism of western music and the low end and beat-driven sounds of modern hip-hop. I am producing and playing drums on all 3 projects.

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

A: Session cellist Caleb Elliot and mixing engineer Austin Motlow. I work with both of them often in studios in our area.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: For me, it depends on the project. If a project seems very organic, with lots of live acoustic instruments, I may run my drums through tape. I generally have tape plugins on drum busses every time I print a drum bus though, even if I don’t actually run the drums through real tape. The harmonic expression of tape seems to always make drums sound better.

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

A: I will always treat your song with as much intentionality as I treat my own music.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I deeply love exploring sounds and recording for multiple genres. Finding appropriate sounds is very inspiring.

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

A: They ask if I can have a quick turnaround. I usually have projects complete within 24 hours. If a revision is requested, I may extend that one extra day.

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

A: Recording professional quality drums takes a lot of work and a lot of time with the craft to fully provide a great product.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Do you have any references for parts? Do you have any references for sonic landscape? Do you want individual drum tracks or just a mixed drum bus?

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

A: It helps so much if you have a specific sound or feel in mind, and can provide a reference track or demo drum machine (logic drums also work) that gives a good idea of that preference.

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

A: A late 60s Rogers kit, 4 channel 1/2” Otari tape machine, UA Apollo x8p, laptop, and a midi keyboard.

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

A: I have been a session musician professionally since 2018, but I have been recording since 2011. I have played in bands since 2006.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Heavily hip-hop influenced with jazz touch, and roots in indie pop and rock.

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

A: Either Spaceface or Sunshine Boysclub. Both have incredibly unique sounds, the production is evocative, and the lyrics are thoughtful.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: When you are recording drums, quality starts with the source. Great sounding drums, cymbals, and great touch make for great recordings.

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

A: The aforementioned genres. But Indie Rock and Indie Pop are having a strong presence recently.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My ears. I think I spend so much time listening that the playing just comes naturally. I listen acutely to feel, sonics, and to production choices on every song I hear.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring a sensitivity to dynamics, feel, and tone to a song. I spend a lot of time researching how songs are recorded, so I can have a lot to offer artists as they request certain feels or sounds.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I usually ask for a stereo track of the song with drums and one without, unless the artist does not have any demos with drums. I also ask for a couple reference tracks for style of playing and maybe tone of the drums. I then do my thing, send a bounce of my drums with their track, and allow them a revision. Then I send another bounce. After getting paid, I send a google drive folder with all the separated tracks.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have a few pieces of vintage gear, including a very cool Yamaha pm400 that has transformers on the way in and on the way out which gives it that old Neve sound. I have a great Otari MX5050 Mk3 tape machine that I almost always run my drums through. I use a binaural head to really give my drums a lot of stereo width, which I think gives a cool character to my drums.

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

A: Questlove, Aaron Sterling, Blair Sinta, Jake Reed, Dan Bailey, Ash Soan, Aaron Steele, Mark Guiliana, Brian Blade, Nate Smith, Brody Simpson

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

A: I do remote drum recording often. Clients send me tracks to professionally record drums to.