James Britton on SoundBetter

I have performed, recorded, and toured with different acts all across the United States. Songs that I have written and performed have been placed on network television, and I have experience working with accomplished producers and engineers such as Bob Clearmountain and Mark Williams. I also have a degree in audio technology from Virginia Tech.

While my main specialties are playing guitar and singing, I have more than 15 years of experience producing, writing, and mixing music. I use the latest version of Reaper to record and mix, but I am also familiar with other DAWs such as Pro Tools, Logic, and Sonar. I have all of the necessary equipment at my home to be able to record and mix virtually anything (except for drums).

I am 30 years old and I have spent more than half of my life as a professional in the music industry. I have had multiple songs that I have written featured on network television. I also have years of experience as a songwriter, session player/singer, and touring musician with bands and artists such as Andrew Tufano, Joe Maye, Mannywellz, Kayla Brianna, Throwing Plates, Hayley Fahey, Riverside Lights, Gwen Levey, Alison Nichols, and Augustus James.

I am happy to help write, arrange, and/or produce songs, but I am also comfortable recording specific parts such as background vocals, guitar solos, or rhythm parts.

Please don't hesitate to reach out to me with any questions.
Thank you!

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Credits

Languages

English

6 Reviews

Endorse James Britton

by Kassy
Verified
James is amazing, always a pleasure to work with!! Killer voice, great communication, and fast turnaround. Look forward to working with him again.
by Buster Hemphill
Verified
James is killing! Great vocal sound and elevated my song. He really communicated, got into the musical details, fast turnaround, technical concerns were on point, too. Hire this guy!
by Collin
James first and foremost is a wonderful person to work with. He shows up on time, crushes the session, whether it be pre-written or asking him to improvise on the fly. It has always been a joy to have James in a recording session. On top of all of his work ethic, he is a phenomenal guitar player, as well as a well versed writer. I look forward to doing more work with him.
by Linc Bradham
James is a fantastic player and is absolutely being honest when he says he will listen to your song closely and come up with something special. He tracked electric guitar and a solo for my single “Create,” in February of 2020 and was a consummate professional in his playing and ear for the song. His turn around time was lightning fast and he got it perfect on the first take. If you ask for his help on your project, you will NOT be disappointed.

-Linc
by Andrew Gabor
Excellent session musician and a great personality to have in the studio! I would have absolutely no problem recording with him again.
by Hayley Fahey
James is an incredibly talented guitarist, vocalist, and producer. He did the guitar work and harmony vocals on my recent single, 'When I'm With Ya,' and I can honestly say the song would not be the same without him. If you are looking for a guitarist, vocalist, or producer to complete your project, look no further. James is also extremely knowledgeable about music theory and arranging. It is evident in his work—from guitar parts to the tracks he's produced, and he accomplishes it all within a timely manner. He is an all-around great person to work with. Thanks, James!

Interview with James Britton

Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Digital because it's what I've got. I use Slate Digital plug-ins on every mix though, and I do what I can with my set up to come as close to the analog realm as I possibly can.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: You will be happy with how your project turns out. I am very flexible and I'm a good listener, so I will take your feedback and do whatever it takes to make sure that the part(s) I am working on make your music better.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: The fact that I get to enjoy music. Simple as that.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: Probably the biggest misconception is that I am only a session guitar player. I pride myself in my mixing, songwriting, arranging, and producing. I love to sing, and I have years of experience singing both lead and back up. Lastly, I am a multi-instrumentalist, so I am very comfortable recording other instruments such as bass, piano, and ukulele.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: My dad was a professional musician so I grew up around musical instruments and in our home studio. My first regular gig was at a local bar when I was 15 and I haven't stopped since then. After graduating from college in 2014, I began performing, recording, and teaching full time. I moved from Virginia to Los Angeles at the end of 2019 and relocated to Nashville in 2021.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: My strongest skill is listening, and giving the song exactly what it needs and nothing more.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I work quickly. No matter the project, I always ask for examples of recordings to refer to. I'll typically track a few different versions of whatever part I am working on at first in order to give the writer options on how they want to approach the part.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I have a typical home studio set up with Reaper as my DAW. I also use Logic for certain projects. The one thing that I have trouble recording at home is drums, just because of my limited space.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes), Bob Clearmountain, Paul McCartney, Don Was, John Alagia, Dave Grohl, and a mentor of mine, Mark Williams.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: In the past, I've worked mostly as a session guitar player and vocalist. More recently, I've been working more as a mixing engineer. Otherwise, I typically get hired for help with songwriting, arranging, and producing.
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I am most proud of the Throwing Plates self-titled album because it was my music. I was the writer, guitarist, and either lead or background vocalist on every song. We have had several songs off of the album placed on network television. I was also very excited to work with everyone that was involved in the record including the production and mixing talents of Mr. Bob Clearmountain and Mark Williams, and the keyboard/piano prowess of Daniel Clarke.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I am working on a solo album. I'm still early in the process, and I have just begun tracking demos.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: The one thing I have trouble with sometimes is pinpointing the exact sound that the artist I am playing for is seeking. That is the main reason I always ask for examples of their inspirations.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: I always like to know who their biggest inspirations are. Also, I like to ask how much studio experience they have. I can work with anybody, these questions just help me get started in the right direction.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Don't be afraid to ask me anything. I'm super flexible and I'm willing to do whatever you need me to do in order to make your project exactly what you are envisioning.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Smooth and well thought-out. I grew up listening to bands like the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan and what I got most out of listening to them is just how to make layered parts fit.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Bruno Mars because he is the total package. He's a great songwriter, a great performer, and he can play every instrument. I would just like to see how somebody like him approaches entering the studio with a new song.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Less is more. Many people can fall in to a trap of layering part over part but I have always been about adding only what the song NEEDS in order to showcase the songwriting.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Recently, most of my work as been with singer-songwriters, and soul/R&B artists. I also have a lot of experience playing blues and country.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I pride myself on my songwriting and arranging. I have a very melodic style of guitar playing. I am willing to adapt to any style you need, but I typically go for taste over flash. I am all about feel.

Open Water DEMO by James Britton

I was the Mixing Engineer, Composer, Singer, and Instrumentalist in this production

Mixing EngineerAverage price - $100 per song
Acoustic GuitarAverage price - $50 per song
Bass ElectricAverage price - $50 per song
Electric GuitarAverage price - $100 per song
Singer - MaleAverage price - $100 per song
Pop-Rock ArrangerAverage price - $150 per song
ProducerAverage price - $250 per song

For any project, I can promise a turn-around within one week. I'm happy to make any revisions you might want up to three times. Afterwards, additional costs may apply.