Pro Pop and Country Producer

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

A: I did a lot of production/mixing work recently for an Australian artist named Ky Baldwin. He has kind of an Ed Sheeran/singer songwriter vibe that I really loved. Also there's a young country/pop duo named Wild Fire I've produced/mixed a lot of stuff for recently.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm producing full time in my Nashville studio. On any given day I may be working on synth sounds for a modern pop track, or tracking acoustic guitars for a country/modern Nashville song.

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

A: There are so many great providers, it just depends what you're looking for. Feel free to ask me if you need any recommendations for singers/musicians/etc!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both!! I use a mix of both in almost every project I do. Sometimes you need a piece of hardware for what you're doing, but a lot of times digital plugins work better for what you need. I don't use "templates", and am always trying new things to get the sound I want for the project. I have so many guitars/synths/keyboards set up and ready to go in my studio, depending on what any given track needs.

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

A: I promise I will do my best to find the sound YOU want, and not try to put my mark on it as a player. I listen and work with the artist and won't stop until we have exactly what you want. At the end of the day, my job is to make you and your song sound the best I possibly can, and that's what I will do!

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love the creative process. I love taking a rough demo through the stages of production, and coming up with parts that will suit that particular song the best. There's so much freedom and creativity in that. I really love that.

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

A: I get asked a lot about specific gear/plugin/mix settings. There's a lot of people who are obsessed with getting a certain compressor/mic/piece of gear, and think that will make them sound like artist "so and so". Gear can only do so much, it's about learning how to use it, and perfecting your craft. Good technique beats gear every time, both in production and performance.

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

A: I think the industry has changed so much. A lot of people think they still need to spend a TON of money renting a huge recording studio on a vintage console/etc. There is definitely a place for that, depending on the genre/vibe/etc you're going for, but there's SO MUCH you can do in a home studio now. Some of the biggest pop hits of the last 10 years were tracked in home studios.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I always ask for at least a couple reference tracks that you think fit the style of what you're going for. The more specific you can be, the more helpful. Maybe there's one song you love the drums/percussion on, and another you really like a synth sound, or whatever it may be. The more descriptive you can be, the better. That helps me know what direction to go in, and I can blend that with my own personal contributions.

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

A: Go with your gut! This is not an objective field, everything is completely subjective, so sometimes hiring a producer because of specific credits they have or things they've done is not the best for YOUR music. Ask me any questions you want, and let's make sure I'm the best fit! I often turn down jobs because I know I'm not going to be the best fit for what they are looking for. I will never take on a job if I think someone else would be a better fit for your specific style/sound.

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

A: I started as a professional guitarist, and quickly got obsessed with production. I went to Yale for music, and then moved to NYC and began playing multiple instruments on Broadway shows, as well as producing. Then I moved to Nashville and did a mix of touring with Major label artists and Music Production. I switched to producing Full Time about 5 years ago, and now produce out of my Nashville studio full time.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I love adding the "frosting" on top of the cake. By that I mean instruments like a shimmery pop synth, or atmospheric pedal steel part, which add a sweet layer on top of the track you've already worked hard to make. I aim for tasteful and stylistic parts and will never sound "showy". It's always about the song for me and not about the individual parts. It's ALL about the groove. Whether it's a country/ folk track or a pop/rock track, I'll find the sound/ style you want and work to make that come out.

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

A: Jack Antonoff. I think he's amazing at blending the kind of throwback New Jersey Bruce Springsteen Rock sound with fresh, modern pop sounds. The stuff he's done with Taylor Swift is amazing. Everything he does sounds fantastic, and both nostalgic and brand new at the same time. I love working on tracks that have both of those elements.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't overuse compression/ effects, or over-complicate parts. And don't record in a vaccuum. Meaning, don't isolate parts and make them sound the best they can on their own. This will actually make the recording worse. When mixing a project, all that matters is how the tracks sound together. Also, don't be afraid to try different/ weird things/sounds. If you have a hip-hop track and think pedal steel would sound cool on it, let's do it!! That's more than one tip, but there you go....

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

A: Pop and Country

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is my ability to jump around to many different instruments during the production process, so I can quickly track whatever part/sound I think the song needs. That, along with having seen the industry from so many different sides, gives me a unique skill set.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: As a player, I feel like my strongest asset is arranging/ coming up with the right parts for a song. If you have something that you think needs something and can't figure out what it is, I will work to find the right part to fit it. Whether that's a new/inventive synth or keyboard sound, some shiny pedal steel guitar parts on top of your track, dobro for a swampier sound, or rhythm acoustic guitar to glue the track together, I'll work to make your track sound the best it can. The parts/ mixes you get from me will always be top studio quality and I will work as hard/ long on a project as I need to until you're happy with it. I will do as many revisions on a project that you want until we get it right where you want it.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: After speaking with the client about references/ideas/overall goals in terms of production, I generally start from a rough demo of a song. I map it out in my head and then build the track from scratch layer by layer. Then once I've sent that over and made any adjustments you want, I mix I vocals and master the track.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Professional Home Studio with 2 ISO booths and guitar amp ISO box, Distressor EL8X Compressor, Chandler TG2 Abbey Road Stereo Pre, Vintage guitar amps including 1961 Blonde Bassman, Peluso Mic's, WAVES/Universal Audio/Soundtoys/Output/Sonnox/Omnisphere/etc plugins, Tons of Mics, Electric guitars, Analog Synths, Pedal Steel/ Dobro/ Acoustics (Gibson, Martin, etc)/ Mandolin, Apollo x6, Adam 7X monitors, Arturia Keylab, LOTS of other stuff!

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

A: Jack Antonoff, Finneas, Busbee, Jay Joyce, Rick Rubin

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

A: The majority of what I do is produce full pop or country tracks, including mixing/mastering. This includes arrangements, performing, recording, and mixing an entire song from scratch. You send me a guitar/ vocal or piano/ vocal demo of your song, and I'll take it from there after we've discussed references/etc. Revisions are free until you're happy with it!

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

A: Matches Water Purifier Fishing Pole Swiss Army Knife Gibson J45