Songwriter

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

A: I loved working on the song Higher with Tony B. The song uses principles from classical music theory and draws inspiration from the 1971 hit Love Story as well as One Republic's Counting Stars and Apologize. I also used classical theory techniques when crafting the melody. It was a lot of fun to put it together, and I've gotten great feedback from industry pros on the track.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm getting my songwriting career off the ground through Soundbetter. I want to deliver great results for clients to build a reputation around my work. I've had the opportunity to work with industry pros through this website, and I've become a provider because I want to become a pro myself.

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

A: I would recommend working with Brandon Chase for great singer-songwriter and country vocals, Cris Hodges for solid rock vocals, Tony B for R&B vocals, and Simon Jacobsen for production and mixing. I've worked with these guys before and they're elevated everything I've done.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Analog. Music is first and foremost about emotion, and that always starts with real people. Technology amplifies what already exists.

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

A: I'll write you a song that I would pitch for myself.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love following my curiosity and improving my abilities. I like to dissect new sounds and ideas, then integrate them into my craft.

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

A: Many people conflate songwriters with artists. Songwriters provide musical and lyrical foundations, while artists deliver performances and often influence the production. When I tell people I write songs, many wonder why I'm not on-stage every night trying to get famous. They may not understand that a songwriter's journey happens outside of the limelight.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I'll ask for reference tracks, the song's intended audience, and key ideas to include in the lyrics. I'll also ask the client about their timeline and ultimate purpose for the song. For example, are you looking to land a sync placement with your production, or feature yourself as the artist?

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

A: I will write you great songs, but the final performance and production are up to you! Think of me like the architect who gives you the plans for a beautiful building. That means I'll send you a demo recording with accompanying notes. However, I'm not a one-stop shop who will serve as your featured vocalist.

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

A: Piano, guitar, pen, paper, and a smartphone with voice memos.

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

A: I started playing the piano as a child, and went on to study music at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. After graduating, I became a teacher and wrote children's songs. A few years after my graduation, I released a handful of pop songs and earned over 2M streams across platforms in less than a year. Music has always been part of my life.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Radio-friendly and commercial. I strive to write songs that are listenable to large numbers of people around the world.

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

A: I would love to work with Max Martin. He strikes me as a supreme musical talent and a disciplined mind. I'm positive I would learn a lot from him.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Always stay true to the song. Earlier in my career, I would overproduce my songs because I thought that made them better. However, I now recognize that too much noise drowns out what makes a song great. For example, I put together a huge string arrangement for Wake Up — the singer-songwriter track in my work samples. The arrangement was solid, but it detracted from the intimacy of the song's lyrics. I ended up going for a simpler production. I've read that Lewis Capaldi went through the same process after writing Someone You Loved. Sometimes, and I would say most of the time, simple is best.

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

A: I like to work on pop songs that are destined for radio-friendly production. However, I'm also open to more niche sounds. For example, I enjoy writing baroque fugues and children's songs.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Melody writing. I craft memorable chorus melodies and speech-like verse melodies.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Strong melodies, tried and true pop song structures, lyrics that feel "just right" when you sing them, and space for producers and artists to work with the song according to their goals.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: First, I'll lock in to an idea. Maybe this is "Latin dance pop" or "inspirational self-empowerment anthem." If I'm working with a client, they'll be the ones to supply the idea. Next, I'll listen to a few reference tracks to get some inspiration. Then, I'll sit down at the piano and start writing. After that, I'll comb through the song to make it more economical and precise. For example, I'll make sure the melody has good voice leading with the bass notes, and trim extra words that don't add meaning to the song.

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

A: I draw inspiration from pop hitmakers that stand the test of time. In particular, I follow Max Martin, Ryan Tedder, and Ed Sheeran. These guys have written successful songs for generations of iconic artists, and I aspire to do the same. On a deeper level, I have spent phases of my life studying a variety of music from 1930s jazz greats like Louis Armstrong to modern classical vocalists like Philippe Jaroussky. These influences come through in my songwriting

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

A: I write songs that other artists sing. I provide melody, lyrics, harmony, song structure, backing vocal suggestions, and reference tracks to guide the artist's performance.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I only write songs that sound good with vocals and a single instrument — like the piano or guitar. This is because all great songs need to stand alone before entering production. As a result, my setup follows a principle of simplicity: I have a piano, guitar, and microphone. This gives producers plenty of material to work with, and makes it easy for artists to add their own style to the song. Of course, you'll hear more elaborate production in my work samples. However, all of those songs started with me sitting at the piano or with a guitar.