Session Musician - Guitar/Bass

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

A: One project I’m particularly proud of is Liberty Butterworth’s debut single ‘Golden Days’. I co- wrote, produced, played all instruments (guitar, bass and drums), mixed and mastered the track. It was the first fully realised production I completed as a lead producer and the response it received — both from the artist and from listeners when it came out — confirmed that the approach I’d been developing was working. It’s a track that captures exactly what I love about session and production work: everything in service of the song.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I’m currently working with a range of artists across Pop, Soul, Folk, Rock, Singer-Songwriter and Disco. I recently finished tracks for Samantha Faye and Charly Ren, both due out on streaming platforms soon.

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

A: George Marsh is an excellent engineer and mixer with a distinctive approach — well worth checking out on SoundBetter.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both, with intention. I love the character that analogue brings and I think it’s important to understand the history and physicality of recording. But modern digital tools are extraordinary and I use them fully. The goal is always the same regardless of the signal path: get the best performance, in the right space, for the right song.

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

A: You’ll get parts that serve your music, not my CV. I listen before I play, I communicate clearly, and I deliver what I said I would deliver, on time.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: No two projects are the same. Every artist brings a different sonic world and a different set of challenges, and I get to step into all of them. It’s never felt like work — it’s the thing I’d be doing anyway.

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

A: The most common question is: ‘Can you match this reference?’ My answer is always yes, with a caveat — I’ll capture the feel and intention of a reference track, but what you’ll get back will be authentic rather than imitative. That’s usually exactly what clients want once they hear it.

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

A: That session musicians just show up and play. The best session work is genuinely collaborative — it’s understanding the artist’s intention deeply enough to contribute something they didn’t know the song was missing. The playing is only half of it; the listening is the other half.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I usually start with: What’s the feel you’re going for? Do you have reference tracks? What do you want this song to do to the person listening? Those three questions tell me almost everything I need to know to deliver the right performance.

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

A: Come with references. Even a rough voice memo or a Spotify playlist that captures the vibe you’re after is incredibly useful. The more specific you can be about what you want, the closer I’ll get on the first take — which means fewer revisions and a better result for both of us.

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

A: An acoustic guitar, a Shure SM57, a 4-track analogue desk, a reel-to-reel, and a stack of my favourite guitar-based records to keep me inspired. I’d spend the time writing, experimenting, and letting the environment do the rest.

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

A: Music has been the constant throughout my entire life. I started playing in bands from a young age, developing my skills across guitar, bass and drums while honing my ear through live performance. I’d say I turned professional at 16 when I played my first paid gig. Since then I’ve built up over a decade of experience spanning live performance, studio recording, production and mixing, and have run my own record label alongside that.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Rooted in feel, shaped by genre. My instinct is always to serve the song — play less if less is right, push harder when the track demands it. I grew up on classic records and I carry that sensibility into everything I do, while staying fully comfortable with modern production workflows and remote session standards.

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

A: I’d love to work with artists like Christone Ingram, Eric Gales, Gabriels, or Field Music — artists who have a truly distinct voice and aren’t afraid to push the boundaries of their genre. Each of them has a uniqueness that I find genuinely inspiring, and working in those kinds of creative environments is exactly what I’m here for.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Commit to simplicity. Whether you’re tracking or mixing, the best results usually come from restraint — the right microphone in the right position, or one plugin instead of ten. I deliberately limit myself when I work to see where the bare minimum takes me. More often than not, that’s where the magic is.

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

A: My session work spans a wide range of guitar-based genres — Folk, Americana, Soul, Blues, Country, Rock and Singer-Songwriter are where I spend most of my time. That said, I’m comfortable crossing into Funk, Jazz, and Pop when the project calls for it. I’m always open to working in genres I haven’t explored yet — new musical contexts keep the playing fresh.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Reading what a track actually needs. Before I record a single note, I take the time to understand the artist’s vision — who they are, what they’re trying to say, and what the song is asking for. That means the parts I play are always in service of the music rather than showing off technique. It’s that collaborative instinct that clients tend to come back for.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Taste and feel. I’m a multi-instrumentalist, which means I understand how guitar, bass and drums interact within an arrangement. Whether I’m laying down a groove, adding texture, or tracking the lead part, I think about how each element sits in the context of the full track. I also bring speed and reliability — clean recordings, clearly edited files, and clear communication from start to finish.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I start by reviewing any reference material the client shares, then we have a brief conversation (message or voice note) to align on feel and approach. I’ll usually track a short test section first so the client can approve the direction before I commit to the full performance. Once we’re aligned, I record, edit and deliver clean, labelled files. Revisions are quick to turn around because the groundwork has been done upfront.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I record through an Audient ID4 audio interface into a treated recording space, monitoring on KRK Rokit 5 studio monitors. It’s a lean and intentional setup — I’ve found that working within limitations sharpens your decision-making and keeps the focus on the performance itself.

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

A: Classic producers like John Leckie, Trevor Horn, Quincy Jones, Norman Whitfield, Nile Rodgers and George Martin are huge touchstones for me — their ability to shape an artist’s identity is something I aim for in my own work. On the modern side, Finneas and Andrew Watt inspire me for the opposite reason: the DIY, instinct-led approach to making great records with minimal fuss.

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

A: Most of the time, I focus on producing my clients, but I also help to write their material with them. I believe that this helps to build a collaborative relationship between the artist and the producer, which is something that is key if you want to bring the best out of the artist.