Mixing, music production

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

A: I was privileged enough to be the engineer at a session recording the University of Oxford Trinity College Chapel Choir in the chapel itself, producing some phenomenal recordings and being able to meet some amazing people in the process.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am currently working on a variety of projects with a range of artists, most excitedly some brand new songs from one of the biggest players on the Birmingham music scene, Snowflake Generation.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. Sound is analogue. Recording onto digital means that sound sounds like it should. Analogue gear adds warmth and character. Digital equipment allows pinpoint precision. Choosing only one is a pointless exercise and understanding that both approaches still have their place in the studio is important to understand.

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

A: My promise is that your song will come out sounding its best, and that I will not be so heavy handed that it no longer feels like your own music. The process has got to be a conversation all the way, and whether I am producing or mixing, I will always want to understand exactly what you want before I begin.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I most like working with artists. That sounds vague and oversimplified, but its true, what I love most about this job is the people that I meet along the way.

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

A: The most common question I get asked is 'how do you avoid making an artists music your own?' This is simple. I detach myself from the music. This may sound strange, but by disconnecting from the heart of the music I can see it as a whole and it allows me to be objective, ensuring I don't gain any emotional attachments too early on in the process, which would greatly hamper the process. This particular skill has been the hardest one to develop, and has taken years of work to achieve. But that's how I ensure I am improving an artists music, and not turning it into my own.

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

A: The biggest misconception is that the important part of the job is done on a computer. Increasingly people are self producing, and with software like GarageBand available and being so high quality its no surprise, as very high quality results are very easy to come by! But the value I bring is experience and a fresh perspective, being able to do the things that artists would never think to do, change the things they'd never think to change, or translate the ideas that they've got but can't articulate well enough to be able to do themselves.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: The two biggest questions I ask are: what is the intended outcome with this recording? This is important, as I will treat a vanity project very differently to how I would treat a track which the artist is hoping will lead to them getting signed. What was the inspiration? Knowing what the song is about and how it came to be is important for me to understand how best to bring out the intended themes and not lose any of the heart of the song.

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

A: If you want me to blindly praise your music then I am not the producer for you, and honestly if you find a producer who is like that they are not worth hiring. I will always be honest, but I'll always be fair and professional- hire a provider like me if what you want is to get the very best possible from your music!

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

A: I would take my computer, an interface, a pair of headphones, an XLR cable and an Aston origin microphone...and then I suppose I would try and tie them all together into some kind of raft to get myself home.

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

A: I began doing music production when I was 13, using basic software and dirt cheap equipment. By the time I reached 19 I had begun working much more professionally, and have been working in a professional capacity as a music producer for 4 years now. Every day feels just as exciting as it did the first time I ever laid a track down on my broken old computer.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I would describe my style as honest, open and dedicated.

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

A: I would love to work with Frank turner, he has long been a major influential artist of mine and I love his music, it would be incredible to be able to work with him.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: My biggest music production tip is to make the song as good as it can be before beginning the recording process. If you name 5 songs that would be contenders for the most influential songs of all time I can guarantee it is never the production that makes those songs great, it is the song itself.

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

A: Normally I work on indie, indie pop, indie rock and alternative rock music, although I have also worked on singer songwriter, hard rock and classical recordings.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is my ability to critically listen, assess and very honestly advise on how best to improve what has been presented to me.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring a fresh set of ears, years of experience and expertise, and a mindset to make sure that your music will leave my hands the best that it can possibly be. I am not intrusive or overbearing with how I work, and I don't try to turn your music into my own. I am a tool to help get the best possible final product from your music.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Before beginning the recording process, I like to start by really getting into the song itself, working on the flow and particularly on the transitions between sections, to make sure the song is as good as it can possibly be. From there the song can be demoed properly, before tracking the instruments properly and finally mixing the song.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Working out of two studios, my recording studio is setup to be as inspirational as possible, focussing entirely on a smooth workflow to allow the music to flow and grow naturally, getting the best out of the songs and the best from the performers. My mixing studio is an acoustically treated space with premium quality Adam audio monitors, allowing me to mix the music so it translates perfectly onto every other speaker.

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

A: I take musical inspiration from Frank Turner, as well as indie bands like Sea Girls, The 1975 and The Wombats.

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

A: The most common work I do is producing songs for clients to make them the best they can be, as well as mixing and songwriting