Drummer, Producer, and Mixer

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

A: I love working with Zachariah Witcher on bass. I've also recommended Peter Ferguson on guitar to countless folks who only have great things to say about him. I also think Frank Maroney is a great songwriter and producer who turns out fantastic songs.

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

A: They ask how many tracks they'll get. Its typically around 12-16 tracks. I have a mic or 2 on every drum, 2 pairs of overheads in different configurations as well as room mics and I'll print my drum bus compression so they can use it if they like. I also get asked about turn around time which is typically 1-3 days.

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

A: Neumann KH310s, Lynx Hilo, MacbookPro, and a U87.

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

A: I have been playing drums and producing for over a decade now. I've toured with Maddie & Tae to Billy Ray Cyrus and have cut on songs for Walker Hays, Clay Walker, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Runaway June, to name a few.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Get your mix to the best spot it can be, then treat that best mix as if you were starting from scratch and improve from there.

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

A: Country, Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Indie

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Communication and timeliness. Professionalism for me starts with punctuality.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I currently have a Protools rig with all UAD, Soundtoys, Native Instrument Komplete Ultimate and WAVEs plugins. My mics include sE Electronics, Neumann, AKG, AEA, Coles, Shure, and Miktek. I have various Gretsch drum kits from a Broadkaster to a USA Custom to a Renown. I also have an assortment of snares from Craviotto, Ludwig, Gretsch, Pearl, etc.

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

A: I'm really inspired by drummers like Aaron Sterling, Jerry Roe, Paul Mabury, Nir Z and incredible sound chaser drummers like Dan Mayo and Brody Simpson. My producer inspirations are Busbee, Jay Joyce, and Dann Huff.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. No explanation. This is the world we live in.

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

A: That they'll be 100% satisfied. I can back it up too with every review and money back guarantee as well as my flexibility when it comes to revisions

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: That it's different every day.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I typically ask for references so that I can have a clearer understanding of their background and what they're looking for.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style comprises new music that I love to listen to mixed with what I grew up on from Jazz to Soul to Soft Rock.

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

A: I've loved everything Sabrina Carpenter has put out. I love the acoustic and electronic elements in her music.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Familiarity. Artists always have an idea of what they're looking for even if they can't describe it and I try to find that reference and make it feel like it's their own.

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

A: I am working on sampling all of my drums. They'll be released in a package for use with Trigger, Native Instruments, Logic and ProTools samplers and many more. I'm really excited because we got to do some of it at The Tracking Room Studio in Nashville that is going to be torn down soon. It's one of the best rooms in town and I'm so grateful to have recorded so many amazing sounds there.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm cutting drums on a few projects that I recorded from my home studio and it'll be exciting to hear them on the radio.

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

A: Just be as clear and concise as possible in terms of what you need from me! I'm very flexible and always willing to work until you're happy.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I'll typically import the files from the producer and start to map the song out in ProTools. Then I'll look at the temp drum track and have a listen to the references that may have been sent along with the song. After that, I'll begin the kit, snare, and cymbal selection along with any other mic or gear changes that need to be made. I'll typically cut a couple of takes and then send them over for approval. Once everything is finished, I'll print and export files to send the client!

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

A: My most common work is recording drums on songs for clients.