Rock+Indie Production & Songs

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Before you reach for an EQ, consider the arrangement - is there enough space in the song for everything to have its slot and be heard? If you've got a piano and two guitars playing the same chords, no amount of EQ is going to make them clearly stand out, so consider how you can separate them in the arrangement first.

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

A: Nick Cave supposedly works six days a week, turning up to an office and just writing and writing until something great comes out. "I used to work six days a week, but that got too much. So now I work seven". That work ethic is incredible, and it shows in the quality of his songs. And of course on top of that, there are the obvious masters - Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Kinks - Shangri La is, in my opinion, probably the greatest song ever written, with all those sections interwoven seamlessly together with a lyric that perfectly describes the alienation and angst that suburban life can bring.

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

A: Of course, most things I do involve songwriting in some capacity. Most of the time, artists I work with have some kind of an idea for what they want - whether that's a rough draft of a whole song, or just a couple of words that they want included and an idea of what subject matter grabs them. It's then up to me to turn those ideas into a fantastic song that the artist can relate to and really take ownership of, so that their audience can relate to it and love it too!

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: A sense of clarity. The first thing I try and do is work out what the song is really about, and make sure that comes across super clearly.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Being able to shape something up from scratch, and creating something an artist is truly happy with and proud of.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What kind of music they like, what style they're looking for, what the song is really about or should be about (if its not clear from what they give me in the first place) so that I can really bring all those things out.

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

A: This varies hugely. Most things that come through SoundBetter have a poppy element to them, but I've worked on everything from adult contemporary to country, from folk to club anthems and rock!

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Of course it depends on what's to be done! I'll make sure to communicate with the artist or producer as much as possible, and really get clear what they're looking for. Once I have a fair bit of work, but just before it's finished, I'll often send this over to have them look at it, get a feel for if the style is right for them etc. If it is, great, I'll finish up, record a demo if necessary, and give it a bit of a mix and send this over as completed work. If not, I'll ask for feedback on how I can change things, and make those changes.