Songwriter & Producer

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

A: How long is this going to take? Depends on when we can get you in the studio and how prepared you are! If I'm doing full production, I can usually turn something around within a week or 2. Mastering is a 3-4 day turnaround for singles. Mixing is usually a week turnaround for mix 1. After that it depends on how many revisions we do.

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

A: Check out the sample track on my profile. I just finished that mix for Before the Brave, and I'm excited about it!

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

A: RME Babyface, U-47, Acoustic Guitar, Rhodes piano, Macbook Pro :P

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have a small basement control room, and I run a long snake up to the attic when I need a live room for full drums or just need more space in general. I have an Apogee Ensemble (thunderbolt, 8 channel), which has exceptionally clean preamps and great conversion. I have one outboard preamp (Neve 511), which sounds great with everything and has plenty of head room. I have a handful of mics that I use all the time and really like (Mojave 301, M160 pair, Re20, plenty of 57s). Everything else is in the box (soundtoys bundle, fabfilter, melodyne, antares autotune pro, waves and izotope plugins, Arturia bundle, XLN keys, Circles Drum Samples and more!) I have plenty of instruments to work with: a Rhodes Mark 1 (1976), Fender Strat and Frankentele with boutique pickups, Blues Jr with some incredible BillM mods on it, Martin 000-18, 1970s Epiphone acoustic, Danelectro baritone, nylon string guitar, plenty of guitar pedals and a great midi controller.

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

A: Kevin Parker of Tame Impala, Mac Demarco, Damien Jurado, David Bazan, Daniel Romano, and Andy Shauf are a few I admire. I love watching artists who can create massive tracks on their own. I find it fascinating when artists and songwriters end up producing their own stuff out of necessity.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Recently I've been traveling down to Nashville to do some writes and am making some progress on some of my own music I've been meaning to release for a long time! I'm also helping a great band called Before the Brave finish songs for an upcoming album (producing, mixing). I love alternating between seasons of working with clients and working on my own music. Both push me to become better!

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

A: Jacob Montague! As a producer and mixer he is meticulous. He understands the sync world very well, and knows how to make tracks sound incredibly clean and suitable for film/TV. He's an incredible multi-instrumentalist as well.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. I love analog gear, but it would be a mistake to not see the gift in all the available plugins, software instruments, and sample libraries. These things have helped make recording so much more efficient. That said, I'll always love the sound of a room, saturation from analog gear, and vintage synthesizers.

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

A: I will not judge your song. I know what it's like to be vulnerable, write music, and offer it up to a busy, competitive, and heavily saturated world. I will do my best to approach your song with curiosity first and have a "yes, and" attitude throughout the creative process. I will ask questions to make sure you feel your heart is getting across in the music. By the time we're done, I hope you feel I'm as invested in its success as much as you are!

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

A: I think working with Jose Gonzalez, Damien Jurado, or S. Carey would be so fun. I love their styles and how they use only a few instruments to create lush and beautiful sounds.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: A great producer named Vance Powell once said, "Make f*cking decisions." I think that's brilliant. The more decisions you make about a song and take in the moment, the less you'll have to go back and comb through 100 vocal takes after everyone goes home.

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

A: I produced my first album in garageband when I was 18, my freshman year of college. It was not very good, but somehow I managed to sell all 200 copies I ordered from discmakers within a few months. After that I was hooked. I started an indie rock band and kept growing my chops as a songwriter while also working on becoming a better producer with my own music. It took a while to be open to working with clients, mostly because I thought you had to know a lot about gear to produce. With some encouragement from friends I started my own studio 3 years ago and have been going strong since!

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

A: Folk, rock, and indie

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Songwriting

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I'm a songwriter and musician first, and I love getting a really solid grasp on the song before starting so I know it inside and out. That way when the artist says, "the chorus" or "bridge" I know exactly what they are referring to. I try to know the session, all the sounds, tracks, and intricacies better than the artist does so they don't feel like they have to keep tabs on anything. I pay special attention to vocals especially, because I want the singer to feel so confident with the song when they put it out into the world. The gear is just there to help us capture what's going on, and I prefer to capture the magic of the moment without letting the gear get in the way. That means I work quickly and efficiently on my end to keep the artist in a good flow. I like to break for snacks and walks when we hit walls! I'll always have coffee for you.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Depends on the needs of the client and project. I try to ask detailed questions up front so I'm positive I can exceed the artist's expectations. If it's a track where I build everything, I can usually turn those projects around within a day or two of starting. With mixes I like to kick mix 1 out pretty quickly so I can get the band's feedback before proceeding with mixes two, three, etc. This helps ensure we're all headed in the right direction. I prefer stems are cleaned up, tuned, and timed before I get them, unless that's part of the deal. Producing in person is fun because we can move quickly, but if we're working remotely I like to send frequent bounces throughout the process to make sure everyone is feeling good about how the track is going.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I often approach songs with a "first said, best said" attitude. Think Jack Kerouac's novel, On the Road. For me, it's more important to get caught up in the moment than to deconstruct every little thing about a song. You can always mute stuff later.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Each project teaches me something new, whether it's about an instrument, plugin, mic or mixing technique, or songwriting style. This always boosts my confidence for the next project and gives me fresh ideas.

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

A: That I can fix all poorly tracked material and mediocre performances ;)

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: How can I help you accomplish your vision? What do you want the song to feel like when people listen? What music inspires you, and why?

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

A: Ask questions and I'll do the same! This will help us iron out expectations up front and make sure we are the right fit for working together. Some preproduction is crucial.

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

A: I tend to strike a balance between mixing songs, producing bands/artists, and doing full production work where I build an entire track for a vocalist to sing over.