Worship Songwriter/Producer

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: A new album for The Cold Winter.

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

A: SoundBetter is a great place to be; you can find exactly what you're looking for. I won't mention anyone specific, because there's so many talented providers out there.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Eh, I love the sound of tape, but there's also a lot of great recordings done digitally. I record digitally myself.

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

A: I'll try my very darn best to do exactly what you want me to do, whatever that may be.

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

A: That my job sucks, because writing is very, very hard. Nope. It's not too hard if you're not so critical about the process. It's actually the job I'm the most suited for.

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

A: Be clear with what you want, and don't be afraid to tell me exactly what you want. Share your vision with me. Open up a bit. Let's create something great together.

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

A: A guitar, some kind of mechanism to make pencils, a bottle, lots of paper, and the Bible.

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

A: I'm a writer by trade. I write and publish fiction; write, publish, and perform music; and also do the work I'm doing here on SoundBetter. I've been working full-time as a writer since 2018.

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

A: Oh, I don't know. Bob Dylan, I guess. As for why--well, he has some wonderful songs and could teach me a lot.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Sometimes you won't see the appeal in your works, but others surely will. Finish what you start, do the best you can on the song, then move on.

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

A: Worship music and alternative rock, such as Coldplay and Kodaline.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Creating songs that build and build and build to a climactic moment you (or I) never want to end.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Passion; lots of passion. And also focus and clarity and heart.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I work a little too much and a little too hard, usually. I can't think of anything except music (for the most part), so most of my time I work on music.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work in a room next to my bedroom, nothing too fancy. It's a secluded and comfortable place, so it's easy for me to get in the right spirit and produce some good work. That's why I work where I do.

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

A: Coldplay, especially in their early work, inspires me greatly. They really know how to create a song that takes you deep inside your own soul. That's the kind of music I strive to make. Switchfoot also writes amazing songs. The lyrics inspire you and uncover parts of you that you had forgotten long ago or maybe never even knew was in you. Of course, I love also love plenty of worship bands such as David Crowder Band, Hillsong, and Elevation, who also do, more or less, what the bands described above do.

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

A: Well, sometimes I take a rough draft of a song and turn it into a song the client likes better--I change the chords, for instance, to give the song more impact or to fit with the melody better. Or sometimes I'll write the entire song: chords, melody, lyrics, and instrumentation. And other times I take an acoustic performance and turn it into a complete production.