Pro Nashville Drummer

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Debut album from my band Why Bother, as well as music coming out from Jack Shields

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Any specific hits or grooves? Reference Parts? How do you want this song to feel?

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

A: I rely on reference tracks to dial in sounds and approach, so having those is really helpful for me!

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

A: 1980s Yammaha Recording Custom, drum multi tool, isolation headphones, Metronome, Bass player

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

A: Since graduating from Belmont in 2022, I have been touring and recording as well as working with my own band Why Bother. I have been Recording drums remotely since 2019.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I live in two worlds mainly, Smooth clean slick buttery pop playing, and aggressive, powerful, commanding drums

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

A: Toto is my favorite band and Jeff Porcaro has been a huge influence on me and I have spent countless hours playing along to all of those records. Remi Wolf would be such a fun gig to play, an awesome blend of pop and rock and you just get to sit in the groove all night.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Consistent Gain Staging and Balance will make a HUGE difference in your mix. The Better the raw tones, the better the final product!

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

A: Rock, Pop, Indie, Americana, Country, Punk

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Figuring out who someone's influences are, and living in that world while working on the project. If you don't have a reference or an idea of what the producer or artists is hearing in their head for not just drum parts but drum sounds as well, you're gonna be pulled in different directions. I have played a vast array of musical genres, and I have learned from every single one that I have been in. My musical grabbag is deep, and allows me to act like a chameleon

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Musical drumming. I always play to serve the song, and I make sure all of my parts match the song and highlight the most important part of the songs. I always get my drum sounds to blend in with the song and to give it a certain character to elevate the entire production

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Begin by creating a playlist of songs within the genre and vibe the track is in that way I can get into the correct headspace for the song. After that, begin making a chart and setting up a session, dial in my kit sound to match the style, begin tracking and send a bounce to the producer to check in on the initial ideas, make sure i'm headed in the right direction! Once the track is in the right spot, I mix the drums with the style in mind, and then send two sets of stems. One set with reverb, any saturation, and color that I have added to the tracks, and the second set with the "Raw" stems( cleaned up EQ, balanced levels, no EFX)

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Small/small medium room, ability to place mics all around the room and surrounding areas for a variety of microphone placements to capture and tailor the specific sound and vibe the artist is going for

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

A: Will Yip, Will Putney, Hugh Padgham, Steve Albini, Vinnie Coliaiuta, Jeff Porcaro, Carlos Vega, Tre Cool, Abe Cunningham, Josh Freese, Phil Collins, Omar Hakim, Steve Gadd, Jim Keltner

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

A: Record and mix drums to add a specific character and touch that the artist or producer is looking for