Songwriter // Producer

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both! I think digital instruments complement real ones in all sorts of interesting ways. Layering a piano with virtual synths, for example, can create a hyperinstrument that has never been heard before and yet somehow sounds familiar. I always strive to find sounds that are paradoxically timeless but innovative.

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

A: Many producers don't mix or master themselves, so it can take a little while until the song gets to the point of being releasable. My goal is always to deliver a song that is fully produced, mixed, and mastered so that it's ready to go out into the world as soon as I send it back to the artist.

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

A: Think of a couple reference tracks or pick a song you've released before so that I can get a sonic picture of what you're looking for out of a production. It takes a lot of the guesswork out of the process but still leaves plenty of room to experiment.

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

A: Oh man, that's a tough one...I think I'd have to start with my microphone the Neumann TLM 103 because it's really versatile and anything you run through it sounds great. Then, I'd probably chose my Stratocaster and a Martin guitar to have both an electric and an acoustic. I'd also have to take my UAD 610 Preamp to give everything some analogue warmth. And finally my Prophet 5 for some synth magic!

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: After being in dozens of sessions, all I can say is that the work really varies depending on the artist. So, I try to be really flexible and cater to what the song needs. Sometimes that involves writing at a piano or guitar, sometimes it involves writing at the computer; sometimes it doesn't involve writing at all if the artists comes in with a song already that only needs to be produced out. But whatever the case may be, I'm always committed to putting the artist's process first.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I run and operate a studio out of Midtown with a full arsenal of instruments and plugins. I'm an avid gear collector, so my studio has everything from acoustic guitars to hardware synths. I also own practically every plugin known to man!

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

A: I'm a big fan of artists who tend to use more organic instruments like Phoebe Bridgers and Tom Odell but I also have an affinity bands with larger productions like the Killers and the 1975. And although these might seem like radically different sonic styles, I think the common ground is that these acts put the song itself above all else, meaning that the production doesn't overshadow the writing. More specifically, I gravitate towards productions that blend organic elements like guitar and piano with digital ones like synths, combining the old with the new.

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

A: Typically, I build a song from the ground up with artists. It all starts with a day in the studio co-writing the song and then I'll produce, mix, and master it over the course of a week. As a writer-producer, I fall somewhere between indie and pop—but where exactly I land on that spectrum really depends on the artist.