Session Guitarist, Songwriter

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

A: I think we're at the point where guitar amp plugins are keeping up with real amps, so a big misconception is that those things are needed to get a great guitar tone. In my opinion, they sound different, but not better or worse.

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

A: I think we're at the point where guitar amp plugins are keeping up with real amps, so a big misconception is that those things are needed to get a great guitar tone. In my opinion, they sound different, but not better or worse.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: New Shawnee Kish record, starting up the Jordan Jones EP, and just finished up the Kaeley Jade record.

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

A: Brandon Unis, he's an unbelievable mixing engineer, producer, and songwriter. Has a gold record, multiple Juno nominations and is a go-to mixer for 604 Records in Canada.

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

A: I am extremely lucky to be a part of Shawnee Kish's production team, and her first EP was something special. She's such a powerhouse of a singer and writer. I was a co-writer, co-producer, and got to play essentially all instruments on the record (almost all drums, all bass, guitars, keys, synths, percussion, and some bg's). We were invited to do a part of the record at National Music Center in Calgary, and ultimately we ended up being nominated for a Juno Award. I certainly will never forget that experience.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I think both have a sound and a purpose, so for sure use both!

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

A: I will continue working on the project until you're happy.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Making music is always a blast, so no complaints there. But the best part is building relationships with like-minded people, getting inspired, and pushing each other to do better. Because music requires us to open up more than the average person, we can build strong friendships with what we do

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What are your goals as an artist, musical inspirations, experience, etc? But also, what kinds of things do you do outside of music? What do you do for fun?

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

A: Just try to find someone who intrinsically matches the sound/style you're looking for. Musicians are usually pretty versatile, but they do have a sound, just like any other artist. If it's the sound you're looking for, then they will naturally get you what you're looking for.

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

A: I started on piano at age 5, picked up the guitar at 10, drums at 12, and so on. Took the first year of the MacEwan University Music program, and started touring immediately after. I started recording on the side of gigging and landed my first hired production in 2006. Been at it professionally for 16 years, both live and in the studio.

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

A: Jacob Collier. To me, he's the pinnacle of musical intuition, knowledge, and ability

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

A: Stratocaster, Apollo Twin, SM7, laptop, any MIDI controller.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style as a producer, guitarist, and songwriter is generally to say the most with the least amount of notes/words. I try to only get technical when the moment calls for it, otherwise, it's the song and the emotion first.

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

A: Where do I begin... for specialists, I absolutely love the groove and feel of the drummer Nate Smith, the expression of guitarists like Ariel Posen, and the extensive talent of Jacob Collier. From a songwriting perspective, I love older Kings of Leon (Come Around Sundown era), Daft Punk's overall sound and retro-futuristic vibe, Charlie Puth's hooky lyrics and melodies, Kacey Musgrave's retro vibes, and pop artists like Harry Styles, Sam Smith, and Dua Lipa. Specifically as a guitar player, I grew up on a lot of metal and shred guitar, from 80's Metallica, to Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. However these days my three favorite players are John Mayer, Mateus Asato, and Ariel Posen.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: If it sounds good, it sounds good. Although it's important to understand best practices, don't get caught up in following a set framework. Don't be afraid to take risks, that's how you come up with something unique.

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

A: I typically work on pop music, however, that has become a pretty wide net lately. I love pop music that involves a mixture of real and synthetic instruments, retains the human emotion but adds a futuristic flavor.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My ear training. Although I don't have perfect pitch, my relative pitch is strong from training as a young musician, but also years of gigging and being required to act on the fly.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Because I've spent years behind the studio desk as an engineer, years on stage as a musician, and years creating as an artist, I have a unique perspective on the music creation process that allows me to approach it from many angles. I am able to translate the music theory into the building blocks of what is needed to capture the artist vision, no matter the genre

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I like to start by gaining an understanding of the artist's vision for the song, the types of emotions, colors, and themes they want to convey, and then I translate that into chord progressions and melodies and find instruments and tones that match the vibe. Then we start experimenting until we find the sounds needed to match that vision

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Velveteen has an extensive equipment setup, including a 2500 SF facility equipped with an SSL Matrix 2 Console, PMC 6-2 Speakers, outboard from Neve, UA, API, Tubetech, Hazelrigg DW Fearn, and over 50 microphones from Neumann, AKG, Josephson, Sennheiser, Miktek and more.

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

A: I am typically involved in the construction of the song, building the instrumentation, co-writing lyrics and providing backup vocals, sometimes additional lead parts.