Pop, Dance, House Producer

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I’m currently working on a house remix of an EDM track for a Spanish producer.

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

A: Yes, for mastering services, I’d highly recommend Philip Marsden (Marsden Mastering). For vocalists, I’d recommend Charlie Cooper, Joe Brackman, Silver Angelina, Natalia Natchan, and MyrahSings, and Mabelle.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: As a producer, I prefer digital. It’s what I’m most comfortable working with and it means I can be relatively mobile in my work.

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

A: My promise is that I’ll use all the resources I have at my disposal to create a release-ready track that you can be proud of.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The fact that I get to be creative and work with music. I also enjoy working with artists and helping them realise the visions they have for their songs.

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

A: People usually ask how long it will take to produce their track. Typically, it takes around a week for me to create a ‘demo’ version that includes all the sound design elements, structure etc. It then takes 3-4 days for me to mix and master the track.

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

A: I guess the biggest misconception is that I simply provide artists with ‘beats’. As a producer, I take a much more hands-on approach to creating a track. I like to get to know the artists as a person as much as possible, learn about their background, their influences and their goals. Music can be a very personal experience, and I want to tap into that ‘feeling’ that artists have as much as I can.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I have a briefing form that I can send to artists if they feel they need it. But typically, I ask: - How did the song come about? - Who/what was your inspiration behind the track? - In what style do you imagine the track being produced? - Do you have any reference tracks that you’d like me to draw inspiration from? - Are there any particular sounds you’d like me to include? - What do you intend to do with the track?

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

A: I’d say it’s always a good idea to bring a ‘finished’ song to the table. It doesn’t necessarily need to have instrumentation, but even a rough vocal recording that you’d consider complete in terms of melody and lyrics helps me understand your style and gives us a strong foundation for developing it further.

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

A: Laptop, guitar, microphone, pre amp, cable :)

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

A: Well, I’ve always been a writer. I have a separate career working as a copywriter, but I guess I started in music as a songwriter. Before I could play any instruments, I’d always be ‘borrowing’ melodies from songs and mashing them together to help me write lyrics. I’ve played in indie bands for around 12 years, and always produced demos for my band. In the last few years, I’ve been focused on writing songs for publishers and offering music production as a service to up-and-coming independent artists.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Generally speaking, I’d describe it as ‘commercial’. Whether I’m producing pop music, or house, I tend to lean towards three-and-a-half minute tracks that pack a punch.

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

A: There are so many up-and-coming artists I’d like to work with – Alex Amor, Olivia Dean (I’m manifesting here). I’d also love to work with established artists like Jess Glynne, Sigrid, Kim Petras, and Maisie Peters.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: It’s an obvious one, but cutting below 200 hz on all non-bass sounds really helps bring clarity to a mix and ensures that the low-end doesn’t sound muddy. Also, it's important to mix the vocal at the same time as the rest of the track to ensure it sits well in the mix.

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

A: I usually work on commercial pop, dance, and house music. However, I have experience working across most genres, including EDM, hip hop, and acoustic.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I believe that my strongest skill is helping artists realise their vision for a track. My experience in working with music publishers means I’m used to writing to briefs, and I’m able to take inspiration from several tracks.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: With a background playing guitar and bass in indie bands, and as a songwriter, I’m able to consider a track from a 360-degree angle. If required, I can provide feedback on the song idea itself, before proceeding with production. In every case, I aim to provide positive, encouraging, constructive feedback. I realise that music and songwriting is subjective and I always aim to help artists realise their vision.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Every project starts with a chat. It’s important for me to know exactly what my clients hope to achieve from working with me. Once we’ve agreed on the brief, I’ll ask for any reference tracks and get started on producing an initial demo to gather feedback. After taking on board the client’s thoughts, I make any necessary adjustments to the sound design and then proceed with the mixing and mastering. As with any musical project, communication is key.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My current home studio setup sees me working from an HP Envy 13 with Reaper. I typically use a Nektar Impact midi keyboard, a Presonus Audiobox, AKG K702 headphones, and MAudio BX5 monitors. The studio is partially acoustically treated although most of my mixing work is done ‘in the box’ as nowadays, most people listen to pop music through earbuds. I also have access to professional studios across Edinburgh, which I often use for producing/mixing/mastering dance and house tracks.

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

A: In terms of pop music, I really like piano-based dance songs in the style of Jess Glynne, Ella Henderson, and Sigrid. In dance music, I like tracks with catchy hooks, so David Guetta, and Sonny Fodera are big influences. I’m also a particular fan of deep house, with its emotional, jazz chords and focus on songwriting and lyricism.

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

A: I typically produce pop, dance, and house tracks for my clients. Often, a client will have a pre-written acapella that they want to produce into a full track. Other times, they’ll have a rough demo that they want to develop into a release ready production. And sometimes, they want a full-produced backing track that they can use to topline.