Jay Ives

Producer, Mixer

Jay Ives on SoundBetter

Professional music producer, songwriter, pianist, and guitarist with over 15 years of experience. I'll work with you to create songs that you're proud of.

I'm a professional producer, songwriter, pianist, and guitarist with over 15 years of experience working on major label and independent projects. A graduate of the Music Technology program at New York University, I began my career working at MSR Studios (Beyonce, D'Angelo, Esperanza Spalding) and as a vocal producer for the Echo Brothers (Big Time Rush, Hot Chelle Rae) before relocating to Los Angeles.

Here's a playlist of my work: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3KixZ0TyTuQdidgRFjmcCt

Send me a note through the contact button above.

Interview with Jay Ives

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

  2. A: Laptop, mic, guitar, a decent keyboard, and an air fryer.

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

  4. A: I started off recording demos for local bands in the New York music scene and went on to work at MSR Studios (Beyonce, D'Angelo, Esperanza Spalding), as a vocal producer for the Echo Brothers (Big Time Rush, Hot Chelle Rae), and in various other capacities as a writer and producer. Even after 15+ years in the industry I love how there's always more to learn in this field.

  5. Q: Can you share one music production tip?

  6. A: Follow the goosebumps! (in the words of Quincy Jones)

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

  8. A: I usually do pop-leaning stuff. Sometimes I work on punk/indie. Great songs transcend genre.

  9. Q: What do you bring to a song?

  10. A: There's nothing like a great melody sung by a great vocalist.

  11. Q: What's your typical work process?

  12. A: When working with clients I usually start out with a seedling of an idea: it can be a melody, lyric, sound, or even a feeling. Once we've latched onto the core of what we want to say we start building out the rest of the song from there. I find that the best work often comes when we move fast at first and paint with broad strokes, then circle back to refine things iteratively.

  13. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  14. A: I worked mostly in Pro Tools. I have a few pieces of outboard gear that I use for tracking vocals (Neve or Chandler pre + 1176) and the rest of what I do is in-the-box.

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

  16. A: Quincy Jones, Ian Kirkpatrick, Jeremy Zucker, Finneas, Charlie Puth, Ryan Tedder, Max Martin, Stevie Wonder

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

  18. A: I'm a producer, writer, and multi-instrumentalist specializing in pop music. I live and breathe great hooks and I love helping clients create songs they're proud of.

GenresSounds Like
  • Shawn Mendes
  • Charlie Puth
  • Sabrina Carpenter
Gear Highlights
  • Pro Tools
  • Logic
  • Chandler TG-2
  • Neve Shelford Channel
  • UA 1176
More Photos