R&B & Neo Soul Producer/Writer

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

A: The new single from Arianne Winter, "Infatuation". Arianne's vocals are stunning and the song has everything that I love about modern R&B. I was the producer on this track and her debut single "Foolish".

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm working on lots of projects for R&B and Neo Soul vocalists in London and overseas. There's always room for more though, so give me a shout if you want to work with me.

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

A: It’s usually about the file formats that I work with. I need your vocal stems and guide tracks as 48kHz/24-bit WAV files, with no effects added.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: When a client sends me their demo and guide vocal, I spend a couple of days listening to it before putting my ideas down in Cubase. I can’t stand rushed productions - that music is going to be out there forever with your name on it, so you need to give it time to naturally develop. When I'm happy with the basic structure of the arrangement, I'll send the client a first draft. I'm only concerned with the overall feel in the early stages of the production - all of the extra flourishes and effects come later on, once we've agreed to move forward in a particular direction. I typically allow two revisions per song and this works very well, as my clients are happy to trust my professional judgement.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I ask them to supply reference tracks. A producer's role is to make the song the best it can possibly be and we use our expertise to decide which direction to take a production in. Very often, aspiring artists find it difficult to communicate their ideas, so it’s very helpful if you can supply reference tracks - three or four songs that you like by other artists that have a similar vibe to what you're imagining in your head. If this can be done at the beginning of the process, then we'll end up with an end result that is somewhere between what the producer feels is best and what the artist initially feels sounds good.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I think my style is quite unique, because I grew up in the 90s and consumed all the amazing music that was around back then, but I've always loved 80s synth music. I’ve worked with so many genres over the years and it’s helped me find my niche. I love laying down a bass groove or some tasteful piano, but I’m equally at home knocking out a ripping guitar solo.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital for most things, but analog synths or at least good plugins that emulate the real deal.

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

A: R&B (contemporary and 90s-influenced), Neo Soul and other hybrids of soul, funk, Afrobeat, jazz and pop.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I have a very deep understanding of composition. I’ve had a great ear for music from a young age and I can pick apart most genres and figure out what works and what doesn’t.

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

A: I would hope that my clients would be happy enough with my work without me needing to send them to someone else!

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

A: I’ll bring your vision to life with my 20+ years of professional insight and well-honed musical talent.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I spend all day working with music.

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

A: A lot of people don't quite understand the role of the producer. We're here to transform the bare bones of your song into the best version possible. We don't just make backing tracks - that's what is often referred to as 'beat making', which is a different service offered at a lower price. Production includes arrangement, rewrites, critique of the vocal recordings, composition and recording of the instrumental parts and ultimately the completion of the song - all at a professional standard ready for release after the mix and master.

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

A: Send me a message. I’d love to hear from you.

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

A: You wouldn't find me on a desert island. Synths need electricity.

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

A: I’ve played instruments since I was 10 years old. I played guitar in bands from a very young age and went on to study music production at university. I have a BA (Hons) and MA in the subject. I have worked at Universal and in various studios. I have been fully independent for the last 7 years. I previously did ghostwriting and ghost production in the soulful house genre and I own a successful London-based music school.

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

A: I absolutely LOVE Maeta’s vocals, so working with her would be a dream.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Take your time, get it right and don’t just use the first idea that comes to mind.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: An awful lot for an extremely small amount of money!

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I converted my spare room into a home studio and I love spending most of my time in there. It’s full of keyboards, guitars, basses and other instruments. I have a vocal booth for when clients want to record in person with me.

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

A: I’m influenced by the broad spectrum of music that I listen to. You need to keep pushing yourself as a musician. Discovering new artists and new ways of thinking musically is the key to unlocking new levels of creativity - you find yourself doing things you never thought were possible.

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

A: I mostly produce entire songs for clients who send me their basic demos. Usually these songs are sent to me in a very rough form (e.g. vocal/piano, vocal/guitar or vocal/loops). I replace the entire instrumental track with a full arrangement and re-write and rearrange the song where necessary. The final vocal tracks will be recorded after that and I'll edit them and drop them into the project.