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

A: The song Hollowhead by my band The Vaulted Skies has a special place in my heart because it came out sounding exactly as it did in my head. And it’s for my dad.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I’m working on DSiPaul’s album, The Vaulted Skies’ album, and a new project called Pillowflipper, which is like a really heavy but still quite eclectic Radiohead type thing.

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

A: I’ve not been a customer on Soundbetter, but if you can find Simon Goold of DSiPaul, I’m quite proud of the work we’ve don’t together.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Whatever sounds best in context of the overall effect we’re striving for.

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

A: That if I agree to the project, that means I really care about making it the best it can be, and I will put my all into it.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: As well -las the outcome of surprising people with alternative options that get them really excited, 😛 just love all the little decisions in choosing lyrics and how to deliver them that can have such a profound impact on the psychological / emotional impact of the song.

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

A: Mainly people just want to know how quickly I can get stuff done.

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

A: That there might be misconceptions! Honestly, I’ve not really picked up on anyone holding any misconceptions.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I ask who the song is for, and what they hope to achieve, emotionally, commercially and otherwise.

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

A: Find someone who you can communicate easily with. However professional or talented someone is, you have to be able to communicate well, and you then get to know quickly if you’re on the same page about the desired outcomes, and whether that person will truly bring creative passion into the mix.

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

A: If there’s no electricity, then I guess I’d just take an acoustic guitar, some spare strings and a tuning fork. If I could take a solar panel to generate electricity, then I’d take my Reverend Spacehawk (I’m an official ‘Reverend Artist’), my MacBook Pro, UA Apollo and my Aston Spirit mic.

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

A: Started writing and recording seriously in 2001, as a more immediate way to express myself after spending the previous 6 years writing, directing and producing multimedia theatre. My main focus for the last decade was The Vaulted Skies, though I am collaborating regularly with other artists through Soundbetter and other channels.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Versatile. But default settings are Goth / Grunge. Lots of people say I sound and write lyrics like Maynard James Keenan, though I’m only really familiar with A Perfect Circle’s first album - Mer de Noms.

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

A: Animal from The Muppets.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Learning about EQ was the turning point for me. And in particular, where my voice spikes and how to tame or use that to my advantage. Additionally, there is no right or wrong, just what feels good. Don’t judge your work on how readily it hits sonic markers; do people experience the desired emotional impact?

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

A: Alternative, indie and electronic music. Think The Cure, Nirvana, Radiohead, A Perfect Circle, PJ Harvey, New Order, Savages, Warpaint, New Order, Depeche Mode…

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Joining the dots between content and form so that songs hit their emotional targets.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I’m good at spotting opportunities to create relationships between the words and their delivery that delivers something greater than the sum of their parts. I zoom in and zoom out on the details to make sure that not only is the story being told in the most engaging way moment-to-moment, but that the overall emotional, psychological message lands in the most effective way over the course of the song or album.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I often aim to listen to the instrumental track and improvise lyrics and vocals before comparing to the guide vocals. Otherwise the creativity that clients value can be closed down or influenced too much. Naturally, if the client absolutely insists on the original lyrics and Melodie’s being followed, I can do that.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have a Kube isolation booth kitted out with an Aston Spirit microphone, feeding a UA Apollo interface into Logic Pro. I also have tonnes of guitars, amps, synths, drum machines and effects units, along with more obscure instruments.

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

A: The genius of The Cure / Robert Smith is what inspired me to become a musician.

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

A: People typically approach me to re-sing vocals, but I often find that the reason the track isn’t working is because the lyrics and/or melody could benefit from a different approach. If the client likes those ideas I record them properly and often add other instrumentation for consideration along the way - usually guitar lines.