Steel Guitar, Anything Strings

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What do you want on this tune? What was influencing you for this song? If I were to come up with additional ideas while I work, do you want to hear them? What date do you need this by?

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

A: I've been playing music with a deep seriousness since I was 10 years old. I got a 9-5 to support myself, but I continued playing 5+ nights a week with other musicians - gigging, rehearsing, jamming, learning. The pandemic put a stop to gigging for a few years for me, but so did a mysterious joint condition that wreaked havoc on my hands. I could have stopped playing music for either of these reasons, but learned pedal steel and began doing home recordings instead. I am focused on music as my primary goal in life.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring a unique ear - my love for different styles lets me blend several together seamlessly to bring something new and different to a track. I also bring a desire to make things sound "right" and to make something lasting.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I like to listen to a tune a few times to understand the statement the song is making, and think of how I can support that. I then play around - sometimes free play, sometimes guided by requests from the artist - until I have an idea of what I think fits on the track. If a particular artist leaves the musical direction open-ended, I record that and set it over to make sure we're on the same page for the track. I might include clips of other approaches or instruments I could see fitting. Once I get artist approval or am otherwise certain of what's needed, I'll practice until I get the parts just right, then do a final recording.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Depending on what's called for, I either run through an amp head and direct into my interface, or I mic up an amp with close and room mics. I also reamp my work for folks at times.

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

A: In my session work, I'm inspired by prolific session musicians like Steve Lukather and Louis Johnson.

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

A: I usually provide pedal steel on americana, country, and indie rock tracks, including background rhythm and solos. I also often provide various sounds to fill out a track, like baritone and hi-strung guitar.