Producer | Mixer | Guitarist

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

A: I’ve just launched a YouTube channel video series where in each episode I cover a famous song and then film a music video for it - documenting the process as I go. I’m enjoying the hell out of it. It’s an excuse to push myself artistically in all sorts of directions. In fact, if you’d like a clear sense of my aesthetic and how I work, just search YouTube for “@TheProcesswithJamesBell”. (I recognise that’s a blatant plug, but I genuinely think it’s the best way to get a sense of what I’m like to work with.)

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I’m trying to redefine my own sound as a songwriter. I used to have a sound that was defined by my limitations, but now I have Kontakt instruments and I’ve been trained to mix and master, I find I’ve become a jack of all trades and master of none. So I’m taking a leaf out of Tom Waits’s book and giving myself some creative limitations: e.g. I only use a drum kit sound if I hire a drummer to play it (no more Logic Drummer!)

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

A: I don’t know - I’m really new! I’m looking forward to meeting old friends and making new ones.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital, but using analog emulators. If you split an audio channel and put one half through a real Pultec EQ unit and another through a digital emulator, I might be able to tell the difference. (I might not!) But only when solo-ed – I know I won’t be able to tell when that instrument is in a mix. And the digital emulator will always give me the same result, won’t overheat or blow a valve or get possessed with demons. The real EQ unit is a thing of beauty. But I don’t have the time to keep performing exorcisms.

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

A: We won’t stop until you’re happy (or I refund you).

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: It is philosophy class by another name.

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

A: They tend to ask: “Do you think my music is any good?” I tend to answer: “Yes, and we all tend to be way too self-critical about our music! If someone else loves it to death (and it doesn’t hurt anyone) then I consider it a 100% success.”

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

A: That you need a lot of audio gear.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Can you give me a few reference tracks? They don’t all have to be in the same genre/soundscape - the same emotion is fine!

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

A: Don’t be afraid to take your time at the beginning to ask questions before committing to the project. If the vibes feel off for whatever reason then trust your instincts!

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

A: Laptop, audio interface, XLR cable, SM57 mic and my beaten up acoustic guitar.

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

A: I started taking music seriously in around 2007. I’m not psychologically built for a career in the music business, so I have always looked for smaller projects that let me do more creatively satisfying work while still allowing me to pay the bills – although I have also worked part-time in an office (as a university administrator) for most of that time too.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Pop music in disguise.

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

A: Suzanne Vega, because her songwriting style is timeless and her work with producer (and her ex-husband) Mitchell Froom produced some of the most emotional and distinctive singer/songwriter music in the last 50 years.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: I currently love using saturation emulators like Soundtoys Decapitator and the Slate Virtual Tape Machine for EQing. Specifically, I make lots of small changes and A/B test each of them. I feel like this shouldn’t work in principle, but I find it a really reliable technique.

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

A: Some variation of folk music.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I’m a good listener.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I always want songs to achieve 3 things: be distinctive, be coherent and sound good in a non-intellectual way. Distinctive: it doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel, but it cannot sound too much like any other song. Coherent: all the creative choices should serve the overall emotion and message. And finally, I want every song I work on to be something I would listen to for pleasure.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I do a lot of prep – specifically, I spend a lot of time brainstorming what I’m going to do using a dictation machine first. When I get started, I’m very comfortable abandoning what I’ve done and going in a completely different direction (so long as it’s better).

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: A home studio on a narrowboat. I have a few microphones and way too many instruments, but I like to work in the box as much as possible rather than use external compressors / preamps etc. Digital emulators are so good now!

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

A: So many, but particularly Tom Waits and Suzanne Vega as artists, and Tchad Blake and Mitchell Froom as producers.

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

A: Producing EPs for local artists - often as a one-stop shop: performing, arranging, tracking, mixing, mixing and mastering.