Music producer

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both! Analog sounds "nicer", it's fuller, warmer and sits better in a mix. Digital however can be used with a surgical precision analog isn't capable of, and gives us control over sounds in real time that would otherwise be impossible. I find it's more about knowing when to use which one than about either being inherently better than the other.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The excitement of every project being a blank canvas, every job is different and I never have a dull day.

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

A: UA apollo interface, good laptop, good headphones, midi controller and a guitar.

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

A: I have been a music professional for over a decade now, a path that has led me through music production and playing at a professional level on drums, bass, guitar and vocals.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Less is more! It sounds cliché, but it's true. Space is essential, and it is often far too easy to burden a piece with too many ideas. Ideas often easy, but that doesn't mean we need to use them all.

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

A: A broad range that has included reggae, rock, pop, soul, jazz, funk, hip-hop, electronic music, and more.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: As a multi-instrumentalist I have a particularly good idea of the purpose and effect of each instrument, which has given me a good ear and instinct for arranging, particularly when directing the energy of the track.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I am what I might refer to as a top-to-bottom type of producer, I can and often do the entire process from start to finish, which requires a both technical and creative understanding of music, and what makes it work. This is essential as a producer to really get the most out of every idea without overburdening anything

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: This varies a lot from job to job, but in a full scale production I usually start with a chat to the client about what they want, how the song or songs are going to go, what feel, any references they have, etc. Once we've honed in on the sound they want we get to work hashing it out, and build piece by piece a demo of the track. This gives us a chance to really refine the arrangement without getting too committed to anything, I can work very fast to provide a quick vision of how the ideas will sound, and we can freely jigsaw puzzle things around. Once we're happy we start tracking everything properly, and get on with editing, mixing and mastering until the track is finished.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work from home in a dedicated, fully acoustically treated space, set up for recording, mixing and mastering.

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

A: GriZ, Geoff "The Music Guy" Angus, Liam Shorthall (Corto Alto)

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

A: Full song productions. Many clients come to me with an idea for a song, maybe a vocal line or chord progression, feel etc, and I work with them to flesh it out into a full song, then produce it to the finish line.