Here to help you achieve your goal, whether it's the final piece or starting from the ground up.
Hi there, I'm Dave. I'm a full time touring musician and producer based out of Indy/Nashville. My primary touring gig is with acclaimed country trio, Runaway June, as their music director and drummer, but I've had the privilege of joining many other talented artists over the years, such as Kellie Pickler (American Idol, Dancing With The Stars), Logan Mize, Corey Cox, and Cliff Ritchey, among others. One of the greatest honors of my musical career was in 2022 when I got to perform a short set with the legendary Sheryl Crow at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. When I'm not on the road, I write and produce music from my studio. This is where I may be able to help you!
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Specialties:
CUSTOM TRACKS & BEATS:
- Drums, Auxiliary Percussion, & Programming
- Keys (Piano, B3, Synth... anything with keys)
- Track Builds for Live Performance (Show Intros, Transitions, Supplementary Parts, etc.)
- Arranging/Re-Arranging Songs for Live Performance.
FULL STUDIO PRODUCTION SERVICES:
- Pre-production
- Arranging
- Provide Necessary Session Musicians
- Provide Studio
- Engineer and Produce Sessions
- Post-Production (Edits, Mixing, Mastering)
Send me a note through the contact button above.
Credits
8 Reviews - 1 Repeat Client
Endorse Dave Elwert
check_circleVerifiedAs before, Dave came out with a great percussion track. No fuss, no muss and super timely. Easy to talk to. Thanks again, Dave!
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Dave really handled this job smoothly and professionally. Back and forth messaging was clear and timely. He made me feel like he was really committed to doing a job I would be satisfied with. And I am!
Thanks!!!!! 
Dave is an incredibly talented producer and musician. He was able to take my music from a mere outline to a beautiful produced final product. His dedication to his craft is evident in everything he does. I would highly recommend hiring him. You will not be disappointed.
Dave is an amazing producer and instrumentalist.
I've known and worked with Dave for five years, toured with him internationally, and recorded with him in the Studio. He is, perhaps, the most professional musician I know.
In addition to his talent as a drummer, keyboardist, vocalist, producer, and more, his clients also enjoy the pleasure of his time-management and project planning skills.
I can't recommend Dave highly enough, and you should hire him for your next project!
Dave is a dream to work with. Not only is he creative and professional, he has expertise in so many facets of the music business, he is an amazing resource.
Dave played drums on my latest project and absolutely crushed it. He was willing to do whatever it took to ensure the correct approach and vision was represented in his playing and the way the drums were produced. He also was able to use his studio bass player with whom he has amazing chemistry. The pocket they provided was priceless.
Dave is a smart, talented, seasoned pro. Hire him. You'll be glad you did.
Dave is as solid as they come. I've hired him for several national and international tours on keys and drums and to build and trigger tracks. He is always well rehearsed and prepared and is a total professional to work with. He's positive, friendly, patient, and overall- a genuine guy. Would highly recommend him for any projects or live shows.
Hired Dave to record drums and BGVs on my album, and to play with me live on the record’s release show. Can not express enough how fantastic of a job Dave did, not only helping me bring my vision to life in the studio and contributing creatively to the project, but playing the live show with me on a pretty qui was professional, extremely talented and made me feel like he was as excited about my project as I was, and I could not be more pleased with the end result. Dave played a huge role in helping me craft and release my record and I highly recommend working with him.
I have worked with Dave on two projects, which he produced start to finish. I feel like it is rare to come across an artist who is dedicated to the creative process but also highly administrative. For Dave, this is his killer combo. It’s the reason I did the second project with him, because I knew how smoothly the process would be.
Outside of that, Dave is just a great guy to work with. He’s fun, has great ideas, and possesses a willingness that so many artists these days, lack.
Interview with Dave Elwert
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Part Writing -- Filling the sonic landscape as needed without clutter.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: The 1975, The Beach Boys, Tom Petty, The Killers, HAIM, Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars, The Night Game, John Mayer, Dawes, Steve Jordan, Sigur Ros, Foo Fighters, Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Loney Dear, Wilco, Bruce Hornsby, among many others.
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: The project I am most proud of is one of my own. It's called 'ADVENTURES' and it is a straight up synth driven pop/rock record. I wrote, arranged, produced, engineered, and recorded all instruments except guitar and bass. I did a lot of it in hotel rooms while on tour. I wrote all the lyrics on a 7-day camping trip. This record is the best representation of me as a human being and musician.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Currently producing a country/rock record in between tour dates. Also slowly piecing together some original material for sync licensing. I always put my stuff second to the clients that I'm working with, so it takes a bit longer.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Brandon Chase (male vocalist)
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: I love analog, but I'm gonna say digital. The technology has come a long ways, it's more compact, more affordable, and a heck of a lot faster.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: Good communication, on time delivery, and a top quality product.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Freedom.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Q: Why don't you live in Nashville full time? A: I've made it work for 10 years traveling back and forth, plus the cost of living is ridiculously expensive, but most importantly, my wife has a career that she loves in Indiana. I don't want to take her from that for as long as she is happy.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: Most non-musicians don't have a concept of how long a project takes, or the time it takes to get good at it.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: Is there anything specific that you would like to hear? Is there a song by another artist that fits the vibe you are shooting for?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: If possible, record your demo to a click track, and communicate as much as possible.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Solar panel, laptop, 3TB hard drive, 76-key midi keyboard, and a ferro rod.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I have been touring and recording full-time since 2008. I have a bachelor's degree in Music Business from Anderson University in Indiana with an emphasis in percussion performance, songwriting, and audio production. I knew from an early age that I wanted to be a musician when I grew up. It hasn't always been easy, but I suppose you could say that I'm living my dream.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Adventurous and Daring, yet Methodical. I enjoy trying new things and pushing stylistic boundaries, but doing it in an organized fashion, always considering what is best for the song and artist.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I would love to work with Sigur Ros. Their music is spacious, yet powerful. I guess the best word I could use to describe it is 'Pure'.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Check your ego at the door. It's not about you, it's about the song.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Lots! Pop, Rock, Americana, Country, Indie, and CCM for the most part.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Emotion, Precision, and Balance.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: If I'm producing or arranging a song with multiple instruments, I build everything around the vocal. The vocal and melody should be the main focus 99% of the time. I typically lay down a scratch acoustic or piano track to get the structure, then start building from the ground up, beginning with drums.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: Logic Pro X, Pro Tools, Waves Plugins, Slate Drums, Kontakt Komplete, Melodyne, Yamaha, Nord, and Alesis Keyboards, Ludwig and Slingerland Drums, Meinl, Paiste, and Zildjian cymbals, a variety of snare drums, and microphones.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Producing, Arranging, Drums, Piano, B3s, Synths, Time-Alignment, Vocal Tuning
I was the Writer, Vocals, Keys, Drums, Engineer, Producer, Editor in this production
- ProducerContact for pricing
- Live drum trackAverage price - $150 per song
- Programmed drumAverage price - $150 per song
- Keyboards - SynthAverage price - $150 per song
- EditingContact for pricing
- Beat MakerContact for pricing
- Two (2) rounds of revisions included in price.
- Turn around time depends on availability, but typically within a few days.
- Bundle Pricing available.
- Logic Pro & Pro Tools
- Waves
- Kontakt
- Celemony
- Slate Plugins
- Drums (Slingerland
- Gretsch
- Ludwig)
- Keyboards (Yamaha
- Nord
- Alesis)
- Mics (AKG
- SE Electronics
- Audio
- Blue
- Shure
- Custom Builds).
