Josh Willis

Mixing | Production | Writing

Josh Willis on SoundBetter

Mixer, producer, songwriter for metal, hard rock, singer-songwriter, and pop music.

I mix, produce, arrange orchestration, and write across metal, rock, pop, and singer-songwriter, bringing full-band energy or intimate acoustic detail depending on what the song needs. My credits include Cloud Nine, Augustine, and my own metal project, with additional Discogs-verified work.

My setup is built around Logic Pro 12 with EastWest Composer Cloud+ for orchestral and cinematic layering, alongside Neumann, Neve, UA, SSL Native, and FabFilter for tracking, mixing, and mastering. I play Ernie Ball MusicMan and PRS guitars and use Superior Drummer 3 and Neural DSP. I can take a song from a raw idea through arrangement, programming, and to a final polished mix.

Send me your track and a few reference points for the sound you're after, and let's get to work on bringing your vision to life!

Tell me about your project and how I can help, through the 'Contact' button above.

Credits

Discogs verified credits for Josh Willis
  • Galactic Empire
  • Howard Drossin, Roadkill (6)
  • Troupe Gammage
  • Sega Sound Team*
  • S.S.T. Band

Languages

  • English

Interview with Josh Willis

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

  2. A: I have an acoustic duo with my wife called Cloud Nine that has acoustic guitars with deep, cinematic strings. Listeners have described it as acoustic pop music that sounds like a movie soundtrack. We have a song called Lune that we launched the project with, and I wrote, produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered it.

  3. Q: What are you working on at the moment?

  4. A: The Cloud Nine EP

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

  6. A: Daniel Salcido because the Sevendust record he worked on just sounds extraordinary.

  7. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  8. A: Both because there's significant value in each.

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

  10. A: That we'll develop a partnership in producing a product that you're thrilled with and proud of.

  11. Q: What do you like most about your job?

  12. A: Delivering a final product that the artist is both excited about and proud of.

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

  14. A: I think I'm skilled at writing large-sounding vocal stacks, so I'm typically asked to write vocal harmonies. My answer is always absolutely. I recently worked on a project where we recorded 64 layers of harmonies between four vocalists to create a massive, broadway-ish sound.

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

  16. A: That it's not highly technical and detail-oriented. I am a very analytical engineer while maintaining free-spirited creativity with writing and production.

  17. Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

  18. A: What are your favorite artists and what qualities about their sound and music do you want to exhibit in your own music?

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

  20. A: Ask questions and be ready to grow as an artist and have fun while doing it.

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

  22. A: MacBook Pro, Focusrite Clarett Interface, Neumann TLM49 mic, PRS SE Angelus Acoustic.

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

  24. A: I began writing my own music in elementary school, learned how to record in middle school, and have been professionally writing, recording, and mixing for nearly nine years.

  25. Q: How would you describe your style?

  26. A: Whether I'm working on metal or pop, I tend to lean heavily towards the cinematic direction.

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

  28. A: An eager and excited metal band, singer-songwriter, or pop artist who is ready to work together and watch their music blossom.

  29. Q: Can you share one music production tip?

  30. A: There are no rules. If it sounds good, you made the right decision.

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

  32. A: Metal, rock, pop, singer-songwriter.

  33. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  34. A: Bringing life to a song idea with new instrumentation, sound design, orchestration, additional production to provide a full, polished, industry-standard song.

  35. Q: What do you bring to a song?

  36. A: Professional polish, immense depth, and three-dimensional excitement and quality.

  37. Q: What's your typical work process?

  38. A: I have a very fast and efficient workflow in my studio where I exhibit care, precision, and a very high standard that I hold myself to.

  39. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  40. A: I have a small studio where I track and mix that includes the Neve 1073SPX, AudioScape 1176D, an expansive collection of plugins by FabFilter, SSL, EastWest, Native Instruments, UAD, Valhalla, Eventide, Waves, and more.

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

  42. A: Grant McFarland and Carson Slovak, Joel Wanasek, Joey Sturgis, Finneas, Zack Cervini.

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

  44. A: Songwriting, recording, orchestral arrangement and programming, mixing, and mastering.

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Lune by Cloud Nine

I was the Producer, Writer, Recording, Mixing, and Mastering Engineer, Male Vocalist, Guitarist, Orchestral Arranger in this production

Terms Of Service

Three rounds of revisions before extra charge. One week turnaround time or earlier.

GenresSounds Like
  • Avenged Sevenfold
  • Billie Eilish
  • Ed Sheeran
Gear Highlights
  • Neumann TLM49
  • Neve 1073SPX
  • AudioScape 1176D
  • UA
  • FabFilter
  • SSL Native
  • Logic Pro 12
  • EastWest Composer Cloud+
  • NeuralDSP
  • Superior Drummer 3
  • Native Instruments Komplete
  • Ernie Ball MusicMan and PRS Guitars
  • Fractal Audio Systems
  • Focusrite.
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