hook driven pop producer

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Hook driven, memorable, precise. Melody is king, and everything in the song is devoted to teaching you how to sing along. That kind of discipline drives some songwriters up the wall. That's ok. There are other producers out there for them. But for the artists who want songs that are polished, catchy, and compulsively repeatable — my instincts are the diamond they've been digging for.

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

A: Ariana Grande is the dream that keeps me up at night. She's got an instrument that makes people put down their forks. Songs like "Into You," "no tears left to cry," and "thank u, next" prove she can do absolutely anything with a melody. I'd give anything to be part of the team when she has her next breakthrough.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: The question you should become obsessed with is: "How does the song go?" Then just hum it — no lyrics, just melody. Most songs fail because they can't answer that question, or worse, the answer changes every eight bars. Once you've locked in a melody that's simple but memorable, the production choices get easier too. No more carving out EQ with hammers and hand grenades. Instead, start by choosing sounds that are already tonally distinct from each other. Then your job becomes more about balancing volume than performing surgery.

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

A: I make pop songs - hook-driven, memorable, precise. But that's not a genre. It's a discipline. Different songs come dressed in different styles, but my job is always the same - shape the production until the song has become compulsively repeatable. If we get it right, even people who don't normally like "this kind of music" will be singing along anyway.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Most songs feel like a bunch of disconnected moments hot-glued together. Each moment is great on its own, but they rarely feel inevitable. My strongest skill is the connective tissue — the energy curve underneath every section. Verse builds tension, pre-chorus tightens it, chorus finally lets it go. Every moment exists to prime the one after it, all the way to the climax. Nothing just sits there. Every hook makes you hungry for the next one.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Everyone's trying to make a great song. But almost no one knows how. I've found these three questions reliably get me 90% of the way there: 1. What's the concept of the song? It needs a clear mood and point of view — specific enough to feel real, but not so personal it becomes impenetrable. 2. What's the title of the song? It needs to communicate the concept all on its own. 3. What's the melody of the song? It needs to be simple, hummable, and memorable.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: First, I need to know: what are your musts for this project? What are your must-nots? Those are the guardrails that guide me every step of the way. Sometimes that's as simple as "I want the song to be fun, no profanity." Other artists have a much more meticulous vision. Either way, once I know the boundaries, I get to work — building the track, sending progress check-ins rather than disappearing for two weeks, and leaving room for you to redirect before anything's locked in. I want you to feel certain, start to finish, that you got the experience and the outcome you were after.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I've gone through more gear than I know what to do with, but simplicity is the secret to my success. My setup centers on a Mac Mini running Logic Pro, a Rode NT1 microphone, a Korg D1 88-Key Stage Piano, an Akai MPD218 Drum Pad, and an Alesis V25 MIDI Controller. Oh, and the secret sauce — the Neova Enhancia MIDI Ring. If you look it up on YouTube you'll see why it makes me feel like a superhero.

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

A: Max Martin, Ariana Grande, Prince. Artists who taught me that the right hook at the right moment can tell your entire story in a single phrase. Martin for proving a song can be simple and still be genius. Ariana for phrasing that turns a melody into a personality. Prince for never being afraid to make a weird choice if it served the groove.

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

A: Most clients bring me in for hook-driven pop production — the kind of chorus that's hard to get out of your head. If we're co-writing from scratch, I push for melodies and lyrics built to hook on first listen. If the song's already written, my job is making sure the production hits just as hard as the vocal — nothing coasting behind a good top-line. Either way, I'm building toward one thing: a song the artist is proud to put their name, money, and time behind.