Mix/Master/Produce

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

A: I'm really proud of a couple of songs I worked on for the artist Jaws of Love. This is a side project for the singer of Local Natives. I was the lead engineer and mixer. I'm really proud of this one because this is one of the bigger artists I've worked with and I was really happy with the results.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm always working on a lot of things, but what I'm most excited about is an EP that I'm producing for a talented artists by the name of Emree and another EP by another talented artists by the name of Morgan St. Jean. They are both incredible singers/writers and I'm really excited for what is to come when they start releasing our records.

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

A: I know Jack Collins very well. He is a very talented producer, mixer, engineer.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital for most things (pro tools, processing, etc.) because it's so easy to recall settings. If an artists needs some revisions I don't need to rewire my studio and spend an hour getting the settings on my hardware right. That being said, I do use some analog gear, specifically synths. Analog synths bring a nice warmth that I havnt been able to fully replicate in the digital domain.

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

A: That I will work my hardest to make sure they are 100% happy with the end result. In addition I promise to be honest and to push the artists to achieve greatness.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love that I get to be creative!

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

A: The biggest misconception of what I do is that because I can do so much (mix, master, engineer, produce, etc.) that I must not be very good at each of those things. I believe each of those skills informs each other and work together.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I like to ask a lot of questions. What their vision is, what their turn around time is, what the song means to them, how I can help their project, and what are some reference songs.

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

A: Don't settle for a product that you are not thrilled about. Make sure to really honestly communicate what you want and what you're feeling about the results.

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

A: My laptop, interface, guitar, headphones, and microphone

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

A: I started playing guitar when I was about 12. Soon after that I started a band with my friends. When my band needed someone to produce and record our songs I stepped up and gave it a shot! I quickly fell in love with production, engineering, and mixing. I started working with more bands and interned at a local recording studio. I later attended Berklee College of Music where I graduated with a degree in Music Production & Engineering and with a minor in Commercial Record Production. I made a lot of life long friends and connections at Berklee. After graduating I moved to LA immediately. I started working with artists as soon as I arrived. About a year into living in LA I was able to start renting a private studio (where I currently work) to start working with more artists/musicians.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Big, modern, and simple.

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

A: Phaerell

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Keep it simple stupid

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

A: I usually work on pop music. I'd say it's about 70% pop, 15% hip-hop, and 15% rock/everything else.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill's are producing tracks from scratch and mixing.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring a unique and modern production style accompanied by an ability to make the song sound and feel sonically awesome. At least that's the goal!

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I start by talking with the artist for a while to get a really good understanding of what their vision is. I think this is probably the most important step. After I have a clear understanding of the vision I like to dive right in. If it's mixing or producing, I'll just go ahead and take a day or two and focus just on that. For production I'll typically start with a groove/drums and then build the instruments around that and the vocals. Once I have a good draft I'll send it to the client or have them come in to the studio and from there we work on any notes they have to finish it up.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have a nice private studio in SilverLake LA. I was really fortunate to get this great space to use as my studio. It's got tons of instruments all around, drums, guitars, etc. And it's big enough to record a full band live or to just have a bunch of people in there hanging out/working on a song together. It's filled with plants and natural light :)

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

A: There are a lot of producers that really inspire me, such as Ricky Reed, Benny Blanco, Max Martin, and more. I'm inspired by their dedication to the craft of production and the fact that basically everything that touch turns out incredible.

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

A: The most common type of work I do for my clients is production. Usually a client will have an idea for a song (lyrics, chords, and melody) and I will produce the music and track for them.

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

A: Honestly the most commen question is how much is it going to cost and how soon can I get the final product. And my answer is almost always, "whats your budget and when do you need it by."