produce, mix, master, studios

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

A: Ok, one fun story… Al Green had been sent into the studio by his label where we were working as writers/producers. We met the first day he came in to the A room, hit it off, great guy. The plan was, a group of producers, 5 separate teams in all, were all going to write song and track ideas for Al to choose from. Those tracks and songs would be thrown into a blind fishbowl, so Al would have no idea who wrote the song or track he was hearing. He would choose “blindly” the songs/tracks that he liked for his new album. Everyone went away for a week to woodshed and write. A week later, Al came in to listen to all the ideas in the fishbowl. Mike and I had put together 10 tracks. Al picked all of them. Lol That didn't work politically, nor was it ok with us either, because the other producers were all very close friends of ours, and we gratefully ended up with two tracks on the record, one that went to #1, and one that went to #3 on the charts. We're still close friends with all the other producers. :) #truth

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: We have a label, Cool Pony Music, always working on new material for our artists, as well as keeping an eye out for new talent and collaboration opportunities.

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

A: We're new to SoundBetter, but it sure looks like there's a lot of amazing talent here.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. Because they're both awesome! lol They complement each other like waves and shore. Hybrid’s the bomb.com

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

A: We will shoot straight with you, and, your project isn't finished until you love it.

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

A: Work with someone you gel with, that you have fun with. The destination is key, you define that up front, but the journey, the journey is the real enchilada. It's supposed to be fun. Work with people that are great at what they do, and that make you better while having fun doing it. Musical muse rarely shows up in boring or sour musical environments.

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

A: We're brothers, and we’ve been making noise together as long as I can remember. I made Mike's first drum set out of cardboard boxes when he was about seven. He was a natural.. like the baseball movie… fireworks and all. We had bands, home studios, more bands, more home studios… nothing has changed except for the toys and the noise.. lol

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Like Bruce Lee. Water. The style that is no style. Ninja.

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

A: So many... lol We just working with talented people in general.

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

A: Modern pop, pop/EDM, pop rock, but through the years we’ve worked in many different styles. As I mentioned earlier, we really try to remain students. Analyze, learn, understand, embrace the new, concepts, technology…keep moving. We do see people that get stuck in a genre or a time, a decade. I think we’ve been able to avoid that by not holding onto rules, and not being afraid to learn new “ways of doing”. What we have tried to hold onto is, “it's art, there are no rules… don't get married to anything, to any one way of doing something.”

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

A: So many… we strive to always remain students of the countless geniuses of this art and science. I could give you a list, but it would look like the rolling fences on a Kentucky horse farm.

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

A: Music production, songwriting, mixing, mastering… we help artists get the songs running through their heads leaping out of the speakers… radio ready.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Always keep learning and growing. Production techniques and tools change all the time… though it takes discipline and study to stay on top of it, just do it. Don't shy away from the seemingly difficult. Stay humble and nimble. Write hits. Ok.. thats more than one... learn to count.. lol

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: It seems like it's all really one thing. It has lots of parts like on a car or something, all the parts have to be quality and wok together, but in the end, it's all one thing. If I had to drill down, I think we're good at turning song kittens into sonic tigers. lol

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Creativity and pixie dust… that's what were shooting for.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Most projects begin with analysis, vision, and arrangement structure, followed by music production, vocal production, additional music production, mixing, and mastering. It all starts with imagination really. We try to get inside the song like it was a world that you could walk inside of, creating, coloring, moving things around, and to then vividly bring it out of the speakers into the real world.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Everything, but mostly, people. People are where it’s at.

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

A: Q: How do I overcome writer's block? A: Pray. Talk to the one who made you. You want to tap into the Niagara Falls of creativity? Pray. Q: I write songs, I sing, I play, I produce, how do I get started in the music business? A: Start. Take action. Knock down the first domino you see. If it didn’t knock down all the rest, knock down the next domino you see. Rinse and repeat. Keep moving. Q: My budget’s too small… I can't afford a team… I can't afford production… what can I do to move forward. A: Work on you. Get GarageBand on your phone for $5. You’re a singer? Re-create the vocal performances of your favorite artists… every last nuance. You make beats? Recreate your favorite tracks… as close as you can get them. Build musical muscle. Work on you. Your time and opportunities will come. Be ready when they do.

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

A: That it's work. lol It never feels like work…

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What are you trying to accomplish? How do you want to spend your day? If you could write your own ticket what does that look like? What is your why?

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

A: My guitar, API’s The Box console, my Mac, Sony C-800G mic, my brother Mike.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: We have two main control rooms, a main vocal room, a main drum room, and a few small editing suites, all running ProTools and Logic. The A room is centered around an Avid Icon D-control ES mixing desk with a deep complement of API summing and outboard gear, along with other analog pre’s and components, deep mic lockers including the Sony C-800 G, Blue Bottle with all capsules, and too many plugs and synths to count. The B room hosts an API The Box console, a vast array of API summing, pre’s, and other analog outboard gear, as well as countless plugs, synths, guitars, basses, and amps.