Mixing, Producing, Guitar

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm in the middle of a few fairly well-known history and political documentary series, both as a composer and post-production mix/mastering engineer. Don't want to ruffle any feathers one way or the other with politics, so I'll just say I'm grateful to work on projects so many people love and consume.

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

A: I will always listen to what you want before interjecting what I think the project needs. At the end of the day, it's your art. I'm just a tool in the shed you're using to craft your art.

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

A: Definitely my 1960's Guild Starfire, for starters. It's such a great guitar. If my iMac Pro is gear (and possibly cheating), I'll throw that in there. The other three would probably be my interface, an SM7B, and my 1964 Fender Bassman. I'll always cater to old guitars and amps due to being a guitar player at my core.

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

A: At 31, I've been doing this for 12 years. I started as a guitar player, and used that as my way into working in the industry in any way I could. I progressed through touring to sessions, mixing, producing, writing, and working in several other avenues of production work. I hope I never stop learning, as that's all I've ever set out to do.

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

A: I was a producer and player on a track with Darryl McDaniels (DMC). It was surreal getting to work with someone you've looked up and listened to since you were a kid. We produced a track in about two hours before he arrived to the session. Without having ever heard it, he walked in the booth and started laying down lines that sounded like they were written well ahead of time - they weren't. The man is a legend. Would love to work with him anytime.

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

A: Denny White. All around sweetheart, and fantastic vocalist, writer, and producer with great credits and experience.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Answering "both" seems like a copout, but I genuinely believe it. You can never truly replicate the warmth and character of analog gear, but technology has gotten pretty dang close, and we have to use it to meet the needs of our ever-evolving industry and society. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what you use if you don't know how to use it. So spend time with both, and use what's best for the project. It's awesome living in a time where we can choose.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The variety. I can play a pop show in Japan, and the next day be mixing a rock song for an instrumental record. True story. I love not knowing what each day could bring, and discovering how I can use my skills and passion to meet it head-on. I'll always be thankful for the creative expression and freedom music offers, but still love the structure and process of working in a studio to meet goals and deadlines.

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

A: Can you make my track sound like _______? Answer: Sure, anything is possible. We just need to make sure it can be done in the amount of time you have, and for the budget you're restricted to. I will do everything I can to make it exactly what you hoped for, but let's make sure we're setting ourselves up for success by making sure expectations can be met.

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

A: That completing a project quickly means it should be cheap, and was easy. It doesn't, and definitely took a lot of work. I (and so many others) spent years developing our craft so we could give people high-quality results in an efficient amount of time. We work quickly because we have to be competitive and have developed a good workflow through our process, and we work well because our experience and love for the craft. You benefit from both when you hire someone like me.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I usually want to know what their goals are regarding the work. If it's a song, do you plan to push to radio? Perform it live? Use it for marketing or ads? Anything you can tell me about what you are hoping to accomplish with the completion of your project will help me narrow my focus to how I can help you accomplish that goal through my experience and skillset. Any question after that is based around style, production, and genre preferences. Of course, the discussion of budget and timeline are also important, but we'll get to that after we figure out if we're a good match for each other.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have a studio on my property in Nashville, TN. It was designed to primarily be a mixing and production facility, but I have the ability to live-track instruments and do sessions as well. I have treated my mix area to best reflect a neutral environment to listen, critique, and work as effectively as I can.

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

A: Ask questions. There's no worse way to disappoint yourself than by assuming expectations. Just start a conversation, and ask anything and everything you can think of before you give money and time to something you care about. Don't be afraid to say no if you feel like it isn't right. Nobody is perfect, but you'll almost always be unhappy if you don't communicate everything you can upfront, and work toward the same goal together.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I have grown to be more "alternative" over the years, if that makes sense. I think due to the amount of genres I've worked in, I always default to being broader and more experimental with sounds and production, and let the client or artist refine the track to their specific taste as we work together.

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

A: Pink. I've always admired her work ethic, eclectic taste, and ability to outdo herself time and time again. Her records and shows are always top-notch, and she seems to be a genuine talent no matter what she's doing. Plus, you know, she's a fan of loud rock and roll guitars, so that helps.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Take breaks. As you listen and work for hours on end, your ears get tired and you can become tunnel visioned on the task at hand. Give yourself some grace, and step away for coffee or a meal, and come back with fresh ears to keep your perspective as objective as it can be. This also gives you the opportunity to hear things you may have missed before you stepped away, and listen clearly to how they are working with everything around it.

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

A: For the past few years I've worked a lot in indie pop, alternative, and singer-songwriter, but I have a lot of experience in top 40 pop, hip hop, electronic, country, rock, and heavier styles of music. I actually started my mixing career with metal about ten years ago, but quickly shifted as I wanted to expand my skills and broaden my experience.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: It may be cheesy, but I feel that my best asset is my ability to listen, and adapt to what the client or artist needs while working on the song. I built my career out of being a "hired gun" side-man, so the ability to receive direction and use my skills to execute what's necessary has been invaluable to those who hire me. I can work quickly, and have a detailed and experienced ear to help discern the best direction for the song.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I have a lot of experience from all ends of the industry, so I would like to think I bring a well-rounded perspective that helps clients and artists consider every possible angle from which to make the project or song better. I can think like a musician, producer, engineer, writer, and artist (because I have been all of those things), so that tends to be valuable in constructing or finishing a song to the best possible result.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: For playing guitar, I simply ask for an MP3 to track to, and a few references for what you'd like me to shoot for in my parts and tone. I usually provide 2-3 takes to choose from so the client or artist has some options, but not too many that will take forever to wade through. For mixing, I ask for a few references so I can have a "target" mix to shoot for, and will do my best to align the track with the style of what influences the client or artist, while keeping it unique and independent so it supports the song the way it needs.

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

A: As a guitar player, I've always looked up to Tim Pierce and Pete Thorn, and modeled a lot of my process in the studio from their insight and example. As a mix engineer and producer, Dave Pensado, Chris Lord-Alge, and Blake Mills have been big inspirations.

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

A: I have done a lot of tracking remotely and in studio as a guitar player for lots of different styles, and in recent years have done a lot of mix and production work to expand my career as I transitioned out of touring full-time. I primarily work remotely so the project can be completed more efficiently, and so I can keep my rates lower to work with budgets.