Producer, Songwriter, Composer

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

A: I recently co-wrote the song “Angry Butterfly” with Kalie Shorr and Fred Wilhelm, which is the final track on Kalie’s critically acclaimed debut album “Open Book”. The New York Times named the album #7 on their ‘Best Albums Of 2019’ list, and it's also had positive reviews from Rolling Stone, Billboard and other major Country publications.

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

A: Yes, a lot of my friends are also Pro SoundBetter members! Check out my buddy Brandon Chase, his vocals and songwriting skills are world class!

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

A: I will always listen to your needs and provide you with excellent service. You will end up with a truly original and bespoke piece of music you can be truly proud of. I will work quickly, but always handle your song with care. I promise to keep you in the loop throughout the process, and I guarantee that when the project is complete you are 100% satisfied!

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: All of it! Being lucky enough to do what you love most is an amazing gift, plus I get to meet new people and make lasting friendships through music!

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

A: Q: What’s my turnaround time? (A: 7-10 days) Q: What kind of equipment do I use? (A: Please see question 3 above). Q: What styles can you work in? A: Any! Q: Do you offer a discount if I do 3 or more tracks? A: Yes!

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

A: Many clients think I produce the track but hire other musicians to play the parts, however I do the entire track myself, every single part of it. This helps keep the cost down for clients as I don’t have to hire several musicians, and because I have my own studio there are no overheads for studio rental. It also allows me to work quickly, and put my heart and soul into every production I create!

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

A: I grew up in Scotland, and started making music when I was 14 years old in my bedroom. I studied music all through High School, then at 17 I went to Edinburgh Napier University to study for a Batchelor of Arts degree in Popular Music. I graduated in 2006 with honours, then in 2007 I signed my first publishing deal in London and began writing and producing projects with UK writers, bands and artists. I have been living and working as a professional songwriter and producer in Nashville since 2012, and signed my first publishing deal on Music Row in 2014.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I love working in lots of different genres, so I have a very eclectic style. One day I’ll be working on a Rock or Country track for a client, then the next I’ll be programming an EDM or Hip Hop track! I love writing melodies and counterpoint, and you can usually hear a lot of them in my tracks. I’m all about the ear candy and emotion.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Give 100% to every project, regardless of fee or time constraints. If your name is attached to it then it should always, always be your best work.

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

A: Most recently Pop, Country, Rock and EDM, but I can work in any style of music a client wants.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Mac Pro 2.7GHz 12-Core, 64GB RAM, Logic Pro X, Propellerhead Reason, Focusrite Safire Pro 40, AKG C414 XLS, Apogee MiC, Taylor 414ce, Fender USA VG Strat, Musicman Bass, plugins and instruments by Soundtoys, Spectrasonics, Waves, iZotope, Slate Digital, Native Instruments, IK Multimedia & Toontrack.

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

A: Yes! My friend Brandon Chase is an incredible male vocalist, songwriter and musician. He's also an all-round good guy!

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

A: I recently produced an EP for Country trio Sister C. I arranged all the songs, played the instruments and produced, mixed and mastered the entire project in my home studio. I also co-wrote one of the songs with Sister C (“If I Were You”). The EP received positive reviews from Rolling Stone Country, Nash Country etc.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I just finished a Christmas album for Silverado Records (Nashville). The album features Country artist Joe Diffie, and I handled the arranging, instruments, engineering, production, mixing and mastering.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital for ease of workflow and high bandwidth …but with analog emulations from Universal Audio, Waves and Slate Digital!

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

A: I will listen to your needs and provide you with excellent service and a bespoke piece of music you can be truly proud of. I will work quickly, but always handle your song with care. I promise to keep you in the loop throughout the process, and I guarantee that when the project is complete you are 100% satisfied!

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Everything! Being lucky enough to do what you love most is an amazing gift.

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

A: Q: What’s my turnaround time? (A: 1-2 days) Q: What kind of equipment do I use? (A: Please see question 3 above). Q: What styles can you work in? A: Any! Q: Do you offer a discount if I do 3 or more tracks? A: Yes!

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

A: Many clients think I produce the track but hire other musicians to play the parts, however I do the entire track myself, every single part of it. This helps keep the cost down for clients as I don’t have to hire several musicians, and because I have my own studio there are no overheads for studio rental. It also allows me to work quickly.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Have you worked with a producer before? What do you want your track to sound like (ideally provide me with a few examples of artists or songs that you want me to use for reference when producing your track).

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

A: Take your time! Don’t rush into anything, it’s definitely better to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve before you part with your hard-earned money. Listen through all the examples of my work on here and feel free to contact me with any questions you might have - questions are good! Then make important decisions for your project, and how you want it to sound (e.g fully produced, acoustic, simple piano).

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

A: My Taylor acoustic, MacBook Pro, Apogee MiC, USB MIDI keyboard and headphones.

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

A: I grew up in Scotland, and started making music when I was 14 years old in my bedroom. I studied music all through High School, then at 17 I went to Edinburgh Napier University to study for a Batchelor of Arts degree in Popular Music. I graduated in 2006 with honours, then in 2007 I signed my first publishing deal in London and began writing and producing projects with UK writers, bands and artists. I have been living and working as a songwriter and producer in Nashville since 2012, and signed my first publishing deal on Music Row in 2014.

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

A: John Mayer. Because he's John Mayer!

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I love working in lots of different genres, so I have a very eclectic style. One day I’ll be working on a Rock or Country track for a client, then the next I’ll be programming an EDM or Hip Hop track. I love writing melodies and counterpoint, and you can usually hear a lot of them in my tracks. I’m all about the ear candy!

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

A: I would love to have worked with the amazing Michael Jackson (one of my all-time musical heroes!), but instead I’ll say Bruno Mars for his personality and sheer talent.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Give 100% to every project, regardless of fee or time constraints. If your name is attached to it then it should always be your best work.

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

A: Most recently Pop, Country, Rock and EDM. I can work in any style of music a client wants.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I would say my ability to incorporate emotion and feeling in my work. I’ve always loved working with people, and have learned a lot throughout my career. Being able to communicate an idea effectively, and make each piece of music I create unique and special is something I’m very proud of.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: 17 years experience of songwriting and music production, 10 of which at a professional level. I take great care to let the song speak for itself, and use my creativity, imagination and unique perspective to bring it to life!

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: You supply me with a rough recording of the song (e.g. iPhone guitar/vocal worktape), which I use to I create a chord chart and an instrumental music track and send it to you for approval (typically within 1-2 days). Once you're happy with how it sounds, we schedule the vocal recording session (either with you, the artist, or help you find the right demo vocalist for the song). Once the vocals have been recorded, I mix and master the track and deliver it to you electronically for approval.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: iMac, Logic, Reason, Focusrite Safire Pro 40, AKG C414 XLS, Apogee MiC, Taylor 414ce, Fender USA VG Strat, Musicman Bass, plugins and instruments by Spectrasonics, Waves, iZotope, Native Instruments, IK Multimedia & Toontrack.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I just finished a Christmas album for Silverado Records (Nashville). The album features Country artist Joe Diffie, and I handled the arranging, instruments, engineering, production, mixing and mastering.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital for ease of workflow and high bandwidth …but with analog emulations from Universal Audio, Waves and Slate Digital!

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

A: Dan Huff, Mark Bright, Chris Lorde Alge, John Mayer, Max Martin.

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

A: Fully produced demos and commercial releases for songwriters and artists.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Have you worked with a producer before? What do you want your track to sound like (ideally provide me with a few examples of artists or songs that you want me to use for reference when producing your track).

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

A: Take your time! Don’t rush into anything, it’s definitely better to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve before you part with your hard-earned money. Listen through all the examples of my work on here and feel free to contact me with any questions you might have - questions are good! Then make important decisions for your project, and how you want it to sound (e.g fully produced, acoustic, simple piano).

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

A: My Taylor acoustic, MacBook Pro, Apogee MiC, USB MIDI keyboard and headphones.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I would say my ability to incorporate emotion and feeling in my work. I’ve always loved working with people, and have learned a lot throughout my career. Being able to communicate an idea effectively, and make each piece of music I create unique and special is something I’m very proud of.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: 17 years experience of songwriting and music production, 10 of which at a professional level. I take great care to let the song speak for itself, and use my creativity, imagination and unique perspective to bring it to life!

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: You supply me with a rough recording of the song (e.g. iPhone guitar/vocal worktape), which I use to I create a chord chart and an instrumental music track and send it to you for approval (typically within 1-2 days). Once you're happy with how it sounds, we schedule the vocal recording session (either with you, the artist, or help you find the right demo vocalist for the song). Once the vocals have been recorded, I mix and master the track and deliver it to you electronically for approval.

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

A: Dan Huff, Mark Bright, Chris Lorde Alge, John Mayer, Max Martin.

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

A: Fully produced demos and commercial releases for songwriters and artists.