Session Vocals, Guitar, Demos

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

A: I would say my first Independent EP, "As Far As I Know", that I released throughout 2023 and 2024. I made all the demos for the songs before we went to track, and we even used some of the stems in the final productions, so it really forced me to level up my recording/engineering/production brains, and was so cool to work with many people in Nashville I look up to/still get to work with today! I'll always feel very lucky for that experience.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm always working on my own music in various stages, from songwriting sessions, to demos, to records with other producers!

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

A: Some of my friends I know that are on here that I recommend for various things are Aidan Thompson, Andrew Vendelis and Mark Taylor! I'm sure there are more too, SoundBetter is an excellent platform I recommend to all of my music friends!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Depends on what we're talking about! Usually I'd prefer analog, but there's a lot of convenience and ease of use when it comes to things like amp models, effects, preamps and compressors that sound incredibly close to or just as good as their analog counterparts. But whenever I can use analog, I do. There's something warmer and more alive/dynamic about analog gear that is magic and hard to capture.

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

A: To deliver the best quality work in as efficient a manner as possible, and to have easy/communication if there are any delays!

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Being able to create every day.and hone my skills/meet new people!

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

A: What do I charge 😂 I have rates listed on my page but they can vary based on the project/scope of work, so again just ask! Also, how to get their song heard by industry professionals, of which there are several avenues I recommend, such as signing up for Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and Global Songwriters Connection (GSC), two great organizations with global reach that help people at all levels of the music industry.

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

A: How long the work takes! Anything from just a vocal to a full demo; some people are very quick, but I personally like to take a little more time to make sure it's the best it can be, whatever the size or scope of the project. But professional, quality work can take time.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What is your goal with this project? Is it a demo for your songwriting/artist project, are you planning to use this for a commercial use such as sync or to release out in the world, or is it purely a personal/passion project to share with family and friends? There are no wrong answers!

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

A: Be clear with yourself and whoever you hire with what you're looking for, and honest about what you're not sure about/don't know, and also what your intentions are with the project. It's ok to ask questions! We're all learning and growing at different rates. overall communication is key, I always try to be very open and honest with clients about what I can/can't do, and how long it will take, and always keep consistent contact throughout a project and delivery timeline.

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

A: That's tough to narrow down, but I'd say I'd bring my Strat, my Martin, my Supersonic Amp, my pedalboard and laptop/interface/mic (counting them as a package deal 😅) to record it all!

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

A: I moved to Nashville and started pursuing music full-time about two years after graduating college. I studied music a good bit in school growing up, and took guitar lessons for many years, but always knew that to pursue it as a career I needed to be where the action is. For me, that was Music City.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I would describe it as modern country; blending influences and styles from other genres like rock, pop, blues and Americana.

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

A: That's very tough to narrow it down to one! I would say either John Mayer, Bruce Springsteen or Eric Church. John and Bruce were both very influential for me growing up, while Eric is one of my biggest songwriting heroes and the through-line from my childhood influences that brought me to country music.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Make recording/production templates. They might evolve over time, but they will save you so many hours and help speed up your workflow immensely. It takes some tweaking but is so worth it!

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

A: I've worked on all kinds of music, but I typically get hired to do country demos, ranging from stripped-back acoustic/folk/singer-songwriter demos, to fully-built pop- and/or rock-leaning productions.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: As I said, the song is the most important piece; without it you have have nothing, so I see myself as a songwriter first and believe that is my strongest skill. Everything I do/other skills i develop, be it as a singer/guitarist/performer/producer/arranger/mixer, is about being able to serve the song. Whether it's the right lyric, vocal melody or guitar parts and production arrangement, recognizing the part each step in the process plays in creating the final product, that if done right, can become something more than the sum of its parts. Hitting that mark is the best feeling in the world!

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I like to think I bring a fresh perspective and an ear for melodic and lyrical hooks, as well as a unique vocal tone/chops and top-shelf guitar skills. I'm very commercially-minded when it comes to songwriting, and come from a rock background, so I love soaring melodies/guitars and big sounding productions, but I also love story-driven, emotional acoustic tracks, so the lyric and thought behind it is very important to me. If the words and melody aren't where they need to be, a production can only do so much, so I try to make sure the song itself is in the best form possible before beginning production.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Typically, I will ask for a work tape of the song in its current form and a lyric sheet (or just the latter if I'm helping create melody and chords), and any musical/production reference tracks. Then before recording in the studio, I will recorded a work tape for my own reference.to confirm song structure with the client. If a track is being provided, I will ask for BPM.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: It's every growing/shifting! Mainly, I use Logic for my DAW, running off of an Apollo Twin X Interface. In terms of amps, I have a Fender Blues Jr. and Fender 60W Supersonic, mic'd up with a Sennheiser e906 and Shure SM57. For Electrics, I have a Strat, Tele, Charvel PRS, Gretsch, Danelectro, P-Bass. For acoustics, I have Martin, Gibson, McPherson, Taylor and Guild, and for utility I have a Mandolin, a Banjitar and a Ukulele. For mics, I have a Mojave MA-200, a Shure SM-7, and an Avantone Pro CK-1 Small-Diaphragm Condenser.

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

A: There are so many amazing musicians and people who inspire me! Apart from my friends and peers I work with in Nashville every day, some musicians that inspire me are players and session legends like Eddie Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tom Bukovac, Adam Shoenfeld, Sol Littlefield, Brent Mason and Derek Wells. Producers such as Dann Huff, Jay Joyce and Joey Moi. Songwriters and Artists like Ryan Hurd, Eric Church, John Mayer, Bruce Springsteen, Sam Hunt, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, HARDY, Chris Stapleton, Nicolle Galyon, John Thompson... just off the top of my head 😂

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

A: It usually depends! Anything from a lead vocal with harmonies for a demo track a client sends me, to building a full demo track from scratch plus singing with a rough mix. I also do a fair bit of for hire co-writing as a part of these demos, but not always.