Session Guitarist & Producer

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

A: Any Proclaimers album. Particularly Angry Cyclist and Dentures Out where we worked at the great residential studio of Rockfield with Dave Eringa. Also Downtown Project by The New Spirits. An album of originals

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

A: I started busking with an electric guitar at 15. Went travelling, busked my way through Glasgow University where I studied Philosophy and Sociology. I Joined bands in Glasgow at its mid-nineties heyday surrounded by bands such as Teenage Fanclub, Belle and Sebastian and Mogwai. Played in original bands and did sessions all around Scotland. Released Drastic Plastic - a single - in 1999 with Stash. Composed and recorded adverts and commercial work for Savalas. Worked with producers such as Greg Kane, Geoff Allan at CaVa I ran an Open stage for 8 years which had full band set up and lasted for four hours of mayhem and chaos. Where I learnt to play along with almost any song and style you can imagine. I joined The Proclaimers in 2005. Recorded 6 albums and went on 6 world tours to promote them. The 2018/2019 tour saw us play to half a million people including two nights at Edinburgh Castle and the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury. COVID lockdown scuppered live shows so I built a studio in my garden to continue to produce and teach. I have a live solo show called Zac’s Guitar Jukebox where the audience can choose from 150 songs and I have to play them. I also ran The Charles Ware’s Morris Minor Centre restoring Classic Cars from 2010 to 2019.

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

A: Started busking with an electric guitar at 15. Went travelling , busked my way through university. Joined bands in Glasgow at its mid nineties height surrounded by bands such as Belle and Sebastian and Mogwai. Played in original bands and did sessions all around Glasgow and then advert and commercial work for Savalas. Worked with producers such as Greg Kane, Geoff at CaVa

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Eclectic. Rock and blues based pop but with the search for sonic originality. Sonic Youth and Robert Fripp enter the fray along with more normal references.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Catch the moment. This is a “record” of a moment in time. Sometimes the earliest takes are the best ones so don’t overwork it. Just make sure your production head knows that every take may be the one so get your sound sorted.

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

A: My own and other peoples original compositions.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Guitar

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: 30 years of experience backing top songwriters and vocalists. Everything i do is to enhance the song. The song is king. I bring an economy and space to my contributions. Simple and powerful is my aim. When arranging rhythm and solo guitar parts I look for the drama and contrast that can lift the music to the next level. I of course bring a cracking solo to any song.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: When recording remotely my first job is to discuss the clients requirements thoroughly. What mood they are looking for. Do they want discrete backing to blend in or a powerful top line to stand out. Or both. All I need then is a stereo track with tempo . It is imported into logic . Then I will focus on the brief itself. Whether it is bass, rhythm or solo. Often I throw in a wild track of solos and other licks that have caught my ear. The client can use them or not. I bounce the raw tracks as recorded with no effects for the client to mix as they wish. I can mix and treat the sounds at my end but usually they prefer to have all the frequencies of the original recording . When working on original compositions I start with an basic drum track that has the vibe of the piece. Get a rhythm track down they a guide vocal to mark the areas that will need space and dynamics. I add bass to give a strong underpinning. Then the fun begins and we add different riffs and ideas. Even changing chords and arrangement in the song if I feel that a section is going on too long or needs a twist that can be gained from a simple chord substitution. This is more involved and works best with the clients involvement.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: 3 x 5 meter sound treated room. Divided into a mix area and recording area. I run the UAD Apollo X4 with Logic X . I have a studio logic keyboard. My amps are 1965 Jennings era Vox AC30, Fender Blues Deluxe tweed, Mesa Boogie LoneStar, Flynn boutique tweed. My guitars are Les Paul, Telecaster, Stratocaster, E335, cigar box guitar, Moon Mandolin, Bennet Pedal Steel. I use the following microphones: Oktava 012 Stereo pair, SM57 , MD421, Rodes NT1, ZE3000. Plug-ins includes the API vision strip, Manley VoxBox, neve

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

A: Producer guitarists like Jimmy Page, Hendrix and Gilmour. Kendrick Lamar for the sound collage approach. Improvisers and experimentalist.

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

A: Electric and acoustic guitar rhythm and lead . Adverts, children’s music, albums and live work

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: An album for a local songwriter. Session guitar for Giles Lamb for an upcoming animation of Liz Pynchon’s Tom Gates series of children’s books. Original material.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What they are looking for from me. Do they want a full guitar arrangement with options and ideas thrown in . Do they already have a very clear idea of the parts they want. Or do they want me to replicate samples but as a real person to bring natural dynamics and feel to the parts in their heads.

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

A: Find the person who understands your music and what you want to achieve. Be honest about what you want from them and your expectations.

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

A: My Martin D10, telecaster, AC30, pedal board and my Apollo X4

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. They have different advantages. Analog is the movement of the air we breathe. Digital is the limits of our imagination.

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

A: To keep at it until they are happy.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The satisfaction of turning something that is a noise in your head into a noise in the room

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

A: That its not work.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Playing Guitar and injecting energy into a track or performance

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: 3 x 5 meter sound treated room. Divided into a mix area and recording area. I run the UAD Apollo X4 with Logic Pro X . I have a studio logic keyboard. My amps are 1965 Jennings era Vox AC30, Fender Blues Deluxe tweed, Mesa Boogie LoneStar, Flynn boutique tweed. My guitars are Les Paul, Telecaster, Stratocaster, E335, cigar box guitar, Moon Mandolin, Bennet Pedal Steel. I use the following microphones: Oktava 012 Stereo pair, SM57 , MD421, Rodes NT1, ZE3000. Plug-ins includes the API vision strip, Manley VoxBox, neve

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

A: Producer guitarists like Jimmy Page, Hendrix and Gilmour. Kendrick Lamar for the sound collage approach. Improvisers and experimentalists

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Eclectic. Rock and blues based pop but with the search for sonic originality. Sonic Youth and Robert Fripp enter the fray along with more normal references.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Catch the moment. This is a “record” of a moment in time. Sometimes the earliest takes are the best ones so don’t overwork it. Just make sure your production head knows that every take may be the one so get your sound sorted.

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

A: My own and other peoples original compositions.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: 30 years of experience backing top songwriters and vocalists. Everything i do is to enhance the song. The song is king. I bring an economy and space to my contributions. Simple and powerful is my aim. When arranging rhythm and solo guitar parts I look for the drama and contrast that can lift the music to the next level. I of course bring a cracking solo to any song.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: When recording remotely my first job is to discuss the clients requirements thoroughly. What mood they are looking for. Do they want discrete backing to blend in or a powerful top line to stand out. Or both. All I need then is a stereo track with tempo . It is imported into logic . Then I will focus on the brief itself. Whether it is bass, rhythm or solo. Often I throw in a wild track of solos and other licks that have caught my ear. The client can use them or not. I bounce the raw tracks as recorded with no effects for the client to mix as they wish. I can mix and treat the sounds at my end but usually they prefer to have all the frequencies of the original recording . When working on original compositions I start with an basic drum track that has the vibe of the piece. Get a rhythm track down they a guide vocal to mark the areas that will need space and dynamics. I add bass to give a strong underpinning. Then the fun begins and we add different riffs and ideas. Even changing chords and arrangement in the song if I feel that a section is going on too long or needs a twist that can be gained from a simple chord substitution. This is more involved and works best with the clients involvement.

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

A: Electric and acoustic guitar rhythm and lead . Adverts, children’s music, albums and live work