Mixing, Production

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

A: I was flown out to do a week-long production camp in upstate New York, working with indie artists. We wrote, produced and mixed their songs. The whole process was really rewarding to be able to help such talented and under rated artists really level up their music and push them a few steps further in their careers.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: A variety of music, including artists such as Oritse Williams of JLS, Toni Romiti, Jude Moore (Virgin Records)

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

A: Yes. Charlotte Berg.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital. I can makes something sound analogue using digital plugins, plus the workflow of being in the box is just much smoother.

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

A: I'll communicate with you and go back and forth as much as it takes to ensure you are happy with the results.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Bringing up n coming music to life.

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

A: Q: Can you make my song compete with songs in the charts? A: If your recordings are to a decent level...then absolutely.

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

A: Analogue Gear > In The Box

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What is the purpose of the song? What is the song about? Are there any existing songs that you feel would be in the same world as this? Are there any specific moments in the song that you want to emphasise / highlight?

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

A: Everyone seems to claim to be a "Grammy Award Winning Mixer" on here, yet I constantly hear how "average" their mixes are. Personally, I'd rather have someone who is willing to put the time and effort into making your mix shine rather than an alleged Grammy Winner who is just looking to make a quick buck on the side.

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

A: Laptop, my Beyerdynamic DT880 headphones, Apollo Twin interface, my Fender strat Elite and of course...coffee.

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

A: I started producing in my bedroom at age 16. I got signed to a number of indie labels for my electronic music productions and continued with that from the ages of 17 - 23. From there, I went on to focus on pop music production and mixing. I then became an intern at Soho Sonic Studios in London and progressed to a senior music producer and Head of Mixing. I now travel between London and LA doing songwriting, production and mixing.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Open, airy, dynamic, dramatic.

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

A: The Band Camino. I feel like they're really pushing the boundaries of alternative rock / pop. Incredible modern production techniques built on top of really great songs.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: All that matters is what comes out of the speakers. It doesn't matter how you get there.

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

A: Pop, alt-pop, electronic, hip-hop, acoustic and folk.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My greatest skill is being able to understand your vision in a really deep and meaningful way, and then translate that into the sonics of the song.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Apart from energy, depth and clarity, I really aim to bring out the artist's emotion. Whether that's highlighting aggression and power through distortion and compression or bringing out the subtle sadness in a vocal using delays and reverbs. I aim to create a mix that gives the listener the same feeling that the artist had when they first created the song.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I first discuss the client's goals and creative vision for the song. I'll then go ahead and spend some time with the client's rough mix alongside any reference material that they may have. Once I feel I understand their vision, I begin sculpting the mix.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I operate out of one of London's leading boutique production houses. My studio setup includes two separate acoustically treated rooms. I have Nuemann KH310 monitors in one of the rooms and Genelec 1031 A's + Dynaudio Bm5's in the other. I have the full suite of mixing plugins from leading developers including Waves, Soundtoys, Fabfilter and IK Multimedia.

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

A: I get inspired by new artists every day. The songwriting of Taylor Swift, the musicianship of Silk Sonic, the creativity of The Band Camino, or the pure power and energy of Chase & Status.

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

A: I'm usually mixing a wide range of contemporary pop music. That includes signed and indie artists - with anything ranging from rap to acoustic folk music.