Ukulele Player & Mix Engineer

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

A: My latest single "I'm So Glad You're Still Here", written about my suicide attempt as a child, and the song was completely self-recorded and self-produced in my room. Everything about the single was DIY which suited how personal the song was.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital, it's pretty difficult to mail your mix to you on tape.

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

A: That the ukulele is easy, happy and not a real instrument. My artistry challenges that with the songs I write and my playing style.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What kind of people do you think will enjoy this music, where do you plan on sending it to?

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

A: Ukulele, laptop, interface, AKG C414 and my Bose headphones.

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

A: I started as a musician learning every instrument I could and joining every club going in high school. While using my school's recording studio I learned about Music Technology, eventually taking a college course in it while pursuing a live sound career. I completed a degree at SSR Manchester before my career leant more towards music performance.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: As a musician, pop-folk.

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

A: Brian May due to being something of a musical hero for me growing up. I would love to observe his approach to guitar writing.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Good mixing is good arranging. Make sure the right instruments are in the right place and mixing will be so much easier.

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

A: Singer-songwriter or soft pop music.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: As a musician, my ukulele playing. As a songwriter my adapting of lyrics to fit syllabically, and as a producer it's my ears, particularly for frequency ranges.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I think as a musician with pop-folk artistry I can bring out the intimate singer-songwriter nature of songs while still making it it radio friendly.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I love recording with live instruments wherever possible, my mix process is usually led by efficient editing, followed by balance, then sorting out the tone and dynamics before experimenting with a sense of three dimensional space.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Focusrite Scarlett interface, Ear Trumpet Labs and AKG microphones, Pro Tools, and Mackie HR monitors

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

A: My favourite songwriters are Ed Sheeran, Brad Paisley, and the lesser-known Matt Pless, Caroline Francess, and Mathew Kerry. My favourite ukulele players are James Hill and Aldrine Guerrero.

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

A: While I work as a full-time performing musician, I have lately been involved with cowriting and mixing from my home in Manchester.