Login
My first significant breakthrough in the industry came from my work on 'Could've Just Left Me Alone' by Alexa Cappelli. We wrote this song at a camp for Alexa, posted it on TikTok while we were working on it, and overnight, it got millions of views. I distinctly remember making weird sound choices I really liked, and I would nervously glance over my shoulder from my chair to see if Alexa was making a face like ‘What is he doing?’... She never did. She trusted my choices, and I love how we collaborate in that way. ‘Moonlight’ by Henry Lau is really important to me as well. This was my first venture into the K-POP world which I have grown to love. In our session we wrote a few ideas before landing on ‘Moonlight’ and I’m glad we made the effort to really get it right.
I like to wear many hats, but I see myself primarily as a producer. My strength lies in helping artists bring their visions to life and translating them into songs.
I began playing the piano at an early age, receiving lessons from my grandma. Later on, I picked up the guitar, saxophone, and so on. I was in a few rock bands and played on drumline in high school which helped me learn collaboration early on. It wasn’t until I got my first laptop that I truly delved into production. This is where my passion for electronic music (EDM) started. Watching videos of Martin Garrix producing music on a computer in his bedroom showed me that an expensive studio wasn't a necessity, unlike in the past. My focus has shifted more towards top-40 Pop music but I love to bring in electronic elements.
As you grow in the music scene, more and more artists will reach out. A problem I've faced is saying 'Yes' to too many projects. Before you know it, you're trying to finish 20 songs in 10 days. In my experience, the music doesn't turn out well when this happens. Now I prioritize the projects I'm passionate about and avoid taking on too much.
Fabfilter’s Pro-Q 3 and Pro-MB are in every project I work on. I love their UI and find they are effective and easy to use. I love UAD’s plug-ins. You will always see UAD LA-2A on my vocal chain. I mainly use a Neumann U87 as my mic of choice on vocals.
I get this question a lot. I think the most important answer is that you have to make sure you really love music and have a strong work ethic. Every mixer, producer, writer, etc., took a very different path to 'make it' in the industry, but the most common ground is that it probably was not easy. In my case, it was years of working in studios, living in different cities, countless hours of studying production and listening to music, working with people I did not like, and really just paying my dues until finally, one song hit. Music is like any other profession; you start at 0 and have to work your way up. Do everything you can to get your foot in the door and remember to have fun along the way.
I've been producing on headphones for almost 10 years. Living in different apartments with roommates and neighbors, I often found myself reaching for headphones. Nowadays, I use headphones for a more controlled listening environment. You can spend hours trying to figure out how to properly treat a studio and still get it wrong. Headphones will always be consistent. I love to use them while mixing to really hear where things are sitting in the mix.
The MM-500s have become a staple in my production process. No song is finished until I've given it a listen through them. I find the frequency response to be completely in line with modern pop music! They're very comfortable, and I can wear them for hours at a time.
I have been working on some very exciting projects in Pop and K-Pop. The MM-500's have been crucial to dial in specific elements in my mixes!
