Picture: Brendan Holmes
You are a multifaceted producer and sound engineer, how did it all begin for you?
Well, I played in bands and wrote songs as a kid but at some point decided that I might be better suited for the studio side of making music and so I went to Berklee College of Music. That got me on the path to becoming an engineer and producer. I somewhat kept up with writing songs for a while until I got too busy as an engineer. Though, I was fortunate enough to write a few songs with Teddy Riley. He was very generous to offer me that opportunity and I’m forever grateful to him for that. I don’t write too much anymore, though I do dip my toe in every once in a while.
What did you listen to growing up?
There was lots of Beatles, Elton John and Stevie Wonder. On the radio I listened to all the AM Classics, Motown etc. Towards the end of high school, the punk and new wave scene started and that got me into bands like the Police and the Pretenders, The Clash and Elvis Costello, Tom Petty. It was a very energizing time. I also went through a Prog Rock stage as well as a Synth music stage. I was always open to anything. When I got to Berklee I discovered Jazz which is what I probably listen to most.
You have worked on records that have soundtracked the lives of a generation to say the least. Is there one that made you think from the moment the record button was pressed you thought – HIT!
There were. But then also there were times when I thought something would be a hit and it wasn’t and also times when something I never thought would be a hit became one. The Spice Girls was like that. I thought they’d be a hit in the UK but never really thought they’d connect in the US and the rest of the world. Obviously, when you’re working with someone like Michael Jackson, you expect you’ve got a good chance at having a hit. Remember The Time was like that (One of my favourite songs of all time. Del.) I remember thinking Genie in a Bottle was really cool, but I was still surprised it became such a huge hit. I thought Macy Gray’s first album was going to be a hit. I did an album recently called Billy Valentine and The Universal Truth that is one of my favorite albums I’ve worked on but it’s with a very small label so you keep your expectations reasonable. But really, you just never know. You put everything you got into it and hope for the best.
Technology has changed quickly since you started out in the business what has been your favourite advancement?
Well, Protools was obviously a big leap forward. There was a lot of resistance to it at first, but I was an early adopter. I think I’m generally not one of those people who is afraid of technology or someone that thinks the new stuff can’t be as good as the old stuff. I really love the way we make records now as compared to the way we made records in the tape days. For the most part it all depends on how you use it. If you give yourself too many options and postpone making decisions, it can become an albatross. But I like working fast and making decisions in the momen so that hasn’t really been an issue for me. Atmos is another recent development that I’m really excited about. I’ve been doing a lot of Atmos mixing over the last five years and I absolutely love it.
As a producer and engineer what are three myths you’d like to break about your role?
Once in a while, I come across a client who thinks that somehow I can miraculously make their song sound like something it’s not. I mean, there’s a lot I can do to take something that’s flat and make it come to life. But I can’t really make a bad singer a great singer. Or a bad song a good song I think sometimes people think that all the magic is in the production and the knob turning when it’s really in the artist and the song.
Which leads me to the second one which is that all the gear really doesn’t matter as much as what people think it does. I’d like to think I could make a good record even with crappy equipment. I know I can. If you know what’s important you’ll find a way to make it happen.
And on the other side, I sometimes find those that don’t appreciate the art and vision that goes into mixing, producing and making a record. That a mixer is very much an artist and it’s not merely technical. There’s so many decisions to be made. Making the right ones, and having the right taste and tuning in to an artist’s vision is an art itself.
You are currently working with your daughter Riley, what do you think has been something you’ve learned about working with each other?
I can’t speak for her and what she may have learned but I think I’ve learned that even with my own daughter, someone I know and am around more than practically anyone, that I still have to treat her as an artist, because she is. And when we’re working together, she’s the artist, even the client (ha!) and I need to think of her as that above being my daughter. I’m ultimately not the boss.
What’s your favourite track from the EP?
My favorite right now is Poison. I think it’s one of her best songs and I think we made a good record with it. She’s been writing some really great songs lately and I’m excited to get back into the studio again with her for the next batch. We’ve got the basics down for a couple that I think have the potential of being her best songs. We’ll see.
If you could be shipped off to a desert island what three albums would you take and what book?
If I were on a desert island I’d be lonely so I think I’d want music that’d cheer me up. I’m gonna go with Duke Ellington Live at Newport, Songs In The Key of Life and maybe The White Album since it’s a double album and covers so much ground. One book might be Songwriters on Songwriting by Paul Zollo.
If you could hear one song that you’ve recorded for the first time again what would it be?
Hmm. I have no idea. As in get to re-live the moment a song came to life in the studio? I think I’ll get sentimental and pick the moment when Riley came into the studio for the first time because she wanted to record her voice. I think she was 3. She sang into the mic and when I played it back she said, “What happened to my beautiful voice!!!” Her mom and I laughed hysterically but at the same time I was crushed. Here was my moment of truth and I failed. Hopefully I make her happier now with her recordings.
What are you listening to at the moment?
I listen to mostly jazz. I particularly like music that was recorded before say 1960. Before overdubs became the norm. When recordings were just snapshots of a moment in time and not a construction. That said, I’ve been digging MkGee lately. I saw Madison Cunningham perform recently and she blew my mind. I also like Louis Cole and Knower.
What are you looking forward to doing next?
I’ve just been working with Iron And Wine again and we’ll be finishing that album soon. I’ve also been working with Linda Perry and really enjoying that. I hope to do more with her.
And of course more with Riley. That should be very soon and it’s always rewarding.
