Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of music do you specialize in?
I love working on indie/folk/rock stuff a lot but have made some really fun poppier records and all sorts of stuff honestly. To me it’s less about genre and more about vibe, take a sec to listen to the discography on the ‘records’ page and if it’s your cup of tea, let’s chat!
How long does it take to record a single?
I generally slot out three days if we’re doing in person sessions per song - in my experience this is the perfect amount of time to get a song idealized from start to finish. Some take less time and some can take a little bit more but this is always my starting point.
Where is the studio located?
We’re located in South Nashville, close to Berry Hill! In person sessions and remote are both available.
What types of artists do you work with?
Most of the artists I work with are singer/songwriter musicians that are looking for someone to help them solidify the vibe that they have in their head on their song. I’ve got everything from a fully mic’d up live drum setup to synths, vintage guitars, live piano etc. to track everything needed to take a song from start to finish.
What do those three days look like when recording a song?
My process usually starts with getting whatever instrument the song was written on (acoustic guitar/piano etc) recorded from start to finish and then if it’s a fuller song, recording a drum loop on the live kit and recording a scratch vocal so the artist and I can go in and make some markers for where the arrangement sections are, verse, chorus, interludes, with poppier tunes where the energy needs to go up and down etc. That’s usually the day 1 job. Almost like a really high functioning demo.
Day 2 is generally the most open ended - it may include finding some hooky electric guitar parts, maybe the bass if we didn’t do it day 1 - probably final vocals if we don’t end up keeping the day 1 vocals (which I do actually do a ton haha). It’s worth noting that I mix as I record so as we’re listening to the parts we’ve tracked I’m constantly trying to fit them into the mix and create the final vibe in the moment. This is just the way that I like to do things, I think it’s really important to be as influenced by the vibe of the song as you go so I’ve never understood hearing a really raw unflattering thing and then just slapping all the magic on at the end.
Day 3 is finishing up day. This is where the final mixing and layers will get done. Does the second verse feel cool and different from verse 1? Do we need a new unique texture there that we haven’t found yet? Are all of the choruses hitting right? Making sure we get everything up to final mix level as well… sometimes we need to start really getting the drums a little punchier at this stage and we may go hunting for final vocal harmonies and counterlines too. At the end of day 3 we will have a song completely mixed and ready for master.
What instruments do you play on records you work on?
I play everything an artist doesn’t want to play themselves, we’ve got everything in here from a fully mic’d up vintage drum kit, upright piano, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer electric piano, a bunch of boutique and vintage amps, every guitar imagineable and a wall of synths!
How do remote sessions work?
A lot of my artists work remote with me and it’s a blast! We can either get a song started with a demo from the artist that I can recreate the original instrument (acoustic/piano etc) and get the rough mapping out started or the artist can supply the first instrumentation bed layers and we can go back and forth building from there! Zoom sessions are helpful time to time but the real fun of remote sessions is the Postal Service vibe of sending parts back and forth and collaborating when it’s most convenient for both of our schedules. I’ve found this to be a super successful way to work with artists who might be in other places like LA, the UK etc!
Do you master songs as well?
I provide artists with a mastered version of their song which is absolutely usable for release on digital streaming services. I do recommend (budget permitting) that our song/mix gets mastered by a professional engineer when possible. Seeing as I’m working on the song from start to finish including tracking/engineering to mixing, I find it helpful to have that final set of ears on a tune to just make sure everything frequency and volume wise is where it needs to be. I can recommend a variety of incredible mastering folks I’ve worked with with a range of rates and styles.
If I’m a producer, am I able to rent the space out to track things like live drums, piano, live guitars or vocals through your chain?
Schedule permitting, yes! We have some slots available for this as well - everything is mic’d up and ready to record, we specialize in live instrument recording here at Shabby - if you need to replace drum samples or get a killer final vocal take through the chain, sessions can be brought in. I will oversee all sessions and assist in the engineering as well as whatever instrumental tracking needs you may also have during the session but you are welcome to bring your own players as well.
Hey I’ve got a groovy tune and would love for you to play bass, maybe drums on it… is that something you do?
Absolutely! Instrumental tracking either here in person or remote is something I do all the time for folks. IF you’re missing that one ingredient in your track whether it be bass, live drums, a real acoustic piano or live guitars recorded through real amps in a room - let’s chat!
I dig those videos on your instagram, do you offer live session recording/filming?
I do a lot of filming in here at Shabby for all sorts of brands from Vox Amps/Soyuz Mics/Adam Audio/Guild Guitars as well as promo for our band Lifehouse. If you’re looking for professionally recorded live sessions with a vibe we offer that here - fliming and mixing included.