Producing & Recording
I love getting involved. From helping to pick the right songs, arranging, helping with melodies, structures, concepts, dreaming up the sonics, the best ways to record, who to pick to help, I can do as much or as little as you need. Collaborating with excited, motivated people is my favourite part of making music.
I like the records that sound like people played them:
When you can hear the room, the inspiration and the execution.
I want to take the live experience of a band performing and give it extra depth and dynamic to make it a totally immersive and all-conquering listen.
I prefer making sounds by creating unique chains of instruments in real rooms, fearlessly moving and adapting them to suit each moment as we feel it. I'll take that over a sample-pack any day.
On the other side of live energy, I love layering synths, creating soundscapes and experimenting with textures. Whatever it takes to feel like we're floating in the song.
Mixing
I really enjoyed translating a lot of energy into fully formed mixes that work on small speakers, big speakers, headphones and on radio.
My approach is free of constraints, often working with the artist to push the boundaries of the mix can be.
I've got an analog / digital hybrid mix & production room with a classic SSL console, Pro Tools HDX, walls of synths, filters, tape echoes, fuzzes and many other sonic manipulators.
My Studios
Since my days of being a self-producing musician I've been touring the world collecting instruments, microphones and recording equipment. It's amassed into a three studio facility in the heart of Belfast.
It's called Start Together Studio and it's hosted thousands of sessions for artists, labels, publishers and broadcasters.
I've filled it with drums, guitars, amps, analog synths, fx and so much more.
It's a vast unique collection to enable complete experimentation and freedom.
Writing & Composition
Production can often involve some writing. I enjoy organic writing experiences where we are working towards a shared vision for a song. I've collaborated with Duke Special, MC Lars, Adam WarRock, Nathan Connolly (Snow Patrol) and on my own projects with Tim Wheeler (Ash), and Matt Caughtran (The Bronx)
I have composed music used in Gossip Girl, Ugly Betty, How I Met Your Mother and in campaigns for Nike, Fujifilm and Jameson.
Songs
New Heavy Sounds
Bella Union
Dirty Hit
Search & Destroy
About Me
I started as a live engineer aged 16, mixing in venues and festivals across Ireland, touring Europe with acts including Longbeach, CA's Ugly Duckling who helped start my love of hip hop.
From there I started taking my experimentation with recording more seriously and formed a band called Oppenheimer. We released 3 albums with Bar/None Records USA, touring the states 15+ times and enjoying many life-changing indie-pop moments.
In 2007 I set up Start Together Studio in Belfast, N.Ireland as a wonderland for musicians to make the records of their dreams.
It continues to grow as a musician-focused, multi-studio set-up offering artists a comfortable, creative space with a huge collection of instruments and equipment.
I also travel regularly across the UK & Europe to rehearse, record or mix with artists.
I love electronica and indie-pop all the way through to punishingly heavy and fast songs. The honest conviction of the artist is often the most important thing for me.
I now work with Pip Newby at Friends Vs Music for bookings & management.