Progressions: Success in the Music Industry

Brendan Dekora is an engineer and mixer with credits with artists such as Trent Reznor, Foo Fighters, Steven Wilson, and Muse.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• What You Need to Know as a Freelance Engineer to Align with your Clients
• Why “Vibe” is More Important than Skills
• How Authentic Content can be One of Your Best Tools
• Tips for Remote Mixing and Collaboration
• How to Navigate Moving into the Co-Production Role
• Drum Tuning and How to Get Great Drum Sounds
• How Being in a Major Music City Can Shape Your Career

Connect with

🌐 Website: https://www.brendandekora.com/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brendandekora/

📺 WATCH THE SHOW ON YOUTUBE 📺

https://www.youtube.com/@progressionspod

Connect with Me:

📬 Newsletter: https://www.travisference.com/subscribe

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressionspod

🎵TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@progressionspod

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/progressionspod

🌐 Website: https://www.travisference.com/

🙏 Leave a Review or Rating 🙏

Apple: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/apple

Spotify: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/spotify

📢 Our Sponsors 📢

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Credits:

Guest: Brendan Dekora

Host: Travis Ference

Editor: Stephen Boyd

Theme Music: inter.ference

Today’s guest is music producer, recording engineer, and mixer Tim O’Sullivan. Tim’s credits include artists such as Chicano Batman, Rayland Baxter, The Head and the Heart, Grace Potter, and Leonard Cohen. His career has involved bouncing around freelancing and working on staff for various producers and at studios such as Capitol and Barefoot Recording. We have a great chat about building studios, the importance of a great headphone mix, wiring for creativity, learning to express your opinion in a way that fits your role, and using unique instruments to inspire the artist.

In this episode we'll dig in on...

• Things to consider when building a studio
• How to wire a studio to encourage creativity
• Managing Barefoot Recording
• Picking a studio that fits the project
• The importance of a great headphone mix
• Not being too transactional with clients
• Frankenstein Guitars
• Working for Undertone Audio in assembly and fabrication
• How to get repeat work

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Aviom Headphone System
• Audio Engineering Society
• Undertone Audio
• Nash Guitars

Tim's Listening Recommendations:

• CASIOPEA
• Rayland Baxter "If I Were a Butterfly"

Travis' Intro: Season 2 Thanks & Wrap Up

Learn More About Tim O'Sullivan...

Website: https://osullivanaudio.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timosullivanmusic/

📢 Our Sponsors 📢

Listen to Secret Sonics!

Sign Up for Complete Producer Network!

📺 WATCH THE SHOW ON YOUTUBE 📺

https://www.youtube.com/@progressionspod

Connect with Me:

📬 Newsletter: https://www.travisference.com/subscribe

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressionspod

🎵TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@progressionspod

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/progressionspod

🌐 Website: https://www.travisference.com/

🙏 Leave a Review or Rating 🙏

Apple: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/apple

Spotify: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/spotify

Credits:

Guest: Tim O'Sullivan

Host: Travis Ference

Editor: Stephen Boyd

Theme Music: inter.ference

Today’s guest is hit songwriter turned entrepreneur and music executive Jason Davis. Jason wrote his first #1 song at age 23, which led him to work with artists such as Boyz II Men, Sugar Ray, P. Diddy, Alabama, Lonestar, and Dolly Parton. As an entrepreneur and executive he’s worked as Senior VP of A&R, president of an independent record label, written two books, and executive produced for television. Currently he owns and operates One One 7 and Noble Management. We have a great chat about how to raise the level of inspiration in the room, when a publishing deal is right for you, and how to get noticed by labels and established producers.

In this episode we'll dig in on...

• The unexpected ways your songs get heard
• Serving others before yourself
• Writing hundreds of songs until you get one that feels "right"
• Learning when to sign up for PROs
• When to keep and when to give up your publishing
• Getting the attention of record labels
• The power of a unique lyric or title
• Planting the seeds of confidence during artist development
• Getting excited to work with label executives and moving into artist management
• The importance of having a trusted team as an independent artist

Mentioned in the Show:

• "This is What it Sounds Like" by Dr. Susan Rogers
• Episode 58 with Dr. Susan Rogers - Listen Here

Travis' Intro: Intentions vs Expectations

Learn More About Jason Davis...

Twitter: https://twitter.com/oneone7jason

📢 Our Sponsors 📢

Listen to Secret Sonics!

Sign Up for Complete Producer Network!

📺 WATCH THE SHOW ON YOUTUBE 📺

https://www.youtube.com/@progressionspod

Connect with Me:

📬 Newsletter: https://www.travisference.com/subscribe

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressionspod

🎵TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@progressionspod

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/progressionspod

🌐 Website: https://www.travisference.com/

🙏 Leave a Review or Rating 🙏

Apple: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/apple

Spotify: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/spotify

Credits:

Guest: Jason Davis

Host: Travis Ference

Editor: Stephen Boyd

Theme Music: inter.ference

Travis shares how mixing and recording knowledge is shared today versus when he started and explains why the abundance of information can be both empowering and limiting.

📺 WATCH THE SHOW ON YOUTUBE 📺

https://www.youtube.com/@progressionspod

Connect with Me:

📬 Newsletter: https://www.travisference.com/subscribe

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressionspod

🎵TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@progressionspod

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/progressionspod

🌐 Website: https://www.travisference.com/

🙏 Leave a Review or Rating 🙏

Apple: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/apple

Spotify: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/spotify

📢 Our Sponsors 📢

Listen to Secret Sonics!

Sign Up for Complete Producer Network!

Credits:

Guest: N/A

Host: Travis Ference

Editor: Travis Ference

Theme Music: inter.ference

Today’s guest is recording engineer and mixer Wil “Greazy” Anspach. Wil is a veteran in the Los Angeles recording scene with credits including Killer Mike, Vic Mensa, Imagine Dragons, Frank Ocean, X-Ambassadors, The Greatest Showman, and Ariana Grande. He’s also become the defacto “TikTok Engineer” by amassing a following of over 50k people by sharing real world experiences and calling out some of the nonsense on the platform. We have a great chat about what it takes to break into the engineering world, his time coming up at East West Studios, the importance of mentoring and sharing knowledge, where art and psychology meet in the recording process, and why he wants to return to Iraq to help foster music culture there.

🗒 In this episode we'll dig in on... 🗒

• How to be a great tracking engineer
• Working at East West Studios
• The importance of problem solving
• Being thrown into freelance
• Mentoring and training assistants
• The future of big studios
• Unionizing engineers and mixers
• Sleeping at the studio
• Working for Alex Da Kid
• Learning electronics as a kid
• Engineering songwriting sessions
• Growing an audience on TikTok
• Respecting the artist
• Recording Killer Mike
• Serving in the Marines during the Iraq war

🎙 Travis' Intro 🎙

Stop Learning and Start Doing

🎶 ... Listening Recommendation 🎶

The Shaggs - Here

Florence + The Machine "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful" - Here

🗣 Mentioned in the Interview 🗣

East West Recording Studios - https://www.eastweststudios.com/

That Sounds About Right Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/that-sounds-about-right/id1688042612

👉 Learn More About Wil Anspach... 👈

Website: https://www.wilanspach.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greazywil/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@greazywilmusic

📢 Our Sponsors 📢

Listen to Secret Sonics!

Sign Up for Complete Producer Network!

📺 WATCH THE SHOW ON YOUTUBE 📺

https://www.youtube.com/@progressionspod

Connect with Me:

📬 Newsletter: https://www.travisference.com/subscribe

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressionspod

🎵TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@progressionspod

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/progressionspod

🌐 Website: https://www.travisference.com/

🙏 Leave a Review or Rating 🙏

Apple: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/apple

Spotify: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/spotify

Credits:

Guest: Wil Anspach

Host: Travis Ference

Editor: Stephen Boyd

Theme Music: inter.ference