What's That Sound?

Stu Watts chats with Josh Simons, who is the CEO of Australia’s only ASX-listed music company, Vinyl Group (ASX:VNL), and Founder of Vampr. Described as a visionary entrepreneur, Simons has raised $35M historically for his technology startups from various sources including venture capital, institutional, HNW, family office and angel groups. These ventures have seen him reside in Los Angeles, London, Sydney and Melbourne.Formerly known as Jaxsta, Vinyl Group launched in 2023 as a parent company encompassing its foundational brands—Jaxsta, Vampr, and Vinyl.com. Under his leadership, the company has acquired The Brag Media—publisher of Rolling Stone Australia and Variety Australia—as well as Mediaweek and Concrete Playground, combining them to form Vinyl Media, now one of the most influential youth publishing and cultural networks in the southern hemisphere. He has also led the acquisitions of Funkified Entertainment and Serenade.Simons is also the co-founder of Vampr, the world’s largest social-professional network for musicians and creatives, often dubbed the “LinkedIn for creatives.”Before transitioning to tech, Simons ran a record label, publishing arm, and film production company, and was the lead singer of indie rock band Buchanan. As a songwriter and producer, he has shared credits with Travis Scott, Troye Sivan, and Kanye West, and as a performer, has toured with Coldplay, Keith Urban, and Carrie Underwood.In recognition of his contributions to music and innovation, Simons was named to The Music Network’s 30 Under 30 in 2020, winning Reader’s Choice, and in 2024, received Young Entrepreneur of the Year honours from Business News Australia.How you can support the podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy some merch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate⁠⁠⁠Follow on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠What's That Sound?⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stu Watts⁠⁠⁠Josh Simons⁠⁠⁠Stu Watts website⁠Josh Simons websiteVinyl Group website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Josh's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Stu's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Enquiries and suggestions: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.whatsthatsound@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Stu Watts chats with Tim Maxwell, who is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist, producer and mix engineer based in Melbourne, Australia. He first made his mark as the producer and frontman of the band Loser. Their debut album, Mindless Joy, was nominated for an Australian Music Prize in 2020, marking the start of Tim’s career as a producer. The follow-up album, All The Rage, achieved over 1 million Spotify streams, with two singles added to national radio rotation. The album was also nominated for Best Punk Release at the 2022 AIR Awards.In January 2021, Tim founded Restless Noise, his own studio and business. Through Restless Noise, he has worked with a diverse range of local and emerging artists, helping them shape their sound and reach their creative potential. Driven by a desire to collaborate with larger artists, Tim expanded his experience by working with Wrangler Studios, where he continues to refine his skills and position himself for high-profile projects.Tim’s growing reputation as a producer has led to opportunities with interstate bands, including Towns, Fangz, and Molly Rocket. Whether working in his own studio or collaborating with other artists, Tim remains committed to pushing creative boundaries and elevating the Australian music scene.Chapters:00:00 Intro/About Tim Maxwell02:21 What has changed over the past 3 years03:47 Working with interstate bands06:25 Rebranding and rebuilding Wrangler Studios07:30 Does the gear really matter?12:22 Make things sound good in the room13:21 Turning point moments16:12 Workflow improvements21:31 Don't compare yourself to others25:52 Does the mix translate everywhere?32:12 Inspiration/new habits34:42 What have you learnt about the music industry?38:23 Focus on enjoyment39:39 Advice to yourself from 3 years ago42:00 What continues to excite you?46:38 What Tim is focusing on in the near future47:34 Best bits of advice for producers/engineers and artists48:36 Conclusion/OutroHow you can support the podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy some merch⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate⁠⁠Follow on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠What's That Sound?⁠⁠⁠⁠Stu Watts⁠⁠⁠⁠Tim Maxwell⁠⁠Stu Watts website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Tim's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Stu's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Enquiries and suggestions: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.whatsthatsound@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Stu Watts chats with Myles Mumford, who has been making music and making records professionally since the late 90s. Starting trombone with his Dad, Monte Mumford, he completed a Bachelor of Performing Arts (Music) with trombone and composition before moving to Melbourne in 2002 to study at the VCA. After completing a Graduate Diploma in Dramatic Art (sound) Myles took over the operation of the VCA recording studio and hasn't looked back. Since then he has worked extensively across all spheres of music and audio creation including record production, music and effects for film, music and effects for theatre, location recording, concert production and more. He is well known for his musical and collaborative approach to recording, and his ability to create a sense of presence and space. Myles’ productions can be heard across all forms of media and regularly receives critical acclaim in the form of featured singles, featured albums, or album of the week. He's had a few albums nominated for ARIAs, several Bell Award winning productions, many Age and Music Victoria awards, a Green Room award, APRA awards and various others along the way. In 2012 - 2013 Myles volunteered for 12 months in Swaziland for Lusweti - Institute For Health Communication and Development through Australian Volunteers International. During this time Myles produced two weekly one hour radio shows on the National broadcaster SBIS, worked with local builders to design and build a recording studio, developed radio content, trained local staff, collaborated with the Swazi Community Radio Initiative, produced several albums of local artists and his productions featured in the Swazi Top 20 every week for more than a year. In 2014 he spearheaded the formation of Rolling Stock Recording Rooms in Collingwood which has quickly become an incredibly active hub of music making across all genres of Melbourne music with hundreds of projects in the ensuing 10 years and in 2025 was named as the MPEG Studio of the Year. In addition to producing and engineering, Myles is a multi-award-winning composer and performer. He has composed for concerts, theatre, and contemporary dance, with his work being performed across Australia and internationally. Chapters:00:00 Intro02:17 About Myles Mumford03:09 Early experiences with music10:04 Appreciating a broad range of music genres11:16 The technical side of making records13:40 Moving into production15:17 What is "good music"?19:28 Early days producing and engineering21:49 How his approach has changed23:47 Coaching an artist through a recording session28:29 About Rolling Stock Recording Rooms34:02 The wealth of talented producers and engineers in Melbourne (and the rest of Australia)36:31 The lack of support from our government and governing bodies43:39 The difficulties of being a producer/engineer50:00 Dealing with FOMO52:34 Respect and sacrifice1:00:47 What's Myles looking forward to1:04:55 Best bits of advice for producers/engineers and artists1:10:07 Conclusion/OutroHow you can support the podcast:⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠Buy some merch⁠⁠Donate⁠Follow on Instagram:⁠What's That Sound?⁠⁠Stu Watts⁠⁠Myles MumfordRolling Stock Recording Rooms⁠Myles Mumford website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rolling Stock website⁠Stu Watts website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Stu's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Enquiries and suggestions: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.whatsthatsound@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Stu Watts chats with Louis Montgomery, who is a Melbourne based music producer, mix engineer, recording engineer, composer, and musician; working mostly between Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney. Louis graduated from the ANU with a Bachelor of Music - First Class Honours. In this, Louis specialised in Creative Recording and was awarded the prestigious Bernard Neumann Memorial Prize, The Peter and Lena Karmel Anniversary Award, and The Friends of the School of Music Transition Award. During his studies, he also partook in a number of recording studio internships around Australia, including: Studios 301, Sydney; Sing Sing Studios, Melbourne; Infidel Studios, Canberra; work experience with ABC Classic FM, and assisted Magoo (Dr Lachlan Goold), Brisbane. Over his career his work has amassed 160+ million streams. His work with Callum Henshaw resulted in an Album of the Week on Classic FM; his work with SAFIA resulted in an Album of the Week on Triple J, 5 songs in the Hottest 100, and in 2016 saw the band nominated for an ARIA Award. He has been awarded multiple Gold and Platinum singles, as well as a Gold Certified album. He has worked at Abbey Road Studios, London; Studios 301, Sydney; Sing Sing Studios, Melbourne; Golden Retriever, Sydney; Rolling on the River, Tasmania; and Supersize Recording Studio, Budapest. In 2018 he was part of a team that won Best Sound for Interactive Media at the Australian Screen Sound Guild Awards. In 2022 Louis was nominated for Industry Legend of the Year at the Music ACT Music Awards, in 2024 he produced the Music ACT Music Awards Release of the Year (Flik - Stormchaser), in 2025 he was nominated for MPEG Breakthrough Producer of the Year. Chapters:00:00 Intro02:11 About Louis Montgomery02:32 Early experiences with music08:25 Discussing the education system10:36 Early experiences of sound engineering14:20 Interning and assisting22:39 The importance of extensive demoing25:52 How to navigate when things aren't going right29:22 What is a "great mix"?32:57 A discussion about mix notes37:14 There's no answer for how to create the "perfect" piece of art39:02 What Louis has learnt about business over the years42:45 Networking and relationships45:15 Recording live and to tape52:10 What's coming up for Louis55:01 Best bits of advice for producers/engineers and artists56:41 Conclusion/OutroHow you can support the podcast:Subscribe on YouTubeBuy some merchDonateFollow on Instagram:What's That Sound?Stu WattsLouis MontgomeryLouis Montgomery website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stu Watts website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Louis' work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Stu's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Enquiries and suggestions: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.whatsthatsound@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Stu Watts chats with Nick Franklin, who is a mastering engineer, (sometimes) recording and mixing engineer and the owner of electronic gadget company Franklin Audio.Nick grew up in a small coastal town on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, playing in bands and recording music with friends. His parents were incredibly supportive—soundproofing the garage, helping him buy his first recording equipment, and ultimately encouraging him to pursue his dream of moving to the city to study audio engineering.Shortly after completing his studies, a chance encounter with legendary mastering engineer Rick O’Neil led to a position as an assistant engineer at Turtlerock Mastering, then the largest mastering studio in Australia. The role proved to be an intense crash course in mastering and client work, laying a strong foundation for the rest of his music career. Like many studios, however, the Turtlerock building was eventually demolished to make way for apartments, leaving Nick jobless and uncertain about the next step.In search of steady work while figuring out his next move, Nick accepted a lecturing role at JMC Academy, teaching Pro Tools, electronics, and music production. It wasn’t long before he became fully immersed in the world of education, eventually taking on the role of full-time studio manager. In that position, he oversaw the campus’s relocation to Ultimo and the commissioning of four large-format consoles. During a studio tour for local producers, he connected with a studio owner in need of a new house engineer—an opportunity that brought him back into the professional audio world.Over the next five years, Nick recorded hundreds of artists and bands at Linear Recording, refining the craft of capturing live instruments. During this time, he also built his own studio just a block away—poetically located in the newly established Turtlerock Mastering building.Alongside his music career, Nick had been nurturing an electronics business, which he officially launched in 2021. That same year, he was once again forced to demolish his studio to make way for development. This time, he chose not to rebuild, instead committing full-time to Franklin Audio. Since then, the company has grown into a six-person team with customers around the world.Chapters:00:00:00 Intro00:03:35 About Nick Franklin00:04:15 Early experiences with music00:09:11 Learning audio at JMC00:13:27 After college and Rick O'Neil's mentorship00:18:40 Key learns from his early mastering experiences00:22:35 The next stage of Nick's journey as a lecturer00:28:35 Meeting Chris from Linear Recording00:31:02 Reflections on the higher education system00:35:11 How Franklin Audio got started00:41:52 How Nick's previous experiences help with running a business00:45:36 How Franklin Audio approaches social media00:54:14 What can a producer/engineer learn from a business owner?00:57:17 What is still surprising/exciting about being around music?00:59:46 What's coming up this year01:00:51 Best bits of advice for producers/engineers, artists and business owners01:06:02 Conclusion/OutroHow you can support the podcast:⁠⁠⁠SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BUY SOME MERCH⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DONATE⁠⁠⁠Follow on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whatsthatsoundpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stu Watts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@stu.watts.audio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Nick Franklin: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@fricknanklin⁠Franklin Audio: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@franklin_audio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stu Watts website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nick Franklin website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Franklin Audio website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Stu's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Nick's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠Enquiries and suggestions: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.whatsthatsound@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Stu Watts chats with Hayden Lauersen, who is a mix engineer and record producer based in Melbourne, Australia. With a background in songwriting and production of original works, he offers a premium service tailored to the artist experience, highlighting emotional expression with compelling sonics. Studio credits include Kate Ceberano, Clare Bowditch, Haiku Hands, Tentendo, ISHAN, Kee’ahn, Sophiya, Woodes, RARIA, Blush’ko, AKOSIA and Shannen James, along with Future Classic, Universal Music, Island Records, Spinning Top Music, Ivy League Records, Sidekick Music and many more. His work has been hand picked by Zane Lowe, played on BBC Radio 1, KCRW, Triple J, Fox FM and Nova, accumulating over 60 million Spotify streams.Chapters:00:00:00 Intro00:03:08 About Hayden Lauersen00:07:20 Early experiences with music00:13:16 How Powderfinger and Silverchair changed Hayden's life00:20:10 High school and beyond00:25:38 First experience in a studio with Dylan Nash00:29:35 Getting into mixing00:31:15 Beginning to charge clients00:34:14 Touring with Woodes00:36:38 Being surrounded by other successful artists00:39:16 Working in a commercial studio00:46:28 Hayden's mixing process00:50:16 Benchmark to aim for in a mix/referencing other mixes00:53:33 Sample replacement when mixing00:56:15 Focus on user experience when delivering mixes01:02:28 What Hayden is excited about for this year01:06:16 Best bits of advice for producers/engineers and artists01:13:25 Conclusion/OutroHow you can support the podcast:⁠⁠SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE⁠⁠⁠⁠BUY SOME MERCH⁠⁠⁠⁠DONATE⁠⁠Follow on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whatsthatsoundpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stu Watts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@stu.watts.audio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Hayden Lauersen: ⁠⁠⁠@haydenlauersen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stu Watts website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hayden Lauersen website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Stu's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Hayden's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠Enquiries and suggestions: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.whatsthatsound@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Stu Watts chats with Stefan Du Randt, who is one of the select few engineers who work exclusively from Studios 301 and has capitalised on that by building a reputation as a prolific producer, mixing and recording engineer. His credits are highlighted by his work on Mac Millers‘ posthumous album “Circles“, and include many exciting Australian and international artists such as Coldplay, Zedd, Katy Perry, Thelma Plum, Guy Sebastian, Elton John, Vera Blue, Asap Ferg, YG, The Script, Delta Goodrem, Wolfmother, Peking Duk, Daniel Johns and many more. Stefan’s road to joining the Studios 301 team in 2015 included relocating from South Africa where he worked as principal engineer for Grammy-winning producer Darryl Torr (Soweto Gospel Choir). To add to his engineering and production work, Stefan is one of the lead facilitators and practical mentors for the 301 Academy where he takes up-coming engineers through the process of making a record, all the way from the demo stage through to the finished product. Stefan also holds a degree in music production from Berklee College of Music. Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:08 About Stefan Du Randt 00:03:08 Early experiences with music 00:06:57 Falling in love with technology 00:08:18 Beginning formal education and opening a studio 00:18:45 Obtaining better opportunities 00:21:22 How Stefan's time is divided 00:22:24 The rest of Stefan's journey 00:25:25 What made Stefan level up 00:27:45 Commonalities between professional artists 00:29:36 Collaboration 00:34:21 How to get in a creative mode 00:37:46 Working with high profile artists 00:41:39 Feeling out of your depth 00:43:07 Working in Dolby Atmos 00:46:12 Stefan's mixing process 00:49:13 Utilising the rough mix 00:51:34 Challenges of being a mixer 00:55:48 What's coming up in 2025 00:56:26 Best bits of advice for producers/engineers and artists 01:01:04 Conclusion/Outro How you can support the podcast: ⁠SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE⁠ ⁠BUY SOME MERCH⁠ ⁠DONATE⁠ Follow on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whatsthatsoundpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stu Watts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@stu.watts.audio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Stefan Du Randt: ⁠⁠@mixedbystef ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stu Watts website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stefan Du Randt website⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Stu's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Listen to Stefan's work on Spotify⁠⁠ Enquiries and suggestions: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.whatsthatsound@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Stu Watts chats Lewis Mitchell, who is a Sydney-based music producer and engineer known for his exceptional craftsmanship and versatility across multiple genres and roles. With over a decade of experience, he’s built a reputation for helping artists reach new creative heights while fostering strong, lasting relationships. Over the course of his career, Lewis has worked in-house at Sony Music and Universal Music and collaborated with some of the biggest names in music, including Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, The Kid LAROI, Gang of Youths, d4vd, Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky, The Weeknd, Egoism, Jerome Farah, JOY., Stan Walker, Mitch James, 6lack, Col3trane, A.B. Original, The Veronicas, and Ziggy Ramo to name a few. His recent work on Ziggy Ramo’s album HUMAN? has been met with critical reception, including #1 on the Australian Independent Records charts, #4 on the ARIA Australian Hip Hop charts and #20 on the ARIA Australian Album charts. Lewis was also behind Ziggy’s Sugar Coated Lies album, which won Record of the Year at the 2023 FBI SMAC Awards. Lewis received nominations for Producer of the Year, Recording Engineer of the Year, and Mix Engineer of the Year at the 2024 MPEG Awards. Lewis is dedicated to his craft, consistently delivering high-quality work at every stage of the music production process. Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:03 About Lewis Mitchell 00:04:23 Early experiences with music 00:10:12 Education and being mentored 00:12:50 Comparing early sessions to now 00:14:46 What do you focus on in a production? 00:17:51 What do you look for when referencing? 00:20:05 Remote productions 00:24:34 Working with high profile artists 00:29:22 Favourite software and hardware 00:35:09 Any turning point moments? 00:38:05 What are the hardest things about your job? 00:40:08 Tips to eliminate difficult conversations 00:49:12 What continues to excite you? 00:51:25 What's coming up next year? 00:53:12 Best bits of advice for producers/engineers and artists 00:55:10 Conclusion/Outro How you can support the podcast: SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE BUY SOME MERCH DONATE Follow on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whatsthatsoundpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stu Watts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@stu.watts.audio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Lewis Mitchell: ⁠@lew_mitchell_ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stu Watts website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Lewis Mitchell website⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Stu's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Listen to Lewis' work on Spotify⁠ Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.whatsthatsound@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for any enquiries.

Stu Watts chats with Stephen Mowat, who is an ARIA award winning, multi disciplinary, multi genre loving music person. He has worked as a DJ, producer, recording engineer and songwriter all over the world for around 15 years. Extended stints in NYC, Nashville, as well as his hometown of Melbourne, have informed his love of all forms of music. From hip hop to soul to rock and beyond. Mowat is currently based out of The Aviary Studios in Abbotsford, Melbourne. Some of his recent work includes tracks with Jessica Mauboy, Cousin Tony’s Brand New Firebird, Budjerah, WILSN, Kaitlin Keegan and more. Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:52 About Stephen Mowat 00:03:22 What Stephen grew up listening to 00:04:40 Listening for production elements 00:05:41 Learning music and production 00:07:55 Did you have any mentors? 00:08:36 Memories of early sessions 00:11:18 How sessions look these days, working with new clients 00:17:12 Expectations of the music industry, finances 00:19:26 Client acquisition, networking and fee structures 00:26:26 NYC and Nashville scenes compared to Australia 00:31:25 Donate to the podcast! 00:31:49 Key takeaways from working overseas 00:33:50 Finding the identity of each song 00:38:35 Knowing when you're on the right path in a production or mix 00:41:35 Managing your finances and scheduling ahead 00:43:37 Approach to marketing 00:45:31 Landing a publishing deal 00:46:59 How to maintain relationships in the music industry 00:49:11 What's coming in the near future 00:51:41 Stephen's best pieces of advice 00:58:36 Conclusion/Outro Make sure to subscribe or follow this channel and share it on your socials! Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whatsthatsoundpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stu Watts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@stu.watts.audio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Stephen Mowat: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@stephen_mowat_⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stu Watts website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stephen Mowat website⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Stu's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Listen to Stephen's work on Spotify ⁠⁠⁠Donate to the Podcast!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.whatsthatsound@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for any enquiries.

Stu Watts chats with Joe Carra, who is the chief mastering engineer and owner of Crystal Mastering. With over 3 decades of experience, Joe has mastered for cassette, vinyl, CD, and in recent times, embraced the immersive audio of Dolby Atmos. In 2020 Joe received a Grammy nomination for Best Engineered Album, for the Teskey Brothers ‘Run Home Slow’ album. Joe has mastered various ARIA award winning albums and in 2023, was recognised with a nomination in the MPEG Awards for 'Mastering Engineer of the Year’. Having mastered successful releases on the ARIA & American Billboard charts, Joe’s clients include Pond, The Slingers, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Courtney Barnett, Amyl & The Sniffers, Genesis Owusu, The Murlocs, San Cisco, Babe Rainbow, Bliss N Eso, The Waifs and many more. In addition to his regular mastering duties, Joe shares his knowledge as a guest lecturer at colleges such as SAE, JMC, RMIT, and Box Hill Institute. Through these engagements, he imparts his deep understanding of the intricacies of mastering to aspiring students. Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:34 About Joe Carra 00:03:34 Attending university 00:04:56 Learning instruments 00:07:25 What music Joe grew up listening to 00:08:30 What university was like and learning synthesis 00:15:07 Searching for a job 00:18:01 First job at Dex Audio 00:22:41 Tape Op & Assistant work at Newmarket Studios 00:25:55 The early years of CD Mastering 00:30:21 Joe's early Mastering experience & why loudness was so important 00:39:24 Learning In-The-Box Mastering during COVID 00:44:36 Donate to the podcast! 00:45:00 The beginning of Crystal Mastering 00:51:43 Moving Crystal Mastering to Thornbury 00:56:03 High-calibre engineers & artists vs. Amateur engineers 01:00:02 The creative aspect of being a mastering engineer 01:04:41 The importance of great relationships & collaboration 01:07:54 Misinformation on Instagram Reels and TikTok 01:09:15 Continuing with in-person consulting & collaboration 01:14:45 Joe's best pieces of advice 01:23:27 Conclusion/Outro Make sure to subscribe or follow this channel and share it on your socials! Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whatsthatsoundpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stu Watts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@stu.watts.audio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Crystal Mastering: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@crystal_mastering ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stu Watts website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Crystal Mastering website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Joe's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Stu's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Donate to the Podcast!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.whatsthatsound@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for any enquiries.

Stu Watts chats with Chelsea Warner who is a Sydney based producer, songwriter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who creates forward-thinking Pop, R&B, & Hip-Hop. As a true multi-hyphenate, she thrives in all facets of the song creation process, from beat making to vocal arranging to songwriting and more. She has worked with a long list of artists, and has cuts with acts like Kid Cudi, Lil Durk, TIA RAY, and Guy Sebastian. With a background as a singer and having studied jazz & music theory, Chelsea is also a prolific loop & sample maker. She has attended songwriting camps across the world, including the Bali Songwriting Invitational, K-Pop camps in Seoul, UMPG in Hong Kong, and has written in London, Nashville, New Zealand and across Australia. She is the first recipient of Milk & Honey's female producer mentorship, being mentored by Oak Felder (Demi Lovato, Kehlani, Ariana Grande) in LA. Chelsea entered the music industry as an artist, and signed a global publishing deal in her first year of music school. Now, with a multitude of skills, love for storytelling and an unmatched creative versatility, she is building a lane of her own. Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:34 About Chelsea Warner 00:03:05 Chelsea's younger years 00:05:21 Learning about production 00:06:36 Songwriting alone and with friends 00:07:49 How school was a formative time 00:11:05 Being in writing rooms 00:14:53 What sessions look like these days 00:16:15 Having an "all or nothing" approach 00:19:37 The differences and similarities between producing and songwriting 00:21:26 Harnessing creativity 00:22:56 Capturing ideas 00:25:47 Donate to the podcast! 00:26:10 Difference between writing for pitching and working with artists 00:27:57 Being flexible in a songwriting session 00:29:45 Favourite things to work on 00:31:48 Forcing yourself to finish an idea 00:34:36 What good and bad sessions look like 00:38:03 Relationships are the key to having a career 00:40:40 Prioritising time 00:43:29 Would you have done anything differently? 00:46:13 How confidence plays into how well you perform 00:49:08 What the next few months look like 00:50:35 Chelsea's best pieces of advice 00:53:26 Conclusion/Outro Make sure to subscribe or follow this channel and share it on your socials! Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whatsthatsoundpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stu Watts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@stu.watts.audio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Chelsea Warner: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chelseawarnermusic ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stu Watts website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Chelsea's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Stu's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Donate to the Podcast!⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.whatsthatsound@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for any enquiries.

Stu Watts chats with Nadav Cohen (aka aMess). Raised on an eclectic mix of classic rock, Buddha-Bar and electronic music from his father’s collection, the 25-year-old producer and instrumentalist has been consistently releasing vibrant, sonically rich soundscapes for over half a decade. Born Nadav Cohen in Melbourne, Australia, he began recording music in 2012, in the spare room of his family home on an 8 track mixer. After dabbling with guitar playing, Cohen discovered a fascination for cinematic composers like Hans Zimmer and Thomas Newman. Cohen began scoring local short films in 2017 and would continue to write ambient and cinematic music for the following years. It was after this period that Cohen discovered a deep passion for the recently burgeoning wave of Lo-Fi music. Immersing himself in the unique atmospheres that the genre had to offer, Cohen embarked on a new journey of creating music. Having amassed over 150 million streams in the past 3 years alone, as well as the release of his 2022 Middle Eastern inspired chill beats album “Tales from Babylon” Nadav’s passion for creating and sharing music has only grown stronger over time. Nadav’s current artistic focus involves creating music for TV, Film and working with singers and songwriters. Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:44 About Nadav Cohen 00:02:31 Where music came into his life 00:04:30 Producing for other artists 00:05:50 Learning about producing ambient and lo-fi 00:10:11 Using guitar as a main element 00:11:56 Figuring out what you are good at 00:13:13 How to get into the creative mode 00:17:22 How to start a session, removing pressure 00:21:31 Being a songwriter/producer for hire 00:25:19 How music libraries work 00:26:20 Donate to the podcast! 00:26:45 Being a business 00:33:41 What Nadav's day-to-day looks like 00:38:07 Collaborating with other artists 00:43:44 What the next 6 months looks like for Nadav 00:46:48 Give people something without expecting something in return 00:48:48 Dealing with rejection 00:52:58 Nadav's best bits of advice 00:55:00 Conclusion/Outro Make sure to subscribe or follow this channel and share it on your socials! Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whatsthatsoundpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stu Watts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@stu.watts.audio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Nadav Cohen: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@amessvv ⁠Nadav Cohen website⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stu Watts website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Nadav's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Stu's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donate to the Podcast!⁠⁠⁠ Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.whatsthatsound@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for any enquiries.

Stu Watts chats with George Carpenter, who is a record producer, songwriter, arranger, recording engineer and mixer. An avid music nerd since a young age, he was classically trained in drums, percussion, piano and composition/arrangement at school before going on to complete a Bachelor of Popular Music at the Queensland Conservatorium in 2009. Having previously been a member of several notable groups such as The Delta Riggs, Mourning Tide and Jimmy the Saint & the Sinners, George then went on to open a recording studio called ‘Little Pink’ on the Gold Coast in 2012 which he operated until relocating to Melbourne in 2014. Working freelance from Sing Sing South, Woodstock and Sound Park he then managed to secure his own production suite at the iconic Aviary Studios in Abbotsford where he predominately worked between 2016 and 2021 producing for many artists and bands including APRA, QMA and Darebin Song Contest winners Ash Grunwald, Karl S. Williams and Paige Barnard. Since returning to the SE QLD in 2021 George has continued to work with a diverse group of artists such as Emily Grace Taylor, Heavy Wax, Mr Rascal, Eils & the Drip, Willie J & The Bad Books, Okmattcollins, Eimhin and Alexander William from his private studio in the Gold Coast hinterland. As a drummer and keyboard player, George currently tours with Karl S. Williams and Little Georgia. He is proudly endorsed by Ludwig Drums and Los Cabos Drumsticks. Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:06 About George Carpenter 00:03:51 The early days of his life 00:08:56 Playing in bands 00:14:24 Learning about engineering and production 00:18:48 Being a mentee 00:23:17 Professional development 00:25:20 The effect of COVID and social media 00:30:36 Donate to the podcast! 00:31:01 What George's process looks like 00:35:20 Working from scratch or from a demo? 00:36:57 Being a guide rather than telling the artist what to do 00:42:45 The business side of being a producer 00:44:31 Helping the music community 00:49:33 Opportunities 00:53:43 Challenges of being a producer/engineer 00:56:04 Working on things divergent from your direct passion 00:58:47 What's coming up in the near future 01:02:05 George's best bits of advice 01:06:21 Conclusion/Outro Make sure to subscribe or follow this channel and share it on your socials! Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whatsthatsoundpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stu Watts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@stu.watts.audio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  George Carpenter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@bambamgeorge George Carpenter website⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stu Watts website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Stu's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Shout us a coffee!⁠⁠ Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.whatsthatsound@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for any enquiries.

Stu Watts chats with Ish Quan, also known as "Mixedbyish" has been in the industry now for over half a decade, and has had the privilege of working on hundreds of released records in Australia and many more outside of Australia. Many records by Ish have been placed on Spotify editorials, played on major radio, and performed in stadiums. Ish has developed his audio skills through his bachelor's degree in Sound Production, and working outside his course, building his building his network along the way. He has developed great relationships and worked with some of the most well known talents in Australia's current hip-hop/rap scene. Working with Warner Music Australia was a pivoting moment for Ish's career and fast-forwarding 4 years down the track, he has seen much success in working with a tonne of signed & independent artists. Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:48 About Ish Quan 00:03:12 Ish's younger years 00:05:53 How he started getting into production 00:08:30 What the early sessions were like 00:11:00 How sessions differ now 00:12:43 Difference between artists 00:14:03 Pushing an artist past their comfort levels 00:17:25 How Ish splits his time 00:18:37 Landing his first placement 00:20:07 Allowing the artist to be fluid in a session 00:23:16 Donate to the podcast! 00:23:40 How to level up 00:26:26 Networking & offering your services 00:30:16 The difference between collaboration and working on your own music 00:33:09 Focus on music over content creation at the beginning 00:39:30 Staying consistent and making a lot of music 00:40:32 Referencing and knowing what is a good standard 00:42:41 Setting deadlines and moving quickly 00:44:28 Ish's focuses on the next 6 months 00:46:25 What's coming up in the near future 00:47:14 Going live on TikTok 00:50:29 Best bits of advice 00:53:34 Conclusion/Outro Make sure to subscribe or follow this channel and share it on your socials! Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whatsthatsoundpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stu Watts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@stu.watts.audio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Ish Quan: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mixedbyish ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stu Watts website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Stu's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Ish's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Shout us a coffee! Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.whatsthatsound@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for any enquiries.

Stu Watts chats with Tahlia-Rose Coleman, who stands out as an exceptional audio engineer, boasting over a decade of experience in both analog and digital mastering techniques. Recently nominated for Mastering Engineer of The Year at the MPEG Music Awards, she has swiftly become an indispensable asset to the Australian Music Industry. Starting out at Studios 301, Tahlia not only made her mark but flourished within the mastering team, working closely with the esteemed chief engineer and mentor, Steve Smart. Among her extensive list of collaborations, Tahlia has lent her expertise to renowned artists such as Electric Fields, The Buoys, Good Pash, We Lost The Sea, and many more. Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:20 About Tahlia-Rose Coleman 00:04:34 Learning audio at university 00:05:20 Tahlia's influences 00:06:30 Going deeper at university 00:10:06 Interning at 301 Studios 00:13:27 Being mentored by Steve Smart 00:15:12 Key learns from 301 Studios 00:18:21 Tahlia's current process 00:22:43 What sped up her process 00:27:05 What is a great sounding mix? 00:29:34 PayPal schpiel 00:29:58 Being creative when mastering 00:32:23 How general music discourse influences your work 00:36:50 Challenges in not being a "technical" engineer 00:39:50 The challenge of learning a new room 00:42:26 The challenges of freelancing 00:44:10 The power of word of mouth networking 00:47:31 The importance of proper crediting 00:49:03 The lack of knowledge around engineers 00:51:49 Tahlia's favourite pieces of gear 00:58:00 "Would you change anything from your past?" 01:00:32 Best pieces of advice for engineers & artists 01:03:41 "What's on in the near future?" 01:04:30 Conclusion/Outro Make sure to subscribe or follow this channel and share it on your socials! Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whatsthatsoundpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stu Watts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@stu.watts.audio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Tahlia-Rose Coleman: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rosierosierosie__ Tahlia-Rose Coleman website⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stu Watts website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Stu's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Tahlia's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUPPORT THE PODCAST WITH A DONATION⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.whatsthatsound@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for any enquiries.

Stu Watts chats with Emily Hopley, who is an engineer/producer and artist with her band Upsetter. Her passion for music and production started at an early age, she started interning at a local Gold Coast studio when she was 15, which lit a fire in her to get into audio and the music industry. Over the years, Emily has worked in studios around Gold Coast & Brisbane, assisting fantastic awards winning engineer/producers such as Anna Laverty, Michael Stavrou, ARIA-award winning Cody McWaters & Steve Kempnich, Yanto Browning, Virginia Read and more. In June 2021 she started managing at Airlock Records in Meanjin/Bris as well as being an in-house engineer. Emily has also worked (assist & lead) on numerous projects at Airlock including Up In The Airlock (season 2), Boss Moxi, Suicide Country Hour, Mt.Nadir, Blussh, and her own project (Airlock Studios Immersive Program) which was a 3-day audio engineering workshop for 10 womxn/GNC participants, funded by Queensland Arts Showcase program, with Anna Laverty as guest engineer/educator and sponsorship from Fender Australia and PreSonus Australia. After 2-years, Emily has now departed as manager from Airlock to pursue Engineering and Production full time. Still working as an in-house engineer at Airlock, Emily has additionally started a residency at Matthew Gray's Mastering facilities in the mix/production suite upstairs in between lecturing Music Production at JMC for 2 days a week. Emily has a strong passion for equality, equity and diversity and will continue to strive for this in the music industry from the ground up! Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:03:02 About Emily Hopley 00:05:00 Emily's history with music 00:07:37 Listening to production elements 00:08:18 Understanding different genres 00:10:08 Learning different skills in the beginning 00:12:19 Different personality types 00:14:51 Experience as a mentee 00:18:56 Personal and mental roadblocks 00:22:22 Emily's band Upsetter, and lecturing at JMC and SAE 00:24:30 Emily's current projects 00:25:53 Emily's recording process 00:30:43 PayPal schpiel 00:31:08 Being efficient when recording 00:39:37 Focusing on emotion and storytelling 00:41:29 Committing when using plugins and samples 00:45:56 Work hours, health and wellness 00:54:45 The barriers for women in audio 01:00:54 Emily's focuses for the coming year 01:03:24 Best advice for producers/engineers and artists 01:04:30 Conclusion/Outro Make sure to subscribe or follow this channel and share it on your socials! Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whatsthatsoundpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stu Watts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@stu.watts.audio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Emily Hopley: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@groovequeen Emily Hopley website⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stu Watts website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Stu's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Emily's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUPPORT THE PODCAST WITH A DONATION⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.whatsthatsound@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for any enquiries.

Stu Watts chats with Alex Lahey, who is an LA based multi-instrumentalist, producer, and writer from Melbourne, Australia. Despite studying jazz saxophone at university, Alex hit her stride with her distinctive brand of infectious indie rock as showcased through two successful albums released on Dead Oceans in US/Europe and via her imprint Nicky Boy Records in Australia/NZ, where she’s been ARIA Gold certified, has charted in the ARIA Top 20, and has had multiple songs in the Triple J Hottest 100 over the last 5 years. Her third album, ’The Answer Is Always Yes’ released in 2023 was critically acclaimed by Pitchfork and The New York Times and has seen Alex tour the album across the US, Australia, Europe and the UK. An engaging collaborator, Alex has become a go-to writer and producer for artists looking to straddle the pop and alternative worlds, providing unique lyrics paired with accessible yet imaginative sonics. Her own songs have become a favorite across the film/tv and advertising landscape, with prominent placements in shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Ramy, The Bold Type and Supergirl, video games such as the relaunch of Tony Hawk Pro Skater, advertising campaigns for Lidl, and original composition for film including the theme song “On My Way” for the Oscar-nominated animated film The Mitchells vs. The Machines. Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:08 About Alex Lahey 00:02:35 Alex's musical upbringing 00:04:41 Alex's teenage years 00:10:11 Alex's mentors 00:12:05 Expectation vs. Reality of the music industry 00:14:45 Work ethic & professional development, finding the fun in the work 00:18:36 Songwriting process 00:22:07 The creation behind the songs "Isabella" and "Newsreader" 00:27:16 How to push boundaries when writing "simple" music 00:32:31 The collaboration process 00:37:10 PayPal donation link 00:37:35 The challenges of marketing an artist 00:43:43 Alex's favourite hardware & software 00:47:33 Using effects as part of the songwriting process 00:50:23 Is there anything you would change or do differently? 00:52:21 Ways to combat burnout 00:54:18 Alex's advice for Producers/Engineers and Artists 00:57:13 What's on the horizon 00:58:31 Conclusion/Outro Make sure to subscribe or follow this channel and share it on your socials! Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whatsthatsoundpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stu Watts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@stu.watts.audio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Alex Lahey: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@alex_lahey Alex Lahey website⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stu Watts website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Stu's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Alex's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUPPORT THE PODCAST WITH A DONATION⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.whatsthatsound@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for any enquiries.

Stu Watts chats with Becki Whitton, who is an engineer, songwriter and producer working out of Melbourne’s Carriage Studio. Her approach in the studio balances focus and ease, and centres on a thirst to find the most powerful expression of a song’s emotional core. Becki has received ARIA, AWMA, MPEG and Music Victoria Award nominations for her sound work, and managed sound for Girls Rock! Camp ACT from 2016-2022. In her solo electronic choral project Aphir, Becki has been hailed as part of ‘Australia’s new wave of female electronic innovators’ and has performed around Australia and internationally including performances at Music Tech Fest (Berlin), Denmark Arts (WA), and Falls Festival. Since 2016, Becki has released music through experimental label Provenance Records, founded by Stuart Buchanan (New Weird Australia) and, following Buchanan’s departure from the label, turned Provenance into an artist cooperative in 2021. Throughout 2020 - 2021 Becki embraced the challenges of pandemic lockdown through live-streaming on Twitch - first producing, recording, and mixing her 2020 LP, Republic of Paradise on livestream, and then pursuing marathon-length vocal improvisations on Twitch throughout 2021, culminating in a 12-hour performance on Boxing Day that year. Becki has been actively involved in the left-field music community through the creation of The Wettest 100 - an alternative to Triple J’s Hottest 100 which was voted on Instagram and which celebrated 100 Australian tracks (narrowed down from 185 nominations) which sit outside the genre-world of the Hottest 100 countdown. Becki’s sixth LP, ‘The Halo Is Shapeless’, was released under her Aphir moniker in May 2023. Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:09 About Becki Whitton 00:03:23 Becki's music journey 00:08:27 Learning by assisting Andrei Eremin 00:10:13 Mindset and approach in her own sessions 00:13:44 A key moment that led her to understanding the artist's vision 00:16:22 Capturing the essence of the artist 00:20:25 Having a supportive community 00:21:58 The difficulty of knowing the right way to learn 00:23:12 Keeping open communication with the artist 00:24:15 Becki's solo project "Aphir" 00:29:00 What fuels Becki's creativity 00:31:46 PayPal donation link 00:32:10 Collaborating with others 00:33:48 Stu attempts to describe Becki's work 00:35:46 How Becki faces challenges with her ego 00:39:40 Not taking mix notes personally 00:43:20 What is Becki's meaning of a "good mix" 00:45:59 Becki's favourite tools 00:52:46 The Wettest 100 00:59:58 Becki's advice for Producers, Engineers and Artists 01:02:23 Where you can find Becki online 01:03:01 Conclusion/Outro Make sure to subscribe or follow this channel and share it on your socials! Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whatsthatsoundpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stu Watts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@stu.watts.audio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Becki Whitton: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@aphir_ Becki Whitton website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stu Watts website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Stu's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Becki's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUPPORT THE PODCAST WITH A DONATION⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.whatsthatsound@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for any enquiries.

Stu Watts chats with Greg Rietwyk, who is a songwriter, guitarist, producer and mix engineer from Melbourne, Australia. With a keen ear for honest, raw and organic productions, Greg has become a fixture in the Australian garage and indie rock scenes. Working with notable acts such as The Pretty Littles, Mid City, Bec Stevens, Money Boys & Neighbourhood Youth, as well as songwriting, production and mixing for his own band Press Club, who have released three critically acclaimed self-produced LP’s - their last effort “Endless Motion” landing at #15 on Double J’s 50 best albums of 2023. Greg has freelanced out of many of the best Melbourne studios including Woodstock, The Aviary, Sing Sing & Tender Trap. He is currently working out of Wrangler Studios in West Footscray, which has recently been converted from a DIY all ages punk venue to a studio with multiple mix spaces, iso booths and space to comfortably track bands live. Over his past 15 years in the industry Greg has toured both nationally and internationally, and played some of the biggest festivals in Europe, and Australia. Drawing on his experiences and network in the music industry Greg hopes to educate and inspire the next generation of young musicians. Topics discussed include: Focusing on making the recording session fun for the client Breakdown of his recording & mixing processes with a focus on recording bands live The challenge of finding the next client ...and more Make sure to subscribe or follow this channel and share it on your socials! Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whatsthatsoundpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stu Watts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@stu.watts.audio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Greg Rietwyk: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@grietwykproducer ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stu Watts website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Stu's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Greg's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUPPORT THE PODCAST WITH A DONATION⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.whatsthatsound@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for any enquiries.

Stu Watts chats with Dylan Ollivierre, who is an award-winning songwriter, producer, and musician based in Perth, Western Australia. Dylan’s story began when his parents met on Bob Dylan’s yacht. They named the son after him and a life in music was soon to follow. Ever since then, Dylan has been inspired to create records that will stand the test of time. Launching the Money War, the band he shares with wife Carmen Ollivierre, successfully worked as a CV to gain further music production work. Then working as a touring musician for over a decade allowed Dylan to experience both sides of the studio glass. Notable credits so far include grentperez, Meg Mac, Great Gable, Jae Laffer (The Panics), Joan and the Giants, Siobhan Cotchin, Tia Gostelow, and Holy Holy, Highlights of Dylan’s career include placing #2 on the ARIA chart, two feature albums and a dozen playlist additions on Triple J, over 20 million streams, nomination for the Australian Music Prize, 10 plus WAM Song of the Year wins, and signing to Mirror Music/ BMF on a worldwide publishing deal. Neil Finn of Crowed House declared that Dylan ‘is a great songwriter’. Dylan is currently collaborating with Jae Laffer (The Panics), Joan and the Giants, EDIE, Bri Clark, and Matt Gresham. Topics discussed include: Taking the time to figure out how to make music work within your life Different approaches to getting the most out of the artist Having difficult conversations that can lead to better outcomes ...and more Make sure to subscribe or follow this channel and share it on your socials! Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whatsthatsoundpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stu Watts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@stu.watts.audio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Dylan Ollivierre: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@dylan_ollivierre ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stu Watts website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dylan Ollivierre website⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Stu's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Dylan's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUPPORT THE PODCAST WITH A DONATION⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.whatsthatsound@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for any enquiries.