Author: Finn McKenty

Ben Johnson is a producer, musician, and URM alumnus who has successfully navigated the path from the local scene to the national recording industry. Starting as a session drummer, he landed internships with Andrew Wade and Machine before becoming an engineer for Will Putney. His credits include work with high-profile artists such as A Day To Remember, The Ghost Inside, Fit For An Autopsy, and Counterparts, showcasing a rapid ascent built on hard work and a sharp learning curve.

In This Episode

In this chat, Ben Johnson breaks down his killer career trajectory and the mindset that got him there. He gets real about making the leap from a corporate nine-to-five to working alongside industry heavyweights like Andrew Wade and Will Putney. Ben shares some awesome stories, including the pivotal moment where being completely honest about not knowing analog signal flow in front of A Day To Remember ended up being a huge career win. He discusses the importance of reading the room, knowing when to just be a fly on the wall, and why your age is just a number when it comes to chasing your goals. For anyone dealing with imposter syndrome or wondering how to get noticed, Ben’s journey is all about putting in the insane hours, learning from the best, and ultimately trusting your own intuition to develop your unique sound. It’s a super inspiring look at what it actually takes to “do the damn thing.”

Timestamps

• [2:52] How Ben made the transition from the local to the national industry
• [4:33] Why being a single dad pushed him towards production over touring
• [5:24] Balancing a corporate job with 12-hour music sessions
• [6:23] The story of trying to get an internship with Andrew Wade for a year
• [8:02] How to survive an internship: read the room and shut up
• [10:22] Dealing with feeling “too old” to start a new career in music
• [12:02] Why self-limiting beliefs are just a clever way to procrastinate
• [14:48] How a life-threatening injury gave him a “no fear” outlook
• [22:41] The biggest mistake interns make (trying to do too much)
• [23:10] Why it’s always better to admit you don’t know something
• [26:23] Ben’s first interactions with Will Putney during the A Day To Remember sessions
• [28:45] The moment Ben’s heart sank when asked to patch analog gear he didn’t understand
• [30:03] Why admitting his lack of knowledge was the fork in the road for his career
• [35:26] The biggest takeaways from watching both Wade and Putney work back-to-back
• [36:46] The incredibly high standards of top-tier producers
• [38:34] Why watching the pros helps you trust your *own* judgment
• [44:50] The danger of asking “What would [another producer] do?”
• [46:54] When it’s okay to copy others (and when to stop)
• [50:10] Ben’s advice for anyone wanting to follow in his footsteps
• [53:47] Giving credit to the URM community for helping him get his start

Kellen McGregor is the guitarist, songwriter, producer, and mixer for the band Memphis May Fire. Based out of Nashville, he has balanced his role in a successful touring act with a growing career as a producer for other artists. Outside of his own band, he has worked with a variety of acts in the rock and metal world, including Random Hero, The Protest, Seventh Day Slumber, and Relent.

In This Episode

Kellen McGregor gets real about the challenges of navigating a multi-faceted career as a musician, producer, and family man. He and Eyal have a frank discussion about the obsessive mindset common among creatives and share strategies for balancing intense focus with personal well-being, from time-blocking to the critical importance of sleep and self-care for long-term survival in the industry. Kellen opens up about the journey to mixing the latest Memphis May Fire album, including the initial self-doubt, the tough lessons learned from being told he wasn’t ready to mix previous records, and the creative vision that finally clicked. He explains how he aimed to capture the pummeling, over-the-top energy of a live show by using extreme compression and intentionally exaggerating every element in the mix, offering a great look into how a strong artistic vision can guide technical decisions.

Products Mentioned

• oeksound Soothe2

Timestamps

• [5:22] Getting started on early DAWs like Acid and Making Waves
• [7:08] The struggle to balance touring, writing, and a production career
• [9:51] Using time-blocking to manage an obsessive creative workflow
• [12:44] Identifying your peak hours for technical vs. creative work
• [15:09] Why a good sleep cycle is the foundation for everything
• [19:11] The “30-year-old cliff” and why so many musicians quit touring
• [22:00] The importance of making time for self-care to avoid burnout
• [25:15] Learning to say “no” to friends and partying on the road
• [32:14] The value of accurate self-awareness for gauging your skills
• [34:34] Kellen’s “three pillars” for prioritizing his life and career
• [39:40] Why you learn the most from your failures and listening to old mixes
• [42:04] The story behind Kellen taking on mixing duties for the latest Memphis record
• [44:10] Being told he wasn’t ready to mix previous albums and what he learned
• [49:21] A producer’s role as a “musical translator” for an artist’s vision
• [53:27] The unique mental challenge of mixing your own band
• [55:00] The moment of self-doubt when Kellen almost quit the mix
• [56:47] The vision for the mix: recreating the pummeling feel of a live show
• [1:00:20] Why you should experiment and do things the “wrong” way to find unique sounds

Adam “Nolly” Getgood is a musician, producer, mixer, and co-founder of GetGood Drums. As a key member of Periphery, he helped define the sound of modern progressive metal. His production and mixing credits include some of the genre’s most respected artists, such as Animals as Leaders and Devin Townsend, making him a go-to engineer for complex, forward-thinking heavy music.

In This Episode

Nolly is back on the podcast for a super chill but seriously insightful chat about the state of modern metal production. He kicks things off by explaining his shift away from constant client work to focus more on product development, sharing why the pressure of other people’s deadlines can kill the creative spark. This leads to a bigger conversation about how today’s tools have solved the “collective trauma” of chasing those elusive golden-era tones, raising the bar for everyone but still leaving room for truly unique work to stand out. Nolly gets into the weeds on the future of immersive audio, debating the potential of Dolby Atmos for metal, and shares his experience with his unconventional Kii Audio monitoring setup. The discussion gets philosophical, exploring how repetition leads to predictability, the importance of having a sonic benchmark, and the obsessive mindset required to master the craft—from dialing in tones to navigating your career.

Products Mentioned

• Kii Audio Monitors
• Oeksound Soothe2
• Oeksound Spiff
• Sonarworks SoundID Reference
• FabFilter Pro-Q 3
• Soundtheory Gullfoss
• Neural DSP
• Waves Vocal Rider
• Kemper Profiler
• EverTune Bridge
• Mesa/Boogie Cabinets
• Celestion Vintage 30

Timestamps

• [3:16] Nolly on shifting focus from client work to product design
• [4:46] The challenge of committing to other people’s deadlines
• [8:40] Why the full package of producing a record isn’t for everyone
• [11:00] The “collective trauma” of chasing golden-era metal tones
• [12:14] Why modern tools make it possible for anyone to get pro-level raw sounds
• [14:31] Why the average mix is better than ever, but truly great mixes are still rare
• [17:00] With tones solved, what defines a “high-quality” production now?
• [23:26] How will Dolby Atmos impact the future of metal?
• [34:08] Nolly’s philosophy: Metal should feel like riding a rollercoaster
• [38:17] Why Nolly chose hi-fi Kii Audio monitors over traditional studio staples
• [40:24] How Kii monitors use DSP to minimize room reflections
• [44:20] The game-changing impact of tools like Sonarworks and Soothe
• [46:49] A deep dive on Oeksound Spiff as a frequency-dependent transient designer
• [55:12] Nolly’s motto: “Repetition leads to predictability”
• [59:24] The importance of knowing when a creative path is wrong
• [1:02:32] How online learning helps develop skills through focused repetition
• [1:06:03] Developing the self-awareness to know when something isn’t right
• [1:12:26] The obsessive deep dive into Mesa/Boogie cabs and vintage 30 speakers

Justin DeBlieck is a guitarist, songwriter, producer, and composer best known for his work in his former band, Ice Nine Kills. Since shifting his focus from touring to full-time creation, he has taken on a significant production role, lending his talents to records by bands like Motionless In White and Sevendust. DeBlieck has carved out a niche for his sophisticated composition and orchestration, adding cinematic depth to heavy music.

In This Episode

Justin DeBlieck is back on the podcast to chat about his journey from touring musician to full-time producer and composer. He gets into the nitty-gritty of why orchestral and electronic elements work best when they’re integrated from the ground up, not just sprinkled on top, and discusses the challenge of carving out space for everything in a dense mix. He shares some awesome insights from co-producing the latest Motionless In White album, including the collaborative process with Drew Fulk and the genius, grid-bending production that Mick Gordon brought to the title track. Justin also drops some real-world advice on overcoming creative blocks, the importance of archiving every riff you write (even the old ones!), and why maintaining career momentum is a non-negotiable part of survival in the music industry. It’s a great look into the creative process and career strategy from a guy who’s successfully navigated a major transition.

Timestamps

• [2:26] The transition from touring musician to full-time creator
• [4:06] Getting into orchestral arrangements out of necessity
• [5:18] How mentorship and sharing knowledge benefits everyone
• [7:07] Why orchestration should be part of the writing process, not an afterthought
• [8:49] The challenge of carving out sonic space for everything in a dense mix
• [10:46] Writing alone vs. collaborating off another person’s idea
• [12:55] The “frozen yogurt” analogy for over-producing a track
• [14:08] Condensing a massive template with bus processing
• [15:43] Co-producing the Motionless In White record with Drew Fulk
• [17:07] How Mick Gordon’s production elevated a track
• [19:13] Mick Gordon’s intentional off-grid kick drum for groove
• [22:41] How hearing another producer’s unconventional choices can break your own habits
• [24:32] “Writing for the trash” to avoid getting hung up on perfection
• [26:31] Why you should always finish your ideas, even the bad ones
• [27:41] The importance of archiving unused riffs and song ideas
• [29:31] Using feedback from others to gauge if a song is good enough
• [32:19] Interpreting a band’s vision, even when they don’t have the technical language
• [34:47] The challenges of building a career when you’re not in a major music hub
• [40:01] Why career momentum is everything in the music industry
• [41:54] Using the anxiety of “falling behind” as motivation

Geoff Swan is a Grammy-nominated producer, mixer, and engineer known for his work in the pop world with artists like Ed Sheeran, Charli XCX, and Yungblud. He got his start in the major leagues by assisting mixer Spike Stent, an experience that provided a huge education on how records are made at the highest level and helped shape his collaborative, genre-spanning approach.

In This Episode

Geoff Swan breaks down the key differences between the metal world’s “lone wolf” production style and the massive, multi-stakeholder teams common in pop. He offers some killer advice on how to navigate feedback when you’ve got the artist, producers, A&R, and management all weighing in, and why having a single “figurehead” is crucial for a smooth process. Geoff gets into the psychology of mixing, talking about why you should be suspicious of a mix that gets approved on the first pass, the trap of “demo-itis” where a rough take just has a better vibe, and the importance of stepping back to listen like a fan instead of getting lost in the technical minutiae. He also shares how assisting a top-tier mixer was his ticket out of the local scene, underscoring the value of mentorship and collaboration over trying to figure it all out yourself.

Products Mentioned

• Shure SM7B
• Waves CLA Vocals
• Yamaha NS-10
• Arobas Music Guitar Pro

Timestamps

• [3:15] Why pop music has so many more stakeholders than metal
• [4:03] The need for a “figurehead” to lead a production
• [6:11] Geoff’s strategy for balancing feedback from a big team
• [8:25] The importance of compiling all mix notes into one document
• [9:27] Why getting a mix approved on the first version can be stressful
• [10:44] The unique challenges and rewards of working with new artists
• [15:05] The danger of artists being “too savvy” for their own good
• [17:25] The trap of getting hung up on small imperfections in source tracks
• [18:41] Avoiding the “sunk cost fallacy” when a mix idea doesn’t work
• [20:20] Remembering to listen like a consumer, not just a producer
• [22:43] Using NS-10s and why their unpleasant sound is so useful
• [25:18] “Demo-itis”: when the original scratch track has a better feel than the “perfect” take
• [26:00] How a messy vocal recorded on an SM7B can beat a pristine studio take
• [31:24] The biggest challenges in mixing modern pop music
• [33:41] Thinking about a pop song’s journey like scenes in a movie
• [35:41] How assisting Spike Stent was the turning point in his career
• [40:16] Why collaboration is essential for learning faster
• [42:25] The classic problem of bands writing parts in Guitar Pro that they can’t play