In this episode of Producer’s Chair, I’m joined by Jack, the artist and producer behind the pop-punk project The Last Draft. We talk about his journey back to making music, recording an entire album on his own, and how personal struggles with addiction and recovery became the inspiration for his latest music.

Jack shares his approach to songwriting, playing multiple instruments, recording live drums, and producing everything himself in Logic Pro. We also discuss the gear and plugins he uses, getting great sounds without expensive equipment, and the challenges of taking on the roles of songwriter, musician, recording engineer, and mixing engineer all at once.

We listen to two tracks from The Last Draft, “Fading Away” and “Internal Dismay,” and explore the stories behind the songs and the album In a Bind.

It’s an honest conversation about rediscovering your passion, turning difficult experiences into creative expression, and finding your way back to the things that matter.

In this episode:

• Jack’s journey back to music and recovery
• The story behind The Last Draft
• Writing, recording, and mixing an entire album independently
• Recording guitars, bass, drums, and vocals
• Producing pop-punk in Logic Pro
• Drum triggers, Superior Drummer, saturation, EQ, and compression
• The personal story behind In a Bind
• Finding inspiration and creative purpose through difficult experiences

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German producer Kaya joins Steve in the Producer’s Chair to talk about recording and producing music without relying on expensive gear—and the unconventional path that led them there.

Kaya shares their experience working with bands across Europe, traveling with a mobile recording rig, recording in rehearsal spaces, and adapting to whatever equipment and environment is available. We talk about Reaper, microphones, preamps, plugins, drum editing, and why sometimes the best production decision is simply learning to work with what you already have.

Kaya also tells the story of tackling a massive project with dozens of guitar tracks, struggling through the mix for more than a year, and eventually coming out the other side with a huge boost in confidence as a producer.

We also get into the importance of trusting your ears, avoiding rigid production rules, knowing when a project is finished, the pressure of working from home, AI in music production, and why beginners probably worry far too much about having the right equipment.

Plus, Kaya shares some great advice for new producers: don't blindly follow one person's rules. Listen to different perspectives, get real-world experience, and develop your own approach.

In this episode:

• Mobile recording and producing on the road
• Working with limited equipment
• Reaper and favorite plugins
• Why expensive preamps aren't always necessary
• Trusting your ears instead of your eyes
• Editing drums and preserving the energy of a performance
• Managing huge sessions and complicated guitar arrangements
• Knowing when a mix is finished
• The importance of working with what you have
• AI and the future of music production
• Advice for producers just starting out

Check out more from Kaya: Instagram - Goose of Doom - Mild Crush - Phoma

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Support the show

If you enjoy the show please subscribe where you listen to podcasts. You can help me out by rating, writing a review and recommending Producer's Chair to other music creators.

For info on sponsoring the show or becoming a guest send me an email.

You can also help me continue making this show and keeping it free of ads by donating to PayPal, Venmo and Cash App.

Corbin Young sits in the Producer's Chair to talk about his work in the music business and how that encompasses a lot of things people may not consider when they start trying to make a career out of music. From playing live in his B-52's cover band, writing compositions for stage productions, teaching music lessons, recording voiceovers in his home studio and scoring scenes for all sorts of films; Corbin has a lot of experience on what it really takes to make a living in this industry.

Check out more from Corbin Young!

Corbin's Instagram - Production - Music - 2xS Band - MockLobster

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

If you enjoy the show please subscribe where you listen to podcasts. You can help me out by rating, writing a review and recommending Producer's Chair to other music creators.

For info on sponsoring the show or becoming a guest send a message to swishermedia@gmail.com

You can help me continue making this show and keeping it free of ads by donating to /SwisherMedia on PayPal, Venmo and Cash App.