A Few Personal Words

Hey there! I’m Sam - audio engineer, music producer, songwriter, and partner of The Studio Portland. Since getting my start as a barely-pro engineer in my parents’ basement many years ago, I’ve become known for the quality of sound I put to tape and massage into mixes, from the intimacy of an acoustic guitar duo, to the raucous explosion of Rock drums, to the right vibe for any singer or song. As a producer and mixer, I set my sights on modern interpretations of classic sounds, combining vintage clarity and space with modern impact, mixing vibe with presence, and like all the work I do, put the feel of the music before all else.

I grew up in a small town in Southeast Massachusetts, where there was little excitement and even less music. Most of my exposure to music was my father’s own songwriting, as well as the family’s record collection. James Taylor, The Beatles, Queen, Elvis, and a lot of different music in veins similar to those. But I believe this is what planted in me the romance of recorded music, of the record, and from that point on being a Record Maker was an aspirational thing, whatever that meant to childhood me. In addition to music, I was (and still am) into art and writing fiction, photography, and cooking.

Most of the music I listened to in High School was in the veins of Alternative or Americana - albums by The Band, Foster the People, Hugo, and The Silent Comedy were some of my most-played music during senior year. In college, I discovered Vulfpeck, then really got into Pop and Rock of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, gaining a special appreciation for the music produced by Phil Ramone and Quincy Jones, inarguably two of the best producers ever to grace the art form.

The two or three years after graduating college, the nascent early days of my musical career proper, is when I really found my own way not just as an engineer-producer but a songwriter in my own right. After the Electronic phase in college and a lifetime of listening to the singer-songwriter side of things, I wanted to try my hand at the more concise, polished approach of Pop music. That’s where I am now - mostly genre-neutral, but making every word and measure carry its weight, and applying that mindset to writing, arrangement, and production. Giving simple music a lot of meaning is an art form in and of itself.

When you work with me as a producer, engineer, or writer, that’s what you’re getting. Equal amounts of big-picture vision and attention to detail, an intertwined engineering and musical approach, and probably most importantly, a genuine love for the record as a medium.