Episode 107 - Tyler Johnson
Show Notes
Live with Matt Rad - Episode 107
Jan 3, 2023
w/ Tyler Johnson - Week 2
Show notes by: Bradley Will
Tyler:
You improve your groove by picking an 8 bar loop and just playing it for an hour until your mind adjusts and you start to hear new things.
Q:What inspires you to get up in the morning and make records?
Tyler:
I’m very attracted to the idea of working on fundamentals.
I’m less interested in being the best in the world and chasing a grand dream and more about refining the small things and building on those.
When I practice and learn it instantly connects to the work that I do in the studio. It’s natural and I don’t have to force it.
I’m trying to bring it down to earth instead of chasing lofty goals. I want to stay sharp
I think it’s now about removing the obstacles between me and making something fresh.
I think there’s some sort of internal shelf-life to some of the ideas we have. Perhaps the start to feel a little dusty after a while of trying them out.
Matt:
I like learning new stuff because it forces me to get out of my old habits and patterns.
Tyler:
To paraphrase a friend: “I do this for a living, so I might as well work at it and do my best”. I love this sentiment.
Some of the happiest I’ve ever been is practicing and doing new stuff and seeing those skills unfold in the studio.
A lack of routine will rob you of all of your dreams when it comes to this mindset of practicing and refining fundamentals.
Q: How do you prep for writing sessions?
Tyler:
I have a certain amount of performance anxiety and I always find that the more I prep I do the more comfortable I feel going in.
I love to focus on the artist and get that song by the end of the day.
The hardest thing is get a good lyric and melody by the end of the session.
So try to make it easier by coming in with some good strong chord progressions.
I love a good prep day. Sometimes I’ll prep for weeks ahead of the start of a project.
I like to have certain drum sounds prepped ahead of time so that I’m not worrying about that in the middle of a session. I can always change them later when the artist has left.
Matt:
When I transitioned to being a songwriting producer I didn’t immediately appreciate the importance of prepping before a session.
Tyler:
I’m prepping a little of everything: drum sounds, chords, a B section, a turnaround of some sort.
Sometimes just chords is enough. But good chord changes are hard to come by sometimes.
It’s good to have something in my back pocket.
Q: What configuration of people do you like for a writing session?
Tyler:
Some people are “professional songwriters” and some are more “producers”.
Pro songwriters can bring a certain energy into the room that focuses the session.
Producers have a vastness to what they can bring to a session.
When a top liner shows up, I feel like they’re the adult in the room who are steering the session and have to deliver in a specific way. It’s important to have someone with this specific mentality, because it keeps things focused. I love having that energy in the room.
It’s very clear how many top liners are necessary for a session.
I don’t have a preferred configuration, but I am very sensitive to how having a top liner in the room changes the focus and energy of the session.
Sometimes not having the top liner allows the artist to be more vulnerable and explore without the pressure to deliver on a song.
Matt:
Sometimes a great top liner will come in and speak with the artist about their life for 20 minutes at the start of the session and generate a prompt that came directly from the artist.
The best top liners are the ones who come in and whisper to the artist in a way that gets them to be vulnerable.
Tyler:
As a producer, that artist whispering is something that I’m not as skilled in.
There are two types of top liner: Those who have a relationship with the artist and those that you recommend for the session.
The only kind of rule that I have is that I don’t like to do two new things at once. If I’m working with a new artist I won’t also bring a new top liner at the same time. I’ll build a strong relationship with the artist before I bring in a second new personality.
One thing at a time.
Matt:
I recommend that if people are starting out, do your best to fill all roles in the songwriting session before you try to bring in many more people aside from you and the artist.
Sometimes when you have more than one top liner in a session you need to separate people so that it’s not too dynamic and people aren’t throwing in too many ideas that makes the session unfocused.
Smoking Weed
Tyler:
I was raised relatively straight-edge. I had my period of smoking and then eventually decided it wasn’t for me, because it stopped being fun. These days I don’t smoke anymore.
You can make great music high, but don’t glorify it. You can still make music sober.
Matt:
I’ve had phases of use. I am currently back to smoking.
It fucks up my ability to be the adult in the room, so if a session needs me to be steering the room or be attentive and aware I won’t smoke.
I think it can be very de-motivating for many people, so take care not to model yourself after several of the high-achieving public figures who probably use it to take the edge off. A lot of people won’t have that experience.
Cannabis use makes you go deeper into whatever you’re doing. So it’s important that you’re doing the right thing.
Coming Up Under Jeff Bhasker
Tyler:
I was working as a valet at the age of 24 and got a call to be someone’s runner for the day.
It came from a friend who was the assistant for Jeff’s manager.
If you’re going to be an assistant do it right.
I strove to be a great assistant to Jeff and to learn.
I consciously did not make an effort to push myself to Jeff.
Of course you want to be a famous producer, but focus on playing your role to perfection and you’ll get there eventually.
I didn’t want to be a problem for Jeff to solve. I wanted to solve his problems.
Naturally Jeff came to have an interest in my music and what I was working on.
Just do one thing at a time. I can’t overstate that.
If you’re interested in being an assistant don’t be so scheme-y about it. Don’t be entitled. Your craft will improve simply by being around these professionals on a day-to-day basis.
Just be there for the job that you’re hired for an do it great and be likeable.
