We were lucky to catch up with Alex Snape recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alex, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

I grew up playing the piano and always thought making music would be really cool, it wasn’t until I met my first mentor, Kyle Ginther, that I pursued Audio Engineering + Production. That Spring of 2019 I would Uber + Doordash to save up for audio equipment and consultations with engineers I looked up to who I could learn from.

I would put every extra dollar I had into education + equipment to keep improving my sound since I did not get a formal audio education. I fell in love with getting to record artists, making music, and being the one to help bring their stories come to life through music. Eventually, I started charging for my services, slowly increasing my rates as my reputation grew in the city.

In 2022, I found a 300 sq ft suite on top of a local cafe that was previously built out to be a studio, and moved away from recording in the bedroom. This was the start of JD Sound Recording Studio. Since then we’ve added several talented engineers and producers to our team, and continue making music with artists of all genres and backgrounds.

Every day is about getting 1% better, learning something new, and continuing to invest in ourselves to give our artists the best experience possible.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Sure, my name is Alex Snape but I go by Sevv for producing / engineering. I’m also the owner of JD Sound, which is a full service recording studio located just minutes from downtown Nashville TN. We help artists make a big sound in an intimate setting, allowing them access to world class audio equipment and professional engineers and producers at a fraction of what other studios charge.

JD Sound is an abbreviation for the Journey being greater than the Destination, something we believe is integral to the development of any creative. We help artists focus on the process of creating music, rather than the goals their music may help them achieve.

We want our artists to embrace the process, and cherish the progress, because every session at JD Sound is another chapter of their musical journey.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Running a business is not easy, especially when it comes to finances. The biggest financial struggle came when we took on a commercial lease, which was the first time we had any overhead, in addition to my own residential rent. At first we were just trying to break even, since the money was really just a means to keep working; we just loved getting to make music. But to keep investing and building the quality in the studio, I worked multiple jobs; DJ’ing on the side at whatever gigs I could find, I worked a 9-5 digital marketing job, as well as running the studio.

It was one thing to get funds to “run the business” but it was another to get the funds to improve it, so we could compete with the quality of major studios in Nashville (it can get expensive!). The microphones alone used by the heavy hitters in the industry can cost upwards of $10,000, and building that collection was just one step in going toe to toe with the rest of Nashville’s studios.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Another friend and mentor of mine, Gonzalo Contreras aka @Geeflowcl told me to grow deeper, not wider with the artists I work with and that always resonated with me. Building deep connections with some will always be more impactful than building shallow connections with many. We treat every artist that comes in as 1 of 1, because they deserve it. Artists can only create to their full potential when they feel comfortable and inspired by themselves and the people around them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jdsound615.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jdsound615/

Image Credits
Zakk Davis