We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jared Anderson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jared below.

Alright, Jared thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

As kids, adults always ask what we want to be when we grow up. I would simply answer that I wanted to be happy. And from as early as I can remember, music has made me happier than anything else. My mom said I was dancing in front of the TV as soon as I could stand. I started singing in choir at 7. Piano at 9. Then guitar, trumpet, and drums. In high school I chose as many music electives as I could and would spend my free time in the music room most days.

So shaping a life and career around music seemed like the obvious and only choice I had. I never made a plan for how it would all workout, but I never seriously considered anything else. Even when applying to colleges, I only applied to one liberal arts school. And that was only because my college counselor made me fill out the application. It wasn’t one big decision, but lots of little ones over many years that got me to a place today where I can produce and write music for a living

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Jared Anderson. I’m a producer, songwriter, and Grammy nominated mixer from Nashville, TN. I make music in the Folk and Pop genres and everything in between the two. But most importantly, I make a space where artists can be their true selves, tell their story, and make records they can be proud of.

After attending Berklee College of Music, I moved to Nashville in 2016 to work as at Staff Engineer at the historic Omnisound Studios. While there I learned as much as I could about engineering, the Nashville recording scene, and most importantly, how to create a space for artists to be creative in. I worked with artists such as Jason Isbell, Judah & The Lion, Lindsay Ell, Jaden Smith, and many more. In 2018, I decided that I wanted to step out on my own path, so I left Omnisound and started producing, writing, and mixing on my own. Since then, I’ve worked on hundreds of songs, been part of a Grammy-nominated album, attended writing camps all over the US and France, and had my music placed in film and TV.

At this point in my career, I spend about two-thirds of my time producing for artists and the other third either writing or mixing. The two areas that I produce the most music are Folk/Americana, and Pop music which has an organic and retro slant to it. Starting in country music gave me a deep knowledge and appreciation of recording and arranging acoustic instruments, and I’ve used that as a foundation for all of my music moving forward.

The thing that sets me apart from other producers and engineers, however, is the space I create for the artists who work with me. I view production as a collaborative experience where the artist’s voice and opinions are just as important (if not more important) than mine. Over the past several years, I’ve had many artists come to work with me who said they weren’t listened to or didn’t feel valued by other producers. By creating a safe space for them to voice their opinions and explore where they want to take their music, we end up with recordings they can be proud of. I have very little ego when it comes to production. My goal isn’t to force my sound or my ideas on the artists that come in. My goal is to create a community of people who want to work and collaborate with me long-term.

I feel like I also stand out in my vocal production. I used to be an artist, so I understand singers and the struggles they face when recording vocals. Once again, creating a space where they don’t feel judged and are confident singing is the most important part of the recording process. I know lots of tips and tricks and strategies and microphones and plugins to help get a better vocal sound, but the most important thing is that the singer feels comfortable. At the end of the day, whatever gear I’m using, I’m recording a performance. So, making sure that performance is the best it can be is what I specialize in.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

There are two areas in my work that are consistently rewarding to me. The first is right at the beginning of starting a production or writing a song. It’s the moment we find the first thread of the song. The first hint at its identity. The thing we can hold on to that feels authentic and propels us forward. It could be a signature sound, a groove, a certain instrument, or something else, but we know from the moment we hear it that this is the feeling we should follow. So we keep pulling on that thread, slowly following wherever it leads. This moment is rewarding because its never guaranteed. Whether we’re writing or producing (or to some extent mixing), we’re starting with blank space. And that space can be scary. So once we find that thread, we have to follow it as far as we can.

The second thing that I find most rewarding, is when an artist feels like their vision for a song was realized. Like the production and sonic landscape supports their lyric and enhances its emotion. The lyric and vocal tells the story, and the music helps the listener connect with the emotion of that story. I could make any song sound “good”, but for an artist to truly feel that the production matches their song is what I strive for every day. That’s one reason why I spend so much time listening to the artists ideas before we ever hit record or pen the first line of the song. I want to understand where they’re coming from and where they want to go, so I can help them get there

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One lesson I’ve had to unlearn, or at least redefine, is that being a hustler is the most important attribute I can have. Working long hours, constantly pushing yourself, and trying to be the best at your craft are values that are praised in the music industry. And with the prevalence of social media, it’s all too easy to see people working harder, longer, and better than you. I’m not saying I don’t work hard and that I don’t want to constantly be learning, improving, and getting better at what I do. Those things are crucial to my success and I’m always trying to make improvements to my skillsets. I’m just saying that those things aren’t valued above everything else in my life.

A couple years into my career in Nashville I attended a live podcast recording with the heads of a prominent publishing company. They talked a lot about hard work and putting lots of hours in. But they also talked about how they strongly encourage (and sometimes force) their writers to take days off to fill their creative wells. If a write canceled, they would tell their writer to go do something they loved instead of finding another write that day. They talked about how you need to fill yourself up so that you can pour out into other people’s music and stories. This has stuck with me for many years and is something that I still think about a lot.

I have other interests besides music. I like to cook, I love hiking with my wife and my dog, and I enjoy watching TV and movies. Before I attended that podcast recording, I would sometimes feel guilty or bad for doing these things when I could have been working on music. The old lessons I had learned were telling me that doing these things outside of music were wrong. But as I’m still learning, taking time away from music make me more creative and more resilient when I go back into the studio. Sometimes the best production decision I can make is to step away and take a break. 99% of the time, I have a much clearer path when I return to the song.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.evergreenmusicproductions.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaredandersonmusic/?hl=en
• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits
Allison Steinquest, Molly Lins