We were lucky to catch up with Logan Hill recently and have shared our conversation below.

Logan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Believe it or not, I never wanted to be a producer. I’ve been songwriting since I was 16 and that was always my first-love. I desperately wanted to be an artist and release professional-level songs for the world to hear, but I lacked the money to pay for a capable producer. Originally from Austin, Texas, I recorded my first rough demos while in college in Huntsville, Texas. A friend of mine recorded it for me as a free project for his portfolio, and it was such an incredible experience!

I moved to Redding, CA in 2013 to go on an adventure and figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I started a teacher credentialing program in 2018 and was actively playing live shows and plugging into the local music community. I had lots of written songs and felt like I needed to hire a producer to create my first album. I went into debt to pay for this project after my crowdfunding campaign painfully failed. I was overwhelmed by the crushing feeling of not having the resources to make my voice heard. This was a difficult season because I was at max capacity…I was starting my career as a teacher, paying the bills as a private tutor and guitar instructor, and also trying to pursue music on the side.

Everything changed when I learned that the best way to become a great artist is to become a great producer. The guy who produced my first album recommended that I pursue production and he even gave me an audio interface to get started. A lot of friends encouraged me to pursue this and I suddenly felt empowered with new vision. One day I met a producer at a networking event, and he offered to lend me his brand new MacBook Pro that was loaded with Logic Pro and every plugin known to man. Oddly enough, his last name was Macintosh!

I went home every day determined to learn how to produce music. By this time I was teaching at a charter school full-time and instead of hanging out at social events after work, I said yes to every free music project. I recorded everything in my home studio and learned how to mix through other producer friends or YouTube tutorials. Those free projects eventually lead to my first paid project! I produced a single for a friend and she referred me to others. From there I started to build up a legitimate portfolio.

Logan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I grew tired of watching hours of YouTube videos, so I hired a mentor and joined an online indie artist community in the sync industry. Before I knew it I was writing and producing with industry professionals and I grew immensely through accountability, community and feedback.

I finally made the bold move to quit the career I wasn’t passionate about. I left the safety of my teaching salary to take a full-time, unpaid internship at a local music studio. This was my defining (and humbling) moment – to pursue my dreams with no “Plan B.” I lived off savings for almost 6 months with no guarantee that success (or a job) would be waiting on the other side.

But then a door opened! In 2022, I went from teaching high school to audio engineering for a Grammy-winning record label, all without a formal music degree. I worked for Elevation Worship in Charlotte, NC for 2 years and it was such a rewarding experience. I’ve had the privilege of working on chart-topping songs that are still being sung in churches and ministries all over the world.

I learned that if you want your dreams to come true, it’s less about talent and more about discipline. Those who make it are simply the ones who take risks, adopt a growth mindset and never quit. Anyone can do this, and your journey doesn’t have to be as hard as mine. This is why I’m passionate about equipping independent artists with the skills to produce for themselves — but at an accelerated pace. What took me years (and 3 internships) could take you only months.

Now my wife and I live outside Nashville, TN and I enjoy traveling with her and writing and producing my own music. I get the privilege every day of seeing independent artists unlock their creative flow at a deep, authentic level and bring their music vision to life by becoming their own producers.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I believe all independent artists deserve to have their songs heard and receive the support they need for success. But to be successful as an independent artist in the modern music industry, you need these 3 things:

1.) Quality Songs

2.) Quality Community

3.) Large Song Catalog

A successful Nashville songwriter recently told me…“Out of every 100 songs you create, 1 of those songs will actually make you money.”

By becoming your own producer, you are removing production costs by doing it yourself instead of relying on expensive producers or an hourly studio rate. Paying a producer is fine if you just want to release a single here and there…. but what if you want to produce 100+ songs so you can start seeing momentum?

In my own experience in the music industry, I’ve found that the best artists are also the best producers. Some examples of this in the music industry include Ryan Tedder, Charlie Puth, Pharrell Williams, Bruno Mars, Timbaland, Prince, and Justin Timberlake. Many supervisors in the music industry call this self-sufficient artist/producer a “100 Percenter.” By investing in yourself for a season, you can unlock a skill that pays you back for life.

You can create additional streams of income by taking on your own production clients, build a song catalogue that grabs the attention of music supervisors, pitch music for TV and film placements, or create your next album instead of paying someone else thousands to do it for you.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

When I first started my production journey, I would have invested in learning from industry professionals and hands on training earlier on. Academic courses are great, but nothing matches just sitting down with a professional who is thriving where you want to be.

I probably would have done an apprenticeship or internship first instead of diving into a college degree that I wasn’t passionate about. I would have gone all in to pursue my dreams of doing music full time, rather than listen to the opinions of others who say “you can’t make a living from music these days!”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.loganhillofficial.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loganhillofficial/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loganhillofficial/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loganhillofficial/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LoganHillOfficial
• Other: If you are an independent artists interested in learning how to produce your own high quality songs, check out my free training here:

  https://loganhillofficial.com/freetraining