Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Nelson.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My interest in music started in a small town 40 miles SW of Chicago. At the time, it was a farm town, and there wasn’t much to do, so a few of us decided we were going to start a band. We all had very minimal musical experience in the middle school marching band, but similar tastes in music so we agreed on what instruments each of us would play. Unfortunately, they all lived in a neighborhood 10+ miles away, and because I was too young to drive, I ended up just playing guitar in my bedroom, learning my favorite 90’s songs. During college, where I studied architecture, I was much more interested in music than in schoolwork. I played, sang, and learned cover songs every waking moment when I wasn’t studying (or in lieu of studying), but I didn’t really consider writing my own songs; the summer before my senior year, I brought my guitar to a home-town party and as I was playing party songs to show off my chops, a friend from elementary school told me he’d been playing the drums for quite a while. It turns out he was technically much better than I, but that pushed me to improve at a rapid rate. At that point, we were writing our own bad songs, and eventually, we ended up recruiting some other old friends and decided to record in a proper studio.
That was the turning point for me. I was hooked! I fell in love with the recording process. I developed my own production skill set by absorbing knowledge from other more experienced engineers, experimentation on my own terrible equipment, and of course reading any other material I could get my hands on. A few years later, the drummer of my band got a job offer in Los Angeles and told me that if I drove the moving truck, he’d cover the moving costs! That was in 2007, which is also when I founded Foreword Productions.
In LA, I had access to a “back house” turned studio on nights and weekends. I started collaborating with indie artists and eventually was asked to produce a singer/songwriter’s album. I didn’t know what to charge and she mentioned a number which set my rate. From that day forward, I was a working music producer and audio engineer, still on nights and weekends of course, but eventually had enough work to take over the space full-time. I continued gaining clients by posting my services on Craigslist at a very low rate, which allowed me to get my chops up, fill in my schedule, and eventually continue to expand my client list. After a few years, I partnered up with another engineer, dusted off my old architecture skills, and designed/built a three studio facility in a commercial location in Culver City. Fast forward another few years and the end of that lease, I decided to downsize just in time for the pandemic to begin. It’s a much smaller production studio, and the lower overhead allowed me to make it through the pandemic, and I am still here. The current studio has a properly sound-treated Control Room and Iso Booth, which is ideal for the majority of my needs. I am grateful to have a steady flow of work and a modest studio; however, I do have plans to build a more extravagant “back house” studio in the very near future.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It seems every few years, just when I am comfortable in my space, a new obstacle comes along which either requires me to find a new space or build it! I have learned to adapt and be limber as a result, and though I do have the dream of having that “forever studio”, I realize that things are always changing. I’d say the constant is the fact that a lease is temporary, so there is certainly a sense of impermanence. As a result, I decided that the next studio I build will be in a space I own, so in the meantime, I am happy renting a modest space, saving up for the next move.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a Composer, Music Producer, and Recording Studio Owner in Los Angeles and have been so full-time for nearly 20 years. My work is a mix of custom brand work as a composer (Hot Wheels, Rockstar Games, WESC), publisher and label work as an engineer and songwriter (Roundhill/Zync, Sony ATV, Epidemic Sound), and with independent artists as a producer (Aby Saint Stone, Dam Funk, Torii Wolf). When time permits, I love singing and playing guitar or piano for fun.
How do you think about luck?
I don’t believe luck is really a factor. Being open to accepting obstacles and turning them into opportunities is where it’s really at. I’m always down to take the challenge and come out stronger as a result.
Pricing:
- Mixing – $100/hr
- Mastering – $150/song
- ADR/Remote Sessions – $150/hr
- Voice Over/Podcasts – $100/hr
Contact Info:
- Website: www.fwdpro.com
- Instagram: @forewordproductions
Image Credits
Catherine Asanov, Brian Zo, Elisa Denise
