Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Smartt.
Hi Joshua, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I actually started playing trumpet in my middle and high school band at eagles landing and Dutchtown. I originally wanted to play alto sax but my dad ended up giving me my brother’s trumpet he used in band. I would say I was pretty okay in band going between 1st and 2nd chair. Thinking back, I definitely didn’t practice as much as I should of.
When it came to producing, my friend Sainto actually put me on to Fl Studio when I was first starting (I think it was version 7 at the time) and than Reason version 3. I found Reason super intimidating when I first started using it, lol because their daw is modeled as if you’re working with analog hardware so you have to rewire cables and things for inputs and outputs and I had no clue about that stuff back then. I remember trying to work on music and tampering with the back of a rack and accidentally messing up the cable setup and spending loads of time trying to get the sound to play again which sucked! I was inspired to learn it though because at that time Sainto produced “UP” in Reason for his band FountnHead that sounded so crazy! I also remember seeing a YouTube video of dj Khalil using Reason making a fire beat and I was like, I gotta learn this! I eventually got familiar with those daws and met another producer who challenged and elevated me to another level, Moje.
Moje brought Bundy and I into my first real recording studio when he was working on a mix for a track I did for Bundy called “Beautiful” that I made in Reason. I remember when I first met Moje, he put me on the spot in his studio to create a beat. He was working in logic and I totally wasn’t prepared at the time and I never worked in logic before. I remember scrambling like how in the world do I navigate this and was nervous at the time, lol. I think he ended up doing the whole beat for Bundy in that session. That was a moment though that definitely taught me to always be prepared for anything and another moment that got me out of my creative comfort zone.
Moje eventually got me into Logic 9 and shortly after, Apple updated it to Logic Pro X and I actually fell in love using it and still use it to this day.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s definitely been a lot of hardships and learning along the way. I use Ableton now to create music. For recording and mixing, I use Logic because it’s pretty fast for me to get the job done for those purposes. I feel like time is critical when creating because when ideas pop into your head, you need a workstation and the tools to be able to get those ideas out fast before you lose them. When I first started producing, getting to know these DAWS (digital audio workstations like Fl Studio and Reason) in the beginning was a huge learning curve. It was mostly learning how to navigate these programs more so than creating the music and melodies. Learning how to sequence and arrange is what I struggled with the most when I was first starting.
When I first started making music, I had an e machine I was working on and some Logitech speakers. I remember the funniest thing was me not knowing how to use the arranger in fl studio. The very first beat I made, I penciled in all the notes, and I mean ALL the notes for the beat to stretch to around
3 minutes! That story right there will probably make all the producers out there laugh and cringe. I quickly found out how to properly arrange my beats after the second attempt of me doing that because if I had to do that every time, I would’ve just gave up on music. Those two beats did sound kind of cool for my beginner beats however but they definitely didn’t have a consistency to them, lol.
The next challenge I ended up facing was mixing my beats and making room for the artist. By this time, I built a few beats in my catalog and I started working with one of my great talented friends to this day Bundy, who I mentioned earlier. I knew him from high school because he was friends with Sainto, who actually linked Bundy and I together to work on more music for Bundy. Bundy thought the beats I made were dope but quickly told me “Yo, if I’m gonna do anything on these beats dude, you’re gonna have to work on your mixing on your beats”. Back then, I had the bass hitting so loud it would duck the whole beat not in a good way. As soon as he said that though I immediately went through YouTube videos for like a good two weeks and didn’t create anything until I was able to start mixing my beats better.
I think there’s always gonna be some type of challenge or obstacle you’re gonna face however when you’re trying to improve on something.
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’m a Producer/Artist/Engineer. I’ve worked on a number of albums and songs for artists I know. In my line of work, I make beats, record artists, and mix/engineer songs. I’ll also pitch in for creative direction from time to time, lol. I’ve released a number of beat tapes myself also with “Wildflower Vol. 1” being my latest release that’s available to stream on all platforms now! I’m actually finishing a new Lofi beat taped called “Fantasy Wonderland” that I’m super excited about that’s really a chill vibe.
I think what I’m known for and what sticks out about me is when I’m working on something or with anyone, I try to really understand the vision that the artists has or even myself and see how we can make it come to life and go further than what was initially planned. I also love letting the artist really just be themselves because that’s when I feel like the magic comes to life and I’m there to help assist through that process and add my touches.
I’m also known to make really chill music and totally switch gears to create something really turnt and being an awesome friend, lol.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I’m in Atlanta, which is where I’m from. One of the things I like most about my city is the big diversity we have here. You can find people who do things similar to you as a creative but also come across people who have other really dope stuff going on and may make a new connection you probably wouldn’t have expected to make. I feel like the people here also aren’t afraid to try new things and collaborate with each other.
What I hate most is the traffic. I could do without that.
Contact Info:
- Email: jayessaudio@gmail.com
- Website: Solo.to/jayessaudio
- Instagram: Jayess__official
- Twitter: Jayessaudio
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCYqG3byA_OBg-i8WI9kiWAg
Image Credits
@actuallyrach
