Israel McFarland’s “beautiful human,” A Romantic Bedroom Pop Song
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“Features honest story telling lyrics and melodies that are brought to life with unique production. I did all of the writing and production myself which I think has given the song a very personal and distinct sound.”
Israel McFarland is an indie-pop singer-songwriter who was born some time ago. Around that time, he started writing songs. A while after that, he moved to Nashville to work retail and beg people to let him record music.
What is some of the best advice experienced engineers and award-winning producers have shared with you since you moved to Nashville, after getting your 4-year degree in audio production from Liberty University?
One thing I remember being told is to pay more attention to the emotion of the song than tuning everything perfectly; I used to put all the instruments exactly on the grid and tune every note of every vocal in the song. You can really edit and tune the life out of songs if you’re not careful. I’ve learned there’s really some magic in letting a sorrowful line fall a little flat in the vocal and letting an energetic line go a little sharp sometimes.
There are several ‘in the box’ programs, such as Logic Pro, Pro Tools, Garageband, and Cubase, that are available for use in the studio. Which program is your go-to and why?
I started using ProTools when I was 15 years old. I’m glad I chose that one to start with because I later learned that ProTools is really the industry standard. When I got to college ProTools was the DAW I was required to use, and here in Nashville I have yet to work a session that wasn’t using it. I think knowing ProTools as well as I do has made me very ‘hirable’ just because I can quickly jump in on most sessions and have a fast workflow. With that being said, I don’t think ProTools is…