Meet H3NRY | Music Producer, Mixing Engineer & Studio Operator

We had the good fortune of connecting with H3NRY and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi H3NRY, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Fear of regret. My mom had an art studio in our old house, and there were very few days where I didn’t at least poke my head in to see what she was working on. Each piece was always incredible, holding a unique beauty. She had found something she was truly passionate about and could always turn to for channeling inspiration and happiness. She was never bored. This resonated with me at a young age. When I found music production in my early college years, it was the closest feeling to what my mom had. It wasn’t long before I considered what it would take to make music for a living. There was no doubt in my mind I could finish college, get an entry level job at a big company, make a good living, and spend my days working my way up the corporate food chain. But could I work for myself? Creating all day? Doing what brought my mom so much happiness? I don’t know. But I certainly don’t want to be at the end of my days wondering “what if?”.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Making music can be a very delicate process. Artists tend to have a sensitive nature, and in half a second they can feel uncomfortable and unable to produce anything of substance. I believe my greatest strength is the ability to act as a true collaborator. I’ve learned that as a producer, you get your best material out of an artist when they are comfortable, so I have dedicated a lot of my time to making sure I can meet the needs/wants of any singer or rapper that walks through my door. This includes knowing hotkeys and moving FAST with my computer to accommodate any vibe that may strike. It includes having a clean and practical studio space with lighting and furniture that make artists feel at home. It includes having both room temp (for singers) and cold bottled water, alcoholic beverages, and herbal medicines ready to go as soon as requested. It includes making small suggestions that can push the song we’re working on in a slightly better direction, without totally shooting down anyone else’s ideas. And it includes being ready to operate at the highest level from the moment we start to the moment we’re finished. Fully understanding this concept is not the easiest, but I think when you get it down it starts to become 2nd nature. I will never stop re-investing my time and money into making sure I can act as the ultimate collaborator, able to bring the absolute best work out of recording artists.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Assuming the pandemic was coming to an end – For daytime ventures I would bring them to The Battery, Piedmont Park, The Beltline, Atlanta Botanical Garden, The Trap Music Museum, and the High Museum of Art (depending on the current exhibit). Meals would include Bottle Rocket for sushi, JR Crickets for wings, Fellini’s for pizza and beer, and Fogo de Chão Brazilian steakhouse if we were ballin’ like that. Evening shenanigans would include Atlanta United/Hawks/Falcons/Braves home games, barhopping in Edgewood, EAV, The Highlands, and (parts of) Buckhead, and any good shows at any of the remaining independent music venues (they are in major trouble, check out saveourstages.com). Late night bad decisions would be made at Believe Music Hall, MJQ, and the Pink Pony.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I spoke in my last interview about my early mentors and how they shaped me into who I am now. Since then, there is one person who has taken up a major role in helping me advance – my new manager Ben (@playbackben) Until the beginning of 2020, when Ben officially became my manager, I was constantly wearing 100 hats a day. From idea to execution, I was handling EVERY aspect of my career. It had become a somewhat lonely life. No one to bounce ideas off of. No one to check in with everyday. No one to keep me accountable. Ben has been everything I didn’t know I needed, and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together.

Website: https://www.h3nrywitha3.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/h3nrywitha3/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/h3nrywitha3_
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/h3nrywitha3

Image Credits
Svetlana Salwadora, Eli Chandler, Aaron Edwards, Danny Balay