Meet Liam “kosherbeats” O’rourke | Producer & Audio Engineer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Liam “kosherbeats” O’rourke and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Liam “Kosherbeats”, what role has risk played in your life or career?
A lot of my career so far has been taking calculated risks. I moved across the country to pursue my dream of making it in the music industry without any real prior experience in the field; other than school and YouTube, I worked hard to develop my craft and find a unique sound that portrays me as an artist.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have been a producer for the past six years and professionally recording other artists for two. I’m originally from Tucson, AZ. After finding the passion for making music in 2018 I was very unhappy at the University I was attending. I wanted to find a way to pursue Music as a career and after finding out about CRAS I made the tough decision with my parents to drop out of college and attend the one year program at CRAS to get a jumpstart into the industry. I loved the program, I have never been surrounded by so many like-minded individuals. After completing the in-school program I chose to get an internship in Atlanta because of my love of hip hop and rnb. My biggest influences musically are Mac Miller, Isaiah Rashad, Kota the Friend, Smino, Young Thug, and J Cole. I learned how to make beats watching YouTube videos of producers like Kennybeats, Kal Banx, and Monte Booker. Moving across the country has not been an easy task, I started my journey interning at Super Sound Studios and was able to quickly rise up to Assistant Engineer after about 6 months and now am one of the Staff Recording and Mixing Engineers. I have been grateful enough to work some amazing artists such as; Mariah the Scientist, Vvsnce, Killer Mike, Usher, Busta Rhymes, ASAP Ant, Vonoff1700, and Billacheck. One of the hardest parts of my journey so far has been learning how to define myself and my work without boxing myself in, I find it weird to even say “Producer/Engineer” as my title because when you sit in the chair you are so much more encompassed into one. In a single session as the Engineer you might end up becoming the vocal coach, song writer, producer, and therapist all wrapped up into one. It’s very stressful at times but the most important thing is to keep a brave face and make sure the artist is in the right head space. I wish I could say that I was eased into Recording people but unfortunately that was not the case, I don’t know if I would’ve ever felt fully prepared but I was eventually thrown into the fire and came out mostly unburnt. I try to always create a relaxing and creative vibe whenever I am running a session, whether that be with candles, incense, or colored lighting, I want the artist to have the best atmosphere possible to convey their message in the song. The Vibe is so sacred and once it is gone it is very hard to try and get it back. I learned these lessons from watching people like Treedot, Jay Curtis, and Max Stephens Engineer. If you can create an atmosphere that they can only experience with you, then you have a much better chance of working again in the future.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I stay on the Northside but my favorite place to take people is Ponce City Market, there’s endless food options and walking the beltline to get drinks is always a good time, shoutout Lady Bird. I’m a big fan of the outdooors and there’s plenty of trails and hiking around me. Most of the people that come to visit have never been to a real studio so a tour would be a must. I also love the Aquarium, I’ve gone with my girlfriend and her family and we also took my sister there when she came out to visit.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I attribute all and any future success to my amazing family. My parents are my biggest supporters, my brother and sister are amazing role models to look up to, and my loving girlfriend has been by my side through my entire professional music career. Professionally I want to thank my school CRAS (The Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences). My manager Adam, and my friends and mentors; Taylr, Luke, Bailey, Ricardo, Chris and Gavin.

Instagram: Kosherbeats_