Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Kass.
Matt, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up around music and ended up teaching myself guitar and piano pretty early on. That turned into playing in bands, touring, and figuring things out the long way, which honestly was the best education I could’ve gotten. I studied Human Development and Ethnomusicology at Cornell, which gave me a deeper interest in how people actually experience music, not just how it’s made.
After college I spent about a decade touring and releasing music, including work with my band Modern Inventors. We had some great moments like SXSW, NPR, and an indie music award, but like most artists, it was also a grind. Eventually I shifted more into songwriting and production, which brought me to Nashville in 2015.
Since then I’ve been working with a range of artists as a producer, writer, and mixer. My work has landed on major playlists and in TV/film projects across Netflix, HBO, Fox Sports, and others through partnerships with companies like Secret Road and Dualtone. At the same time, I’ve kept one foot in the artist world with my own projects, which helps me stay creatively grounded.
More recently, I’ve also gotten into teaching and developing courses around music production, which has been a really rewarding way to share what I’ve learned and connect with other artists coming up.
At this point, my work sits somewhere between producing records, developing artists, and continuing to make my own music. I’m still chasing the same thing I was at the beginning, just with a better understanding of how it all works.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Definitely not a smooth road. Music careers rarely are, especially now. I think one of the biggest challenges is learning how to balance creativity with the realities of running a business and sustaining a life outside of it. There’s a version of the story people imagine where you “make it” and suddenly everything gets easier, but for most working musicians and producers it’s more about constantly adapting.
I’ve gone through periods of touring nonstop, periods of burnout, financial uncertainty, projects falling apart, and moments where I questioned whether continuing was even practical. The industry itself has also changed dramatically over the last decade with streaming, social media, and the pressure to constantly market yourself on top of actually making good work.
More recently, balancing creative work with family life has probably been the biggest challenge, but also the thing that’s given me the most perspective. Having kids changes your relationship to time, ambition, and what success actually means.
At the same time, I think those experiences have made me a better collaborator and producer. You learn patience, communication, resilience, and how to keep creating even when things don’t go according to plan. Most of the meaningful opportunities in my career have come through long-term relationships, persistence, and continuing to show up even during uncertain periods.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a producer, songwriter, mixer, artist, and educator based in Nashville. Most of my work revolves around helping artists turn an idea, demo, or batch of songs into something that feels fully realized. Sometimes that means producing a record from the ground up, sometimes it means co-writing, arranging, mixing, or helping an artist figure out what their sound actually is.
I tend to specialize in song-forward production. I care a lot about the emotional center of a song, but I also love the technical side of making records. Sounds, textures, performances, arrangements, and the weird little details that make something feel human. I work across genres, but I’m usually drawn to artists who want something with character rather than something that just feels copied from a playlist.
I’ve had music placed in TV and film projects with companies like Netflix, HBO, Fox Sports, and others, and I’ve worked with artists, bands, sync companies, and labels in a lot of different capacities. I’m proud of those placements, but I’m probably even more proud of the long-term creative relationships I’ve built. Making music is personal, and the best work usually comes from trust.
I also teach music production and have developed courses and workshops around recording, songwriting, Ableton, and the creative process. Teaching has made me a better producer because it forces me to explain what I’m hearing and why something works.
What sets me apart is that I’ve lived on a lot of sides of the process. I’ve been the artist, the touring musician, the songwriter, the producer, the mixer, and the teacher. So when I work with people, I’m not just thinking about making something sound good. I’m thinking about identity, emotion, audience, performance, and how to help the artist feel more like themselves.
What’s next?
I’m focused on building a more intentional version of my creative life. Right now that means continuing to produce and write with artists I believe in, developing more long-term artist relationships, and making records that feel personal and lasting rather than just chasing whatever is working on social media that week.
I’m also working on new music with Modern Inventors, which has been a meaningful return to my own artist side. Producing for other people is a huge part of what I do, but making my own music keeps me connected to why I started in the first place.
Another big focus is continuing to build out my studio and creative process here in Nashville. I want it to be a space where artists can feel comfortable experimenting, making honest work, and not feeling like they have to fit into one narrow lane.
I’m also interested in expanding my teaching and education work. I love helping artists and producers understand the emotional and technical sides of making records, and I’d like to keep developing courses, workshops, and mentorship opportunities around that.
Overall, I’m trying to keep growing in a way that feels sustainable. More meaningful collaborations, more artist development, more sync and film/TV opportunities, and more of my own music.
Pricing:
- Production, mixing, and songwriting projects are quoted individually based on scope, timeline, and artist needs.
- Single-song production, mixing, and mastering packages are available on a project basis.
- Artist development, writing, and full project production are available for select artists and bands.
- Music production coaching and private lessons are available hourly or in custom packages.
- For rates and availability, contact Matt directly through his website or email.
Contact Info:
- Website: For production, songwriting, mixing, and artist work: https://mattkass.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattkassmusic
- Other: For lessons, coaching, and music production education: https://lessons.mattkass.com
