Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephen “PunchmeinJay” Dashiff.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
The first thing I remember touching is a guitar. My father had an Ovation acoustic, and there is a picture of me as a baby banging on that poor guitar. When I was growing up I played in many different bands ranging from Jazz to Reggae. This was very formative for me, and would later translate into my own production style. In 8th grade, I began going to this studio by Fisk University where I would assist on some sessions engineered by a metal drummer named Jarred James. The studio was ran by a non-profit called Notes for Notes, which builds and operates recording studios across the country. Jarred exposed me to some really heavy stuff like Ice Pick Nine, Meshuggah, August Burns Red, and many more. Through this opportunity, I was able to get really deep into production. I started blending really heavy guitar tones with old hip hop elements like Three 6 Mafia and UGK to create these pretty weird, heavy tracks. After a couple years I decided to put on my own rap show with a buddy of mine from highschool. We took over the venue and busted their subwoofers. Not only did I throw my own shows, but I kept performing as well. When I was 15, I was given the chance to play with Peter Frampton at the Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara for a benefit show which opened up many doors for me. I later played with Tom Blankenship, Joe Bonamassa, Bob Weir, Lindsay Ell, Kane Brown, Jon Batiste, and a few others. As I was doing the whole guitar thing, I began to focus even more on other aspects of music like recording. While all this was going on, I met Will Flores and Cameron Cassell, who later would later introduce me to IV, who introduces me to Tana. If it weren’t for Will and Cam for taking me in; IV and Tana for showing me love and treating me like family, I would not be where I am today. Now, I have two billboard records with Tana, I run my own recording business, work for a trailer house (Glory Oath + Blood) ran by Robert Bennett, who worked under Hanz Zimmer, and work with kids in the studio through a wonderful company called Notes for Notes. I feel very blessed to have made it to where I am today, and love those who want to see me succeed. I hope to continue to shine in my own way, while also providing the youth with the same opportunities I had growing up. I have great friends, and thats what its really all about.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
This is not an easy path. When I was younger, it seemed easy, but that was just me lying to myself. A big part of what makes this passion so difficult is the nuance of it. One might take every opportunity available to them, and it won’t lead to anywhere. On the other hand, you still need to take every single opportunity. Something I wish I learned early on would be that you never say no to anything, even if you can’t do it. If someone comes up to me asking if I can do “X” for them, I say yes, even if I cannot do it. After someone asks me to do “X”, if I don’t know how to do it, I learn, very quickly. Another thing would be dealing with egos, especially as a recording engineer. We can always learn something new, and one should always listen and be receptive to their peers. Lastly, I would say the biggest struggle I’ve had is the business side of the industry. As a Belmont graduate, I had the priviledge to learn a little bit about the ins and outs of the business. However, I wish that I had more legalese and knowhow to be able to navigate LOD’s, Producer Agreements, and legal conversations when working on a record.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a guitarist/recording engineer/mixing engineer/songwriter/producer, and production coordinator. I work with artists all around the country, Notes for Notes, as well as a trailer house called Glory Oath + Blood. I specialize in being not just an engineer, but a friend. People come to me not because I’m the best, or the gear, but because I actually care about people AND their music. I don’t really have clients, I have friends. Sometimes, when I am working or writing with someone new, we won’t even record at all, sometimes we might talk for a couple hours or grab some food. I want to get to know the people I work with because I care about them, and that will help both of us down the road when I need to make creative decisions in their tracks. Countless folks will attest, that I don’t just sit down and record. I actively involve myself in the creation process of the songs. One of my clients, Cbandz, and I have been working for almost 5 years now, and it’s almost as though we have developed our own system for recording that is entirely unique. That unique treatment is what I provide. Not only do I have great quality in what I do, but I actually care about those who I work with. Music is deeper than business, you need good relationships first, or the business will fall apart.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
“Pensado’s Place” was extremely helpful for me. Dave Pensado is a legendary engineer who I was exposed to during my time at Blackbird Studios. I highly recommend his podcast to young engineers who want to get ahead as I use many of his techniques during recording sessions. I also highly recommend following Joe Carrell on instagram (@inthemix_joecarrell). He is super, super smart and very good at articulating the subtleties of analog gear. That being said, there is no better resource than just going out there and doing the thing.
Pricing:
- $35/Hr
- $100/mix (per track)
- $100/beat (non exclusive lease)
- $250/beat (exclusive lease)
- $100/master (-6db max)
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/punchmeinjay/
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qqHN01aZ5ZX2reNTivOFO?si=e93561b17a8949de
