Grammy-winning Songwriter Tim Atlas on Serving the Song - Music Production Podcast #429
Tim Atlas is a musician, producer, and Grammy-winning songwriter in Los Angeles. His new EP, Reverso, was recorded in his home studio and combines Indie and Psych rock with RnB and Soul.
Tim spoke to me about the production of Reverso. We touched on songwriting, arranging, and collaboration. Tim shared how he likes to move fast and commit to his sounds by printing them with outboard gear and effects. We covered a lot of ground from practical techniques to philosophical approaches.
Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube
Links:
Reverso album by Tim Atlas - https://timatlas.ffm.to/reverso
"Reverso" Music Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhrC6PP8g9c
Tim Atlas Website - https://www.timatlas.co
Tim's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@timatlas
Tim's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/timothyatlas/
Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com
Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc
5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book
Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit
Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast
Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store
This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/
Thank you for listening.
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Episode Transcript:
Brian Funk (00:01.83)
All right, Tim, welcome to the music production podcast. Good to have you, man.
Tim Atlas (00:06.473)
Okay.
Tim Atlas (00:14.264)
Thank you for having me, man.
Brian Funk (00:17.842)
Great job on the new EP reverse so been listening to it a lot. I mentioned to you before we hit record. it's really nice this time of year. It's like late spring, it's getting starting to get hot, driving around with the windows open. it's a great sound, good feels, really nice work, great production. Well done.
Tim Atlas (00:38.21)
Dude, thank you so much. Yeah. It's like, I don't know, in LA there's there's not so much weather, you know, it's kind of it's kind of like one thing. So it's nice to hear that it can exist in in other climates.
Brian Funk (00:47.208)
Yeah.
Brian Funk (00:55.51)
It's becoming like it probably is there. So it it's very triumphant after the long winter. We had a lot of snow and cold and so yeah. This punctuates it well. Yeah. Yeah, so I I heard a lot of really cool influences in it too. like if you would have told me some of these songs came out in like maybe like the seventies, like in
Tim Atlas (00:58.89)
Yeah, nice.
Tim Atlas (01:04.979)
I know, yeah, I dodged that one.
Brian Funk (01:22.13)
kinda like an R and B vein. I I'm just hearing like shylights and stylistics type of thing. I mean some great stuff, especially like the production, but also like your vocal quality has really got that soft melodic tone to it. It sounds great.
Tim Atlas (01:27.853)
Amazing.
Tim Atlas (01:39.137)
Thank you, man. Yeah, that that's that's that's high praise right there. I but I love all that stuff. So definitely, definitely referenced.
Brian Funk (01:41.694)
Mm.
Brian Funk (01:48.05)
Yeah. But you got like other stuff too. As as it went on, I I started to pick up on like more of the guitar playing, kind of felt a little more like indie rock stuff. I'm curious if you know, is this like just sort of the way things can come together or was it like a conscious effort to blend different influences on your part?
Tim Atlas (02:08.987)
it's not really a conscious effort. It's just something that I do because I grew up around like so many different types of of music and I can't really ever make a decision on on what I wanna sound like or what I wanna do. So I just like create and hope that
like my natural tendencies shine through and become the thread that kind of like connects all the songs, you know? I've spent like so much time thinking about okay, like I want to be like in this like pocket of music. but I feel like it's it's sort of wasted bandwidth because I just I don't want to create like that ever. so yeah tried to figure out a way to just like glue the thing without thinking so much about it.
Brian Funk (03:04.785)
Hm. That's actually nice to hear. 'cause I've heard a lot of the opposite advice to like, no, dial in, be the the guy that does this thing, you know, that's gonna be your wheelhouse. And I don't know, may there might be some truth to that, but I I like myself as well, like so many types of music I wanna make, so many styles I wanna explore that I I almost can never do it. Maybe for the length of an E P or an album I can stick in a lane, but
Tim Atlas (03:17.865)
Yeah.
Brian Funk (03:34.219)
Not much longer than that.
Tim Atlas (03:34.397)
Yeah. It's interesting, man, because like I've I've had a few people like other artists come up to me and say, like, man, like you look like you like know who you are. You know, like you know like the type of music that you make. And I'm like, that's like not true at all. I actually have no idea. I'm just kind of like going with it. I think there there are threads like that I've that I've recognized where I'm just like, okay.
Brian Funk (03:53.853)
Mm.
Tim Atlas (04:05.008)
I should put a Juno in this because that's sort of like a recognizable thing that I do. Like there's there there are some, you know, intentional things, but for the most part I'm I'm just trying to to go with the flow and and and trust in the process.
Brian Funk (04:21.627)
Yeah. Well I think that's like how you get your voice really. You know, if you're trying to do a specific thing all the time, sometimes you kind of are more emulating and trying to reproduce. Whereas when you let these like curiosities happen and you follow them, you can really discover where you are and what works for you and what you enjoy doing, what you're good at and surprise yourself a little bit.
Tim Atlas (04:27.698)
Sorry.
Tim Atlas (04:49.5)
Hundred percent, man. Yeah. And it sort of informs like the next project and the next project. And I just feel like it's a it's a process, man. So as much as sometimes it sounds like I've figured out who I am and and what I wanna make, it's it just like kind of veers into the next thing, you know.
Brian Funk (05:00.155)
Yeah.
Brian Funk (05:09.373)
Yeah, absolutely. When did you start working on this record? Reverso.
Tim Atlas (05:17.735)
I started working on it in 2025. I got my studio together. just like spending months like treating it and and of course getting new gear. and yeah, it's so funny, man, because like I got all this gear and I got a tape machine and I'm like stoked on everything. But at the end of the day, like
Brian Funk (05:34.203)
Tim Atlas (05:48.622)
I had to write the songs, you know? And I feel like I get so caught up in in computer world that sometimes I forget about the song. So for this record, I got the studio ready, I got all my toys together, and then I just like ignored it and tried to write the songs like just with guitar and vocal. so yeah, a weird like three sixty, but
Brian Funk (06:11.901)
Mm.
Tim Atlas (06:18.276)
Yeah, it was it was about in twenty twenty five that that I started just like going back to basics.
Brian Funk (06:23.899)
Yeah. I saw a lot of cool video of your studio on your Instagram. And it looks like a good place to hang out, nice, bright. And I I did notice the Juno on the rack of synths you had there. Yeah.
Tim Atlas (06:29.081)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (06:33.733)
you know on the rack. Yeah. Yeah, dude. I love my my synth rack, but like it fell like while I was I was like doing laundry and I'm an idiot and I like was like hanging jackets on on the wall and I guess jackets are heavy and and it all just came like
Brian Funk (06:46.26)
no.
Brian Funk (06:58.237)
I guess just enough.
Tim Atlas (07:02.092)
tumbling down upon me. So the the Juno still works, although the the resonance slider just like fell off. So but yeah man. No the studio's great. it's like in the downstairs area of my place and and yeah no it's it's been really like cozy and nice to have people over just like as like a really comfortable
Brian Funk (07:13.061)
Yeah. man.
Tim Atlas (07:31.684)
place to you know make whatever.
Brian Funk (07:34.203)
Hm. Yeah, there's a lot of ways y you mentioned like writing the songs. I think when you're in the computer and playing with your gear, it's fun to sort of write and produce and experiment at the same time. But something like a tape machine gets you honest. You 'cause you can't do like all those like kind of tricks of looping and bringing stuff in and out. So you you have to really know where you're going, like start to finish with with an idea before you start
Bringing that thing into the mix.
Tim Atlas (08:04.523)
Yeah. Yeah, man. It's really nice, like the tactile stuff too, you know. I just like turning knobs and, you know, pressing like the left-right button and like the, you know, pressing three buttons to record. And it is fun, but I've I've actually made it so that it's sort of an analog digital like hybrid. So a lot of the time I'm just recording the vocal.
Brian Funk (08:11.676)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Funk (08:20.816)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (08:32.525)
Getting it right and then sending it from Ableton into the tape machine, sometimes into like this spring verb and then like back into Ableton, like after it's printed to tape. So a little more forgiving, but definitely, definitely you know, different territory.
Brian Funk (08:44.102)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Funk (08:52.794)
Yeah. I I do something very similar. I have one just behind where you are right now. and it's fun to bounce things to tape, to just get some character and see what happens to it, but then bring it back and now it's this kind of it's like another sample I guess that you can play around with. But it's you.
Tim Atlas (08:59.265)
Uh-huh.
Tim Atlas (09:15.436)
Totally. Yeah. I noticed that it like like especially for vocals, like your ear fatigue doesn't really like set in as fast. Cause I I like to saturate my vocals a lot. but when I printed it to tape, it just like tamed everything. And it was really nice. and that's what you hear like on like all throughout the record. But yeah, man.
Brian Funk (09:42.064)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (09:42.933)
Definitely a a world that that I unlocked during this during the making of Reversa.
Brian Funk (09:48.779)
yeah, that's cool. You found some new territory. I guess that's why you get excited for the next thing, right? 'Cause like, now they did that. You know, your vocals sound really smooth on the record. that was something I wanted to ask you about. I'm kinda surprised to hear like you like to saturate a lot because they don't have like the distorted saturated sound, but it's
Tim Atlas (09:50.226)
Yeah. Exactly.
More toys, more toys.
Brian Funk (10:16.9)
It's very smooth, I guess, subtle warmth, I guess you're getting out of it then. So how d how do you like to approach them?
Tim Atlas (10:20.094)
Yeah. Yeah, man. Thank you. so for vocals, what am I doing?
Brian Funk (10:27.632)
Mm-hmm.
Tim Atlas (10:33.374)
I guess it like varied from song to song. for only loves to blame. Definitely had like that tapey thing going on. And then I I bought a a spring reverb. And yeah. And I tracked like some of the scratch vocals through it and just like printed it just to like interact with with the verb.
and that was really nice because that informed like a lot of the melodies and and and the performance. and but yeah, I mean as far as like vocal production, I'm always stacking. I'm a big stacker. I love like third harmonies and fourths and fifths and until I feel like I'm doing too much. I feel like that's a good thing with vocals. You should do more.
Brian Funk (11:30.352)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (11:32.414)
but yeah, nothing out of the ordinary, man. I'm just I'm just kind of playing around till something works. But I have a nice little like chain in here. and and yeah, just trying to turn like as many real knobs as possible. and and and seeing where I land. But yeah.
Brian Funk (11:54.033)
Hm. Yeah, well that's nice. And I guess, when you get those real knobs, y you don't get to rely on the preset. Right? Like 'cause you can dial it in one day like, I really love the way my vocal sound and save that preset as like a a rack or whatever you got going on and while that's very nice, sometimes you just sort of stay there. You know, you don't try new things out.
Tim Atlas (12:03.76)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (12:18.621)
Totally. Yeah. I'm a big like printer too. Like I you know, like optionality is so nice, but I think we're really like cursed with with optionality. There's just like so many things we can do, man. So for me, I'm just like, let's make it sound good and then let's commit you know. And my mixer doesn't, you know, he doesn't appreciate that, but
Brian Funk (12:47.174)
Mm-hmm.
Tim Atlas (12:48.189)
I don't know. I just feel like however you can get the idea down like as quick as possible and have it be, you know, as much of the final thing in the beginning, like that's that's kind of where I like to land.
Brian Funk (13:06.284)
Mm. Okay. That is a couple of threads to pull on here. You you've definitely tapped into something that comes up a lot when I talk with people and we have these conversations is I and I think it's like the modern musician's problem is there's so many options. Like we can do so much. It's amazing. It's all of my dreams come true when I was a kid with a four track, wishing I could have even just more tracks or other instruments. But now we got it and it's
Tim Atlas (13:11.302)
Okay.
Brian Funk (13:34.938)
It's a problem that you don't know where to go. But that that method and and Ableton Live just added the the bounce in place features, which I'm just crazy about because you can just commit with like a quick click and what you had is n now it's there and now you have to react to it. Instead of making something new, I'm recording my new track and it
Tim Atlas (13:48.5)
crazy about because you can just commit but I can quit play.
Brian Funk (14:01.231)
Well, this is a really cool sound, but now I gotta fix the vocal. Now I gotta go fix the snare. Now I and then you by the time you get back around to that track you just recorded, you realize it doesn't fit anymore either. And you just kinda tweak and tweak. But when you commit, you're stuck and now now you get creative on how and how to figure out to put that into your music and add to it.
Tim Atlas (14:07.108)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (14:12.031)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (14:24.002)
Yeah, man. Yeah, that's exactly that's kind of exactly why I like to do it, because I just I don't want to think about it anymore. Like I made the decision, it was my intuition, and it's like time to think about the next thing.
Brian Funk (14:35.259)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Funk (14:39.109)
But the your mixing engineer sometimes says all that reverb.
Tim Atlas (14:42.552)
Yeah, he's like, Do you have a dry version? Like, what? No. Sorry, man. But I'm getting better.
Brian Funk (14:51.105)
How often would you say, that's a problem versus h it moves you forward in the writing process, in the producing process?
Tim Atlas (15:03.522)
great question. I would say it's like eighty twenty.
Yeah, I think like for the most part and a lot of a lot of the effects that I'm printing, like during the performance, they're sort of light, you know? Like just enough to get a bit of a vibe. I'm not I'm not like smashing it like crazy and you know, reverb at eleven or anything, but
Yeah, I feel like just enough to to give me a little something. and like that's not to say I don't tweak after, you know? Like I think I'm still like working on it, but it's just like one less thing that I have to think about. So yeah, I would say most of the time, like I don't I don't really regret it. but there are certain moments where it's like, ugh, I wish I
Brian Funk (16:06.757)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (16:08.341)
I wish I had the dry.
Brian Funk (16:11.087)
Yeah, okay. I 'cause that's kinda how I feel and that's what I say a lot too, is like, look, yeah, once in a while, you know, that that bounce or that print is gonna mess you up and you'll wish. But for all the other times where you move to the next step because of it, I like All right, so once in a while a bridge is burnt, but you know, at least you know
Tim Atlas (16:24.062)
Mm-hmm.
Tim Atlas (16:33.387)
Yeah. I mean like I'm just trying to not to be in my own way, you know? Like I'm just I'm just at the end of the day, like, yeah, I produce my own stuff and I I love producing music, but I just wanna write a good song and like serve the song and and workflow is is just like super important for me to to tap into that.
Brian Funk (16:39.951)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (17:02.044)
So I just gotta like keep it moving, you know? Especially when someone's in the studio and you're like producing for them. Just like I don't wanna I don't wanna like heater like the whole time while they're sitting on the couch like in the back, like, you know, just waiting for me to get it perfect so we could write the verse.
Brian Funk (17:10.275)
Right.
Brian Funk (17:20.355)
Yeah. Right. You're like trying to scoop out some resonant frequency in a snare drum for fifteen minutes and they're now they're uninspired, you know. They forgot what the idea was. Yeah. I think that's true when you're solo too. you know, I get I see that a lot when I work with my bandmates.
Tim Atlas (17:29.621)
Yeah. And then all the momentum's gone. Yeah, man.
Brian Funk (17:44.528)
The it's like, okay, okay, yeah, they don't have time for this. Like w I'll figure that out when they're not here. But when it's me, it's it's very easy to just be like, Well, you know what? I'm gonna really get to the bottom of this little noise and once I do that, like I'm out of it and that's it's the same kind of thing, like, I've I'm not feeling this idea anymore. I forget where it was gonna go.
Tim Atlas (17:57.013)
Totally.
Tim Atlas (18:06.013)
Yeah, a hundred percent man. I'm definitely fueled by anxiety, you know, that like that that everyone's like having a good time.
Brian Funk (18:14.435)
Yeah. I yeah, well that's part of it, right? Like you're not just producing the music, you're kind of producing the whole energy of the day and keeping everyone in especially in the more traditional sense of producer, like in the in the older days, like they weren't really touching the controls too much. They were more making sure the production itself is happening and moving forward.
Tim Atlas (18:25.929)
Yeah. That's one thing.
Tim Atlas (18:42.333)
Honestly, like vibe techs, you know? They're just like really like cognizant of like the energy in the room and then like shifting things when they need to be shifted. That's something I'm still working on. That's like, I feel like that is I don't know if if you can actually learn that. I feel like it's a personality trait, you know?
Brian Funk (18:45.275)
Yeah.
Brian Funk (19:05.335)
Mm.
Yeah, it's almost like hospitality or like a different industry. Right. Yeah.
Tim Atlas (19:11.22)
It really is. Hospitality therapist, producer, engineer.
Brian Funk (19:19.323)
Very true, but that's important. I guess too when when you're at a certain level, like everyone's kinda good at what they do. Now you kinda need those people that are, you know, fun to work with and keep you moving and you know, easy to be around.
Tim Atlas (19:37.469)
Yeah. Yeah. Super important.
Brian Funk (19:42.373)
Hmm. So you're saying you really like to capture as much of it as you can right in the early stages, those you know, ideas, the feelings, whatever it is when you're writing.
Tim Atlas (19:55.559)
Yeah, to some degree. I mean like every day is is a new day, you know? Like I think that's the goal as far as like like I sort of know when I have something. in that first session, you know? And when you know that you have something, then then I think you can sort of get into the weeds with it. But
Brian Funk (20:05.006)
Mm-hmm.
Tim Atlas (20:23.11)
Yeah, for the most part, man, I think like
I'm just trying to serve the song as much as I can, like in in the beginning, like and not getting in my way of you know, all the bells and whistles.
Brian Funk (20:39.46)
Hm. I think pretty much all of my favorite musicians are serving the song. Right? Like, none of my favorite guitar players are the ones that are playing the most notes per bar, you know. singers, it's not like the most vocal runs or anything like that.
Tim Atlas (20:48.636)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (20:57.169)
Yeah.
Brian Funk (21:05.7)
But it does seem like something that maybe a lot of people don't understand. Do you mind explaining what you actually mean by serve the song? Like I mean, it should be like music one one probably, but
Tim Atlas (21:17.081)
Yeah, no, no. what do I mean by that?
Tim Atlas (21:26.318)
I mean like at the end of the day the the the song is is the melody and the chords. and you have to like make sure that everything surrounding that is like sort of supporting those two things, right? I mean like that's basically like what a song is. so I don't know, I just feel like
Because of the optionality and like you could really produce a song out in so many different ways. I just I I try to keep it like pretty simple. and I try to make sure that I mean like our sessions just get so huge, you know. We have like 60 tracks, you know. but I like
Brian Funk (22:19.844)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (22:25.611)
when like one synth patch is is doing the thing and it's serving the the purpose, right? Like
I don't know if I want to add another like synth patch on top of it and then like add an arpeggiator on top of it and then add like a counter melody on top of it. Like I just I don't think that that ever really sounds great. Like when I listen to music, I kind of want to know like what I'm hearing, you know? I'm like, okay, there's like there's a pad right there. And there's like like a guitar melody there.
Brian Funk (22:54.159)
Mm.
Tim Atlas (23:07.22)
But like because we can track as many things as possible, like
I don't know. I think a a lot of us do that. And it takes some like restraint to really like highlight the the melody and the chords and the musicality. Does that make sense?
Brian Funk (23:16.931)
Mm.
Brian Funk (23:29.666)
It makes a lot of sense, yeah. I can remember when I first started
working on music in a computer where you had infinite tracks and it was like a badge of honor. This track has eighty-two you know audio tracks in it. And and like some s you're like, wow, how did you do you know, how did you get that one? And you almost feel like I'm not legit if I don't have scrolling, you know, meters in my track where you just keep going down and down and down.
Tim Atlas (23:42.573)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (23:50.73)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (24:00.813)
Yeah. Yeah.
Brian Funk (24:04.056)
I feel a lot less that way now. I've I've found that it's kinda I think of it a lot. I teach high school English as a day job and I I teach music production online for Berkeley and when I have it's like s it's like I think fifteen to twenty is the number.
Tim Atlas (24:26.069)
Brian Funk (24:26.614)
Up to that, I have individuals. And I can like get to know you, I can get to know your writing or your how you make music and your style. Once it gets past that though, it's no longer individuals, it's a crowd. And it's kind of that way with the tracks and the music. Like I can hear your pad. That's that's a cool like Juno pad in there and that nice guitar part. But once there's like much more than that, it's like, it's the wall of sound effect. And I I
Tim Atlas (24:52.873)
Yes.
Brian Funk (24:54.559)
It might sound nice, but I I don't know what I'm hearing anymore. It's just a lot of stuff going on.
Tim Atlas (24:59.98)
That's such a good way to put it. Yeah. It really is a crowd, you know? And it's hard to like point out like who's who because there's there's so much shit going on.
Brian Funk (25:09.67)
Yeah, right. Right. I think the challenge for me is that when I'm making the song, I you know, you get to know every one of those eighty two tracks you've just put down, right? Because you've spent time on it and
Tim Atlas (25:24.255)
Mm.
Brian Funk (25:27.844)
For every single track in a song, it's almost like I'm the one guitar player in the band that wants to be the loudest. You know, like I'm gonna turn my guitar up because I'm the most important. But I feel that way almost like about every track in the song. 'Cause I I put them all there. So and I also think as you get familiar with it, you you you know all the tricks and twists and turns that are happening in the music that you kinda wanna throw something else in as a surprise almost for yourself.
Tim Atlas (25:36.235)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (25:43.817)
Yeah.
Brian Funk (25:56.386)
I'm always trying to figure out how to know when I'm going too far. 'Cause I'm too close, really.
Tim Atlas (26:03.826)
Yeah. I mean, it's a hard one, man, especially when you're when you're producing and spending a lot of time like by yourself, you know, you're just like grinding your gear gears until you're like, is this good? Does this suck? and then before you know it, you have like 80 demos and like you have no idea what to do. But one thing that's humbling for me is when I pass a session onto a mixer and
Brian Funk (26:14.432)
Yeah.
Brian Funk (26:19.723)
Mm-hmm.
Tim Atlas (26:33.767)
They sort of have an interpretation of what's supposed to pop out. And all of a sudden, like a lot of those like little elements are like turned down in the mix. It's like, yeah, because like when you first heard it, it's probably like more distracting than than you thought. Than I thought, you know? so yeah.
Brian Funk (26:48.649)
Mm.
Brian Funk (26:57.655)
Hm. Yeah.
Tim Atlas (27:04.295)
That's another process where it's just like a whole a whole other, you know. I don't know. But
Brian Funk (27:13.101)
Yeah, yeah. Well w when they're they don't care, right? Like they have no emotional attachment to anything in the song, so you know, yeah, we could w I'm just gonna pull those down. Yeah.
Tim Atlas (27:21.768)
True. True. They definitely don't care as much as you. Yeah. Yeah.
Brian Funk (27:27.895)
Yeah, I I was talking to somebody that does guitar tracks and you know, like remotely. So they'll like do a session and record a bunch of guitars and send off like, you know, ten tracks of guitars and then when they hear the final it's like it's just that one. You know, like they threw everything out like I thought it was being helpful, like, you know, give their money's worth, but really they they just want the one little thing and just too much.
Tim Atlas (27:43.497)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (27:51.592)
Mmm, yeah, yeah. I see that. For sure, man.
Brian Funk (27:57.242)
Yeah, it's a tricky thing 'cause you like you said, you're alone, you're getting familiar with everything. but but the listener is really entering the world of your music for the first time. And for example, like listening to your record. it starts I think I believe the first track starts off with like a little drum fill, right? And and like suddenly you're in and
There was so much happening in my head listening to it, like, okay, like this has got like kind of a lo-fi flavor, and then there's like it's like sixties, seventies then like when you came in, I'm like, like this is l like that kind of vocal style from some of those groups I mentioned before. So and it's just happening constantly and you're you're taking in the lyrics, the chord changes.
Tim Atlas (28:42.032)
Yeah.
Brian Funk (28:51.295)
All of which every time you go and press play again, you already know. You understand it all. You have it all figured out in your head.
Tim Atlas (28:59.074)
Yeah. Yeah, context is everything, isn't it? Like that listening experience.
Brian Funk (29:02.177)
Hmm. I think it it was a nice ride though. you you kind of introduced a lot of the different elements, not only like per song, like kind of little by little, but as the album went on too, like there it seemed like the more guitar stuff came in later and more of like an almost indie rock, psych rock kind of sound going on that
wasn't really there in the beginning, but you warmed us up. You like said, Okay, here's the world, but there's a lot of like little countries in here we're gonna go to
Tim Atlas (29:35.749)
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's true, man. that it's it's got me nostalgic for for the EP. I'm like, okay, where where did I go? definitely like started out in that sort of sixties, seventies like area where I was like doing a lot of like spring reverbs and tape stuff and like like
Brian Funk (29:48.715)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (30:05.585)
in only loves to blame and reverso. I think like I went into couple up or anchor after that. and
I think like couple up was almost like a a reference to a lot of stuff that I've I've put out, you know. I think I love taking like artistic liberties and and trying new things that maybe my audience haven't heard. But I also think that
you shouldn't alienate your audience as well, you know, like giving them a a little familiarity, I think, is a good thing. And if you can find a middle ground where it's like, okay, maybe I've done a version of this before. but I'm doing like a couple different things and I've never, you know, saying about the subject matter or
Brian Funk (30:50.76)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Funk (30:58.265)
Mm.
Tim Atlas (31:15.254)
you know, stuff like that where I just feel like, yeah, maybe it wasn't so much in that like 70s realm, but it still felt like a thread into all the other stuff that I've done, like within the context of of my like library, you know. so and on top of that, like I really liked I really liked some of those songs that were like.
Brian Funk (31:35.779)
Mm.
Tim Atlas (31:45.497)
less like vintage inspired. And I was also going back to them, you know, during the making of the record. I'm just like, okay, how else can I can I glue these songs? Like what other elements can I take from, you know, only loves to blame and put it into like 10th mile. and sometimes that worked where it was like, okay, like this feels like a nice glue.
and sometimes it didn't work. And I was just like, okay, you know what? Fuck it. I like the song and like I I want it on this record because it feels like true to who I am at this moment in time. You know? So it's like a a give and take as far as like creative decisions and just like what I really love and just want to do.
Brian Funk (32:27.767)
Right.
Brian Funk (32:38.713)
Hm. So that's cool. So you're once you have like some of these songs, you're kind of thinking about like, all right, how do we make work together in an album? So you're bringing maybe like, is it like sounds or kind of production choices that you're kind of pulling from one and bringing into the other?
Tim Atlas (32:39.915)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (32:59.56)
Exactly. Yeah. So like, you know, you saw the Juno, like that sort of makes an appearance and everything. like even like the little like tape stuff that I did sort of subtly makes its way. the way that I like produce the vocal too, like as far as like the stacks and like the harmonies, like I sort of trust in the process, like it's it's really not different.
like throughout each song. Unless I want like a single vocal like up front. I think like the philosophy like still remains the same. I know I was like messing around with like real drums versus like drum machines and like programmed drums. So like I threw a drum machine and couple up like against like the more real
like drum sample reverso. I did a similar thing where it was like some more like drum machine electronic elements against like the real drum sound that my friend Effa recorded at his studio. so yeah just like you know finding all of like the little elements and making sure that you know a couple things sort of like are borrowed from
One song to another.
think that makes sense. Yeah. But that's you know, that's that's what I did.
Brian Funk (34:32.589)
Yeah.
Yeah, that's nice. And it it does feel very cohesive and I guess those things make a big difference. I really like the drum production on the record a lot. I was almost wondering if some of the snares or maybe even the kits were going through like guitar amps or something, but I'm guessing maybe that's the spring reverb sound I'm hearing.
Tim Atlas (34:55.74)
Yeah, I use this this this plug-in. what's it called? It's the telefunken echo mixer. Do you use that one? it's interesting. So it does have like it has a spring like built into it, but it's like these like three preamps that kind of interact with each other. So I put that on a bus. and so I was like sending a lot of the drums.
Brian Funk (35:06.923)
No, I don't know it.
Tim Atlas (35:25.371)
I sent a lot of shit to the to that bus. But yeah, yeah, definitely, definitely played around with that one and then obviously like like my TAC tape machine sending it through there. I also sent some stuff through the Chroma console. and like yeah, it's a workhorse, man. It can do it can do so much.
Brian Funk (35:27.605)
Huh. Yeah.
Brian Funk (35:46.277)
I got one right there next to me. Love that thing. Really can.
Tim Atlas (35:55.6)
But yeah, like sometimes I would throw it through like the cassette texture and like send it back and then layer that in like with the more like clean stuff. so yeah, just a lot of like layering and like tinkering until I find like a little middle ground. But yeah, thanks, man. That means a lot. I like spend so much time thinking about drums. So
Brian Funk (36:00.153)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Funk (36:20.396)
Yeah, they sound cool. they've got a a good like you know, one of the things I think so important about drums is like they have to sound like they're somewhere. and and that doesn't necessarily mean like a lot of reverb either. some t I like a lot of the sound I think of those old records are pretty dead drums actually. And but
But they you know, they're they're just in a real place, so they they it has to come across and I thought there was a lot of cool stuff happening with yours. I was wondering if it was coming out of some sort of speaker or yeah, that makes sense though, going through something like that and like in the chroma console type of thing, yeah.
Tim Atlas (36:56.063)
Yeah. Yeah. A lot of those drums are like mono too. So it it is interesting, man. what else did I what else did I use?
Brian Funk (37:04.674)
Hm.
Tim Atlas (37:12.35)
I also used like the UADX like Ocean Ways studio stuff. because you know, this room is pretty dead. and then also I'm just like taking samples from online. So like I'm definitely putting a lot of stuff in a room, like to make it feel like sort of live.
Brian Funk (37:30.252)
Yeah. Right. Yeah, it comes across. It's really cool. how are you running it like through your outboard gear? Are you using like external audio device and live or are you just r write out the outputs on your interface?
Tim Atlas (37:46.362)
I have a patch bay. Yeah. So like I have my Apollo like linked up with my patch bay. And and so that's just been just been like a game changer. Another thing that like I never did before this record. So like I can run you know the synth through the Chrome console, like into whatever. And that's the kind of optionality I like though.
Brian Funk (38:13.367)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (38:15.522)
But yeah, so the patch bay has been big.
Brian Funk (38:20.854)
Yeah, I got one a few years back in same way. I'm like, everything's connected. All I gotta do is just move a couple cables and you know, you're in. And that that's how I have the Chroma console too. It's right in there. and I've got the external audio device inside Alive saved as a preset 'cause that device allows you to send the audio out and then back in all within one little device. So you drop it in like a plug-in and
Tim Atlas (38:25.965)
Yeah.
Exactly.
Tim Atlas (38:46.532)
I should be I should be doing that.
Brian Funk (38:51.508)
yeah, it's it it's a great one to that kind of stuff is so handy like workflow, right? Like it's really fast. I just drop it in like a plug in and as long as I have it patched in, I can put it on anything I want and and since there's only one Chroma console, you almost always have to print it, which is another kind of cool thing about using it, 'cause if you want to ever use it again on a track, I mean unless you're doing like a bus or something, but
Tim Atlas (38:57.709)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (39:06.219)
Amazing.
Tim Atlas (39:12.014)
Yeah.
Brian Funk (39:20.094)
I wind up printing it a lot and now I'm stuck with it. In in a good way though.
Tim Atlas (39:22.442)
Yeah. Yeah, dude. No. Absolutely. We are the same. I love that.
Brian Funk (39:30.24)
Yeah, that was cool. so in the press release, I guess it was, one of the things you were kinda dealing with as far as like lyrically and and thematically in the album was you moved back to LA. but being in the same place, but it's different. now
Tim Atlas (39:51.019)
Yeah. Yeah.
Brian Funk (39:59.18)
When I read that I was like, see, that reminds me a lot of like making a song where you come up with maybe the a lot of the idea tends to happen pretty quick. I think just because you're making the big decision, chords, melody, you know, like rhythm. Like those are like core decisions, foundational. But sometimes you come back to the song a day, a week later, and you're not the same person. You've changed. It's it's that old like
Tim Atlas (40:28.584)
Mm-hmm. wow. I haven't heard of that. That's so good though.
Brian Funk (40:28.617)
I think it's a Buddhist thing where you can't go in the same river twice 'cause the river's always changing and so are you. So
Brian Funk (40:38.325)
Yeah, so like I I've been thinking about this a lot as far as like the way songs are and how we are when we're making like that day versus when we come back to them and you know, now we're kind of at a different perspective. I've l I just wanted to sort of ask you to expand on that idea w with whether it's through the songs, the lyrics or just the move in general, how that is coming back to a place that might be like home, but it's like, you know
Bizarro world version of home.
Tim Atlas (41:09.717)
Yeah. okay, yeah, there's a few there's a few sides to this question.
Tim Atlas (41:26.47)
Yeah, coming back to LA was a little different. I used to live, you know, like not very far from here. but like new businesses were popping up. I'm a little bit older, you know, so I'm not like a lot of my friends like I have I haven't seen super often or they have like babies, you know, so it's like
Brian Funk (41:55.329)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (41:56.476)
You know, they're busy, which is like, you know, awesome. But also like, you know, I don't see them as much. So yeah, a lot of the record is is sort of around that because there was a lot of duality in sort of my relationship with LA. and just like my relationships with people who live here. so it was it was definitely like
sort of discombobulating. I guess that has nothing to do with production, but that's like the that's basically the the anchor to to this record. And it's funny that you you compared it to songs because yeah like I definitely like different things on different days and especially like years apart.
Brian Funk (42:53.303)
Mm.
Tim Atlas (42:55.302)
you know, coming back here after like, I don't know, three, four years in New York. yeah, I don't like the same things, you know? And then I don't dress the same way. So, it is interesting because like you're sort of like confronting like an old version of yourself and you're like nurturing like sort of older friendships and and when it came and when it comes to the songs and like making this record,
Brian Funk (43:07.447)
Mm-hmm.
Tim Atlas (43:26.37)
I try to do it. I tried to do it quickly. because the last record that I did, it was called Enchante. And I did it over the course of like two and a half years. And I felt like it sort of lacked the glue that this one does have. just because over the course of that time, like
Like I said, like your interests are are changing like every day, every week. and and it's hard to find like the thread at the end of the day, you know? So what was really nice about this record was I kinda locked myself in here and just like really tried to write good songs. and I'm gonna go on a tangent here, but
I was having a tough time like being in my car all the time in LA. And so I bought a Vespa. And and it it it's like, you know, one of my greatest joys, honestly. I ride it like every day now and it's and it's awesome. But like the day that I bought it, I bought it from a guy that lived like 30 miles from me. And I don't know what it is about the marketing of Vespa, but they make it seem like anybody could ride one like on day one.
Brian Funk (44:28.599)
Okay, nice.
Brian Funk (44:36.481)
Mm.
Tim Atlas (44:52.111)
And so I decided to ride it to my place. And I made it twenty twenty miles, like in a straight line, because like that was the, you know, that was the route. But then I fell and then I broke my wrist like while I was making this record. And and so I couldn't play guitar for like a long time, like two months. and so that sort of forced me to like
Brian Funk (44:52.193)
What?
Brian Funk (45:10.081)
Hmm.
Brian Funk (45:17.697)
No.
Tim Atlas (45:21.507)
you know, collaborate more, work with different people, like have other guitarists come in here. I could still play piano, but I would have to like make it like vertical. Like my hand was like stuck like this. So like I was like doing some of this stuff. but yeah like while I had that sort of philosophy. Yeah, exactly.
Brian Funk (45:35.057)
well.
Stand up piano.
Tim Atlas (45:44.707)
I had that philosophy of just like, okay, like let's get it done quick. Let's like write it quick because like this is where I'm at in my life and this is like what I wanna like project to the world. Life happens, you know, and it and it took a little bit longer. And so the longer that it took, I I think it was I had to make sort of a conscious effort to like sort of stay in that stay in that mindset. but yeah.
Yeah. I don't know. Life happens and like your influences change, but you know, I th I think I made it work with this record, so I I am happy with it.
Brian Funk (46:27.978)
Hm. I think you did too. that's kind of a wild part of the story. you know, you would totally be forgiven if you, you know, took the two months off. I can't work on this, I need to play guitar, but the fact that you still pushed on and then the different ways that took you, that kind of you know, that wouldn't it I don't want to say it's like
Tim Atlas (46:53.081)
Yeah.
Brian Funk (46:57.758)
sort of making lemon made out of lemons kind of thing where, you know, you you were in this situation and you found a way to work with it. And it's so much what I think we have to do in the creative process anyway. It's just here's a problem, solve it, figure it out. And th that's like a another level, you know, physical issue like that.
Tim Atlas (47:12.332)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (47:16.981)
Yeah, man. Definitely, definitely affected the way that this record came out. because it forced me to just like get out of my comfort zone, you know. but yeah. I sometimes I forget about that because like, you know, I can play now and like I'm I'm back on the Vespa and but yeah, it is crazy to think about.
Brian Funk (47:28.405)
Yeah.
Brian Funk (47:38.206)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Funk (47:42.197)
Yeah. You gotta get back on that Vespa. Metaphorically speaking. it's cool though, like that's a a good thing to take away lesson wise, you know, from what you've done that you know, you didn't let it stop you, you figured out a way and I I don't know, life has a way of doing things like that for us, throwing us the curve ball and then
Tim Atlas (47:45.535)
Yeah, dude. Number one.
Brian Funk (48:10.248)
our solutions become part of it, you know, part of the like the way this record came out. Yeah. Yeah, good thinking. getting some friends involved.
Tim Atlas (48:16.567)
Real. Real shit, man.
Tim Atlas (48:22.986)
Yeah, honestly. Yeah. I like I I really like nurtured friendships and and collaboration during that time. Cause I was like still able to, you know, like drive a session, but it it sort of exercised my producer brain, you know. Sometimes like I'll just play something because I know what I want, but it's nice to kind of like tell someone.
This is what I'm hearing. And then it's it's their interpretation of it, you know.
Brian Funk (48:56.586)
Yeah. Right. That's a that's a fun part of the whole collaboration process, right? Like you have your idea or th or someone has their idea and then it just takes you in a different direction too. The surprises of it.
Tim Atlas (49:10.602)
Yeah. Yeah, it's my favorite thing.
Brian Funk (49:13.224)
I've come to appreciate that a lot more after having a lot of time working alone, making stuff exactly the way you want it. You know, growing up playing in bands, you kind of dreamed of those powers and w you know, we'd always get frustrated at like maybe like whoever wouldn't play the part the way we wanted it or
Tim Atlas (49:31.051)
True.
Brian Funk (49:37.384)
whatnot, but now it's like, Okay, you know, yeah, I wouldn't do that, but let's see what I can do with it. And a lot of times I it makes me grow a lot figuring out how to work with what's being put towards me.
Tim Atlas (49:44.112)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (49:49.288)
Okay.
Tim Atlas (49:53.305)
It's very much like being in a band. And I think like I'm I'm I'm always chasing that feeling, you know, just because yeah, the current model of the the independent musician or or whatever it may be, like it's to do everything and just to be like, you know, a multi-instrumentalist or whatever. But
Brian Funk (50:13.78)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (50:19.908)
I loved like the camaraderie of being in a band and like the back and forth and like seeing a song come to life like amongst like other individuals. I feel like it's just like the most rewarding thing and it's also something like shared that you can you can all be like stoked on.
Brian Funk (50:37.483)
Yeah.
Brian Funk (50:40.97)
Right. Yeah, the getting that energy back. It's great when you're alone, you're like, Yes, this sounds awesome, but there's like knowing a high five, you know, there when you're when you're playing and sometimes especially like loud and you can't talk and you just look and like everyone's smiling and like kinda nodding their head, like unspoken, you know? Yeah.
Tim Atlas (50:47.194)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (51:00.917)
So fun, dude. So fun.
Brian Funk (51:07.712)
that feedback from other people is really valuable.
Tim Atlas (51:11.406)
Yeah. Yeah. Like the the the human interaction is is so important. Like you really do hear it, you know.
Brian Funk (51:19.602)
I mean, forever that's been how music was made, right? This whole solo guy producer thing is pretty new. I mean the only thing anywhere near that was I guess like the one man band with like the bass drum on the back and like the cymbal on the on his foot stomping around, you know. But
Tim Atlas (51:24.399)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (51:37.572)
Yeah. Yeah dude. Like that guy, that that guy had to walk so Tamapala could run, you know?
Brian Funk (51:48.018)
Yeah. There you go. That's funny. Well, you do a lot of songwriting for others as well. I mean, y congratulations, you you're won a Grammy for songwriting. I mean, that's pretty awesome.
Tim Atlas (51:51.812)
that's so good.
Tim Atlas (52:05.35)
Thanks, man. Thank you. Yeah, that's weird.
Brian Funk (52:09.909)
Yeah, it's c it's cool. th that's a that's an amazing accomplishment and I'm curious how those like kind of writing for other people maybe or even with other people is like different for you compared to by yourself.
Tim Atlas (52:27.406)
Yeah.
I when I like go into a writing session with other people, I try to like get a gauge on like what everyone does, like what their thing is, you know. because if there's like three guitarists in the room, then it's like, okay, I'm gonna pick up something else, you know? and so like that's that's like one thing that I think about like
Brian Funk (52:52.393)
Hmm. Hmm.
Tim Atlas (53:00.854)
I I I play different roles like in in different sessions, you know? So like when I'm here, it's my studio. And so like I'm sort of driving and like producing and then like writing with like the artist or like with my co-writer, like simultaneously. But sometimes when I'm going to other studios or if I'm working with another producer,
I try to I try to figure out like what my role is and like how I can add value to that session. Like why am I here, you know? so yeah, it really depends on the situation. I love doing all that stuff because it sort of informs my artist project and it like when I wear like a different hat, it sort of lets me come back to my artist stuff.
with some context and like with some like fresh ears, you know, because I was like, if I was playing in like pop world or rock world, I can come back here and like kind of do like a mixture of those things or, you know, just like yeah. So I don't know. I love doing I love doing all those things. I want to do more actually.
Brian Funk (54:24.637)
Hmm. Well that sounds like you're serving the song again. You're finding your place and stepping out of the way. If there's other guitar players, let them do their thing.
Tim Atlas (54:28.653)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (54:35.894)
I try to. I think like ego can get in the way sometimes, you know? Like sometimes you just like wanna put your stamp on a song, you know, and you're just like, okay, how can I like like contribute something? So I think lately I've been trying to fight that where it's like I will only like spew out ideas if they feel like
you know, if if I'm being like a vessel for like this artist or whatever. But yeah, I definitely am always learning and and trying to like figure out how I can be better in those situations because yeah, I do it a lot.
Brian Funk (55:24.405)
Hm. I could see how stepping out of your world, like you said, going into like a different genre. You would think maybe that would take away or make it harder to find your own stuff. But I I'd have to imagine actually the opposite is probably true. Where you get to sort of I don't know it
I'm think I'm thinking almost like acting or like Halloween costumes or something where you you kinda try on a different look and then you're like, yeah, like yeah, that's not me, but I get why I'm me, you know, over here now or I can take something maybe even from that.
Tim Atlas (55:54.157)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (56:00.65)
Right.
Tim Atlas (56:05.342)
Yeah, yeah. I think like having that context going back to to whatever it is I'm doing at the moment in for like my artist project, I think it only helps. And you know, yeah. I don't I don't really think that it ever like takes me out. I mean it does take me out and that's like that's the whole point. You know, I'm trying to like get out of this, like I'm always in this. I'm always like thinking about, you know, like the next Tim Atlas thing, but
Brian Funk (56:26.963)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (56:35.039)
It's it's it is nice to like
Try and do that for for somebody else.
Brian Funk (56:42.473)
Hm. Well, you get that perspective. I mean, I'm kinda trying to do that all the time too when watching movies or shows or listening to different music just to see what I can take from it or even just going outside and you know, being in the world, going out and you know, what what can I find that's inspiring or interesting to explore?
Tim Atlas (57:02.518)
Mm-hmm.
Tim Atlas (57:10.183)
Yeah, I think that's that's also something that like full time musicians like struggle with. I think the the dream for a lot of people is to be full time music, but when you're like always doing music, you you gotta you gotta do some different stuff. You gotta do some life stuff to inform the music, you know? Yeah.
Brian Funk (57:34.087)
Yeah. Yeah, I I don't think you necessarily have to be like the suffering. You know. This might be more from like when I grew up, like listening to like nineties grunge. It was like sort of this feeling like you have to have like a miserable life and and like find that's what you write about. I don't think it has to be that, but I do think it is important to live a little, experience things and
Tim Atlas (57:42.163)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (57:52.773)
Right, right.
Brian Funk (58:02.322)
Get out, you know. Otherwise you're just gonna start writing songs about like running your scales and your modes and
Tim Atlas (58:09.468)
Yeah. Every metaphor is just like a piece of gear. Yeah, dude. Exactly.
Brian Funk (58:15.666)
Yeah, right.
That's funny. So are you I saw some video of you guys performing. Are you doing any live shows playing out for the album at all? Or is it more just like the studio project?
Tim Atlas (58:34.492)
yeah, so we just did like school night. It was like a showcase in LA last week. And we also just announced the tour. So we're doing six shows across the US. we're gonna be in Brooklyn over at elsewhere. and that'll be after summer, so it'll it'll be in the fall. and until then, yeah, I think I am gonna be a bit of a studio rat, sort of thinking of like
Brian Funk (58:50.791)
Okay, cool.
Tim Atlas (59:03.64)
the next thing, you know, it's always the next thing, but also taking my time with it. I just bought a couple new toys that like I'm very excited about. So yeah I'm just gonna be beep booping in here all summer
Brian Funk (59:20.848)
Uhhuh. What'd you get? What are you excited about?
Tim Atlas (59:23.451)
I got the I got the Fender Tone Master Pro like modeling pedal. It's like the ant modeling and like with like all the effects and stuff. I don't know if you could actually, I wonder if I could show you. you could see it. But it has like this this like like touch screen and and you it's it's actually gigantic. but like it feels like a real like pedal.
Brian Funk (59:33.606)
okay.
Brian Funk (59:40.244)
yeah, look at that. it's huge.
Tim Atlas (59:53.474)
chain with like an amp and I don't know. I'm a very visual person and for all the live stuff like I've been using like the line six like Helix stuff and it just feels like parameters. It doesn't feel like like I'm interacting with it really. so I just got this. I'm very stoked on it because I put it into the patch bay I put it in the chroma console so now I'm running like you know
Brian Funk (59:58.953)
Hm.
Brian Funk (01:00:14.184)
Right.
Tim Atlas (01:00:22.316)
a bunch of shit through it. and then the other thing that I got was the the LM drum by Berenger. Have you seen this?
Brian Funk (01:00:24.19)
That's awesome.
Brian Funk (01:00:31.224)
cool. Yes. The like the Lindrum recreation to put it politely. Yeah.
Tim Atlas (01:00:36.29)
Yeah. Yeah, dude. Pretty much. Pretty much. I mean, like, it's a Lindrum recreation, but it also is like a sampling machine. So you can pretty much upload like samples of whatever you want. Like you can upload a whole like 909 kit to it and use like all the parameters in the same way. so yeah, I'm like you know, thinking about the next thing and
Brian Funk (01:00:47.9)
Mm.
Tim Atlas (01:01:06.911)
I feel like if I can have a few like gear staples for like the next sound, then it'll feel like another world and you know, cohesive or whatever you want to call it. But yeah. So that's what I'll be doing. Just chilling here. Fucking around in the studio.
Brian Funk (01:01:19.592)
Right.
Brian Funk (01:01:27.944)
That's cool. Yeah, I those some of those Behringer drum machines are really cool. Like there's like an OBX one too, very similar, I think, to the LM, right? It's I it they're I think they're pretty much almost look exactly the same, you know, but just the different slight differences. But I mean for the price, like that does seem pretty exciting. But that is a cool way to enter
Tim Atlas (01:01:37.912)
I haven't seen.
Tim Atlas (01:01:47.382)
Okay.
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (01:01:54.402)
Yeah.
Brian Funk (01:01:56.743)
a project too is you know, as much as we were talking about reducing options and all that, but to pick certain things and be like, I'm gonna figure these things out and while I'm doing it I'm gonna make some music with it. And I find that to be an ex an inspiring way to work. Maybe it might be just a little setup or some kind of something like that. Like you said, to create the world to that ties it all together.
Tim Atlas (01:02:11.787)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (01:02:25.656)
Yeah man. I feel like I grew up hearing that like new gear doesn't like buy you inspiration or something like that. But I think it does. I feel like new gear just like gets you excited and it makes you try new things. So yeah, man. I'm I'm trying to be good, but yeah, I I won't be buying anything else for for at least
Brian Funk (01:02:40.229)
Yeah.
Brian Funk (01:02:46.952)
Yeah, I agree.
Tim Atlas (01:02:55.328)
A little while.
Brian Funk (01:02:56.628)
I I've found like it can inspire you, but it's not gonna make you it's not gonna make your hits for you, it's not gonna make you better necessarily, but it can be something that gets you moving in different directions. So
Tim Atlas (01:03:13.459)
It will make you better. It won't make you better, that's true.
Brian Funk (01:03:17.458)
Well, I bet going on a tour like that will give you some life experiences that'll also fuel the next phase of whatever that becomes. So that's that's good you're getting out there seeing some of the world and living.
Tim Atlas (01:03:33.389)
Yeah, yeah, I love Tor. I love Tour. I love the studio more, but I also, you know, love meeting people that like have like felt something from this music. And yeah, that's another thing like Spotify and you know, like we're and algorithms. It's all just like data and numbers and it it doesn't
ever really feel real until like you meet the people that are actually listening to it. So yeah, that's gonna be really nice. but definitely bracing myself, you know, gonna hydrate and you know try and not age five years on the road.
Brian Funk (01:04:10.502)
Yes. And yeah, the body ages rapidly. Yeah. Well that's awesome. I well, I wish you a lot of luck and all that. and with the new EP as well. It's it's great. I really do enjoy it a lot. I'm I'm very happy to dive into your world of you know, music and then to talk to you and it's cool to
Tim Atlas (01:04:15.194)
my god, tell me about it, dude.
Brian Funk (01:04:37.946)
See a lot of similarities in the stuff I like to do and the way I like to work too and what you're doing. It makes me like what you're doing more. And I think in our world of wherever this technological world is heading, the the artist behind the work is sometimes just as interesting as the work. And it makes they all both kind of come together. And I'm I'm finding that a lot with what you're doing, man. Really digging it.
Tim Atlas (01:05:02.449)
Thank you so much, man. Nah, that means the world, thank you.
Brian Funk (01:05:06.97)
So is there a particular place you wanna tell people to check out your work? I got a few links, a few socials and any favorites, just Spotify, Apple Music or
Tim Atlas (01:05:14.055)
Mm.
Tim Atlas (01:05:18.002)
Yeah.
Tim Atlas (01:05:22.279)
yeah, just go ahead and Google Tim Atlas and you know, choose from the litter. I'm I'm all over the the internet, so yeah, you'll find it. no preference personally, but yeah.
Brian Funk (01:05:28.244)
Yeah.
Brian Funk (01:05:37.712)
Okay, cool. I well I'll put a bunch of them in the show notes for the episode so people can make it easy for them. Yeah. Well thank you very much and and thank you for everyone for listening. Have a good one.
Tim Atlas (01:05:42.479)
Sweet. Thank you, man. I appreciate it.
Tim Atlas (01:05:51.955)
Cheers, man. Thanks.