David Mills begins every production with a deceptively simple question: What’s the goal?

That question shapes everything that follows. Does the artist want an honest recording of the song exactly as they wrote it, or are they trying to create something that can compete on radio? How much input do they want? Are they willing to change a melody, rewrite a lyric or remove a part that isn’t serving the song?

David developed that perspective through years of playing live, touring and working as a session musician. The Lake Elsinore guitarist formed his first band at 11 or 12 and stayed with it for roughly 14 years. After learning pedal steel, he went from one long-term band to becoming an in-demand hired gun, eventually touring Southern California and Canada with Daring Greatly.

His session work includes pedal steel on Jelly Roll’s “She.” The part that made the record was only three notes - an example of one of the most important lessons David has learned: great musicianship isn’t about filling every available space. It’s about hearing what the song needs and having the restraint to stop there.

Today, David brings that same ear to Mills Production Studios, where he works as a producer, recording engineer and musician. We talk about the difference between producing and simply recording a band, building enough trust to challenge an artist, finding the right pocket, playing for listeners instead of other musicians and why the ultimate test is whether people can feel the music.

In This Episode

• How David started playing guitar and formed his first band in Lake Elsinore
• Why learning pedal steel transformed his career
• How a local recording session led to playing on Jelly Roll’s “She”
• Touring Southern California and Canada with Daring Greatly
• The difference between a recording engineer and a producer
• Why David begins every project by asking, “What’s the goal?”
• How producers earn enough trust to challenge an artist’s song
• The difference between being a great live musician and a great session player
• Why playing less can make a recording more powerful
• How Kings of Karma’s “Again and Again” found its missing hook
• Why feel, pocket and restraint matter more than technical complexity
• What David listens for when studying other producers and recordings

Connect With David Mills

Mills Production Studios: https://millsrecords.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_david.mills_/

Image Credit: https://www.facebook.com/KennethRaySeals/

Sponsor

Thanks to Tsunami Cables for sponsoring The SoCal Setlist. Built by musicians here in Southern California, Tsunami Cables deliver clean signal transfer, low noise and reliable tone, and every cable is backed by a lifetime warranty.

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