Stu Watts chats with Fletcher Matthews, who is based in Sydney, Australia. His journey through the industry has seen him amass an array of achievements — from charting successes, to commercial and sporting syncs, to critical acclaim. With over 60 million streams across songs he’s produced and written, Fletcher's musical prowess shines brightly, elevating artist projects to new heights. Whether it's crafting anthemic tracks or weaving intricate sonic tapestries, his fingerprints can be found on a myriad of successful singles and albums for Australian artists.​

Among his notable achievements, Fletcher's collaboration with STUMPS on the single 'Mt. Pleasant' soundtracked Australia’s exclusive broadcast of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics opening ceremony. It went on to theme the channel’s coverage of the Paralympics for the event’s remaining weeks. Additionally, his work on The Buoys track 'I Want You' served as the electrifying anthem for Fox Sports' largest NRLW season campaign to date.​From triple j's Hottest 100 countdowns to the ARIA album charts, Fletcher's contributions have consistently resonated with audiences and critics alike. Whether it's co-writing Adam Newling's early success ‘Singing Blackbird’, or producing Trophy Eyes’ fourth studio album ‘Suicide & Sunshine’, which peaked at #8 in ARIA’s official album charts, Fletcher has an incredible ability to capture the essence of an artist's vision whilst keeping an audience in mind.​In a field where accolades are often reserved for industry veterans, Fletcher Matthews stands as a beacon of fresh talent, ready to carve out his own path in the ever-evolving landscape of songwriting and music production.​.

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Fletcher Matthews Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Fletcher's work on Spotify⁠⁠

Enquiries and suggestions: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.whatsthatsound@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Stu Watts chats with Jack Prest, who is a leading audio engineer and producer in Australia’s independent and alternative music scene, specialising in forward-thinking electronic, jazz, and experimental music. His credits include prominent Australian and international artists such as Sampa The Great, Godtet, Jonti, Tasman Keith, Omar Musa, Urthboy, Kelly Lee Owens, and labels like Stones Throw, Kitsune, and Future Classic. Jack’s approach is rooted in collaboration, ensuring the finished product reflects the artist’s unique vision.Jack cut his teeth as an in-house engineer at Studios 301, Australia’s oldest and most prestigious studio, where he’s worked with global icons like Skrillex, Flume, Brockhampton, ASAP Rocky, Billy Joel, and Bruce Springsteen. Jack operates out of Golden Retriever in Marrickville, Sydney.

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Jack Prest⁠

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Jack Prest website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Jack's work on Spotify⁠

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Stu Watts chats with Mickey Nox (aka Stephan Nardella) who burst on to the Melbourne club scene in 2007 and soon had a reputation for playing the harder styles of dance music. This soon led to starting his own productions as a producer, and eventually full DJ sets of only original music in a time where if you wanted to hear the music, you’d simply have to go and watch him play. By doing this Mickey Nox amassed quite the following. This continued with years of DJ'ing several weekly residencies, headlining around Australia and then touring Europe & Asia multiple times.2019 was the start of his studio career as an engineer. 6 Years later his studio is growing from strength to strength and Mickey is mixing and mastering for many artist and labels around the globe.A real music lover, husband, father and hopeless guitarist. Mickey Nox is just getting started in his studio career.

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Mickey Nox

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Mickey Nox website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Mickey's work on Spotify

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Stu Watts chats with Josh Simons, who is the CEO of Australia’s only ASX-listed music company, Vinyl Group (ASX:VNL), and Founder of Vampr. Described as a visionary entrepreneur, Simons has raised $35M historically for his technology startups from various sources including venture capital, institutional, HNW, family office and angel groups. These ventures have seen him reside in Los Angeles, London, Sydney and Melbourne.Formerly known as Jaxsta, Vinyl Group launched in 2023 as a parent company encompassing its foundational brands—Jaxsta, Vampr, and Vinyl.com. Under his leadership, the company has acquired The Brag Media—publisher of Rolling Stone Australia and Variety Australia—as well as Mediaweek and Concrete Playground, combining them to form Vinyl Media, now one of the most influential youth publishing and cultural networks in the southern hemisphere. He has also led the acquisitions of Funkified Entertainment and Serenade.Simons is also the co-founder of Vampr, the world’s largest social-professional network for musicians and creatives, often dubbed the “LinkedIn for creatives.”Before transitioning to tech, Simons ran a record label, publishing arm, and film production company, and was the lead singer of indie rock band Buchanan. As a songwriter and producer, he has shared credits with Travis Scott, Troye Sivan, and Kanye West, and as a performer, has toured with Coldplay, Keith Urban, and Carrie Underwood.In recognition of his contributions to music and innovation, Simons was named to The Music Network’s 30 Under 30 in 2020, winning Reader’s Choice, and in 2024, received Young Entrepreneur of the Year honours from Business News Australia.

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Josh Simons

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Josh Simons website

Vinyl Group website

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Josh's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Stu Watts chats with Tim Maxwell, who is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist, producer and mix engineer based in Melbourne, Australia. He first made his mark as the producer and frontman of the band Loser. Their debut album, Mindless Joy, was nominated for an Australian Music Prize in 2020, marking the start of Tim’s career as a producer. The follow-up album, All The Rage, achieved over 1 million Spotify streams, with two singles added to national radio rotation. The album was also nominated for Best Punk Release at the 2022 AIR Awards.In January 2021, Tim founded Restless Noise, his own studio and business. Through Restless Noise, he has worked with a diverse range of local and emerging artists, helping them shape their sound and reach their creative potential. Driven by a desire to collaborate with larger artists, Tim expanded his experience by working with Wrangler Studios, where he continues to refine his skills and position himself for high-profile projects.Tim’s growing reputation as a producer has led to opportunities with interstate bands, including Towns, Fangz, and Molly Rocket. Whether working in his own studio or collaborating with other artists, Tim remains committed to pushing creative boundaries and elevating the Australian music scene.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro/About Tim Maxwell02:21 What has changed over the past 3 years03:47 Working with interstate bands06:25 Rebranding and rebuilding Wrangler Studios07:30 Does the gear really matter?12:22 Make things sound good in the room13:21 Turning point moments16:12 Workflow improvements21:31 Don't compare yourself to others25:52 Does the mix translate everywhere?32:12 Inspiration/new habits34:42 What have you learnt about the music industry?38:23 Focus on enjoyment39:39 Advice to yourself from 3 years ago42:00 What continues to excite you?46:38 What Tim is focusing on in the near future47:34 Best bits of advice for producers/engineers and artists48:36 Conclusion/Outro

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⁠⁠Tim Maxwell

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Tim's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Stu's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Enquiries and suggestions: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.whatsthatsound@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Stu Watts chats with Louis Montgomery, who is a Melbourne based music producer, mix engineer, recording engineer, composer, and musician; working mostly between Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney.

Louis graduated from the ANU with a Bachelor of Music - First Class Honours. In this, Louis specialised in Creative Recording and was awarded the prestigious Bernard Neumann Memorial Prize, The Peter and Lena Karmel Anniversary Award, and The Friends of the School of Music Transition Award. During his studies, he also partook in a number of recording studio internships around Australia, including: Studios 301, Sydney; Sing Sing Studios, Melbourne; Infidel Studios, Canberra; work experience with ABC Classic FM, and assisted Magoo (Dr Lachlan Goold), Brisbane.

Over his career his work has amassed 160+ million streams. His work with Callum Henshaw resulted in an Album of the Week on Classic FM; his work with SAFIA resulted in an Album of the Week on Triple J, 5 songs in the Hottest 100, and in 2016 saw the band nominated for an ARIA Award. He has been awarded multiple Gold and Platinum singles, as well as a Gold Certified album. He has worked at Abbey Road Studios, London; Studios 301, Sydney; Sing Sing Studios, Melbourne; Golden Retriever, Sydney; Rolling on the River, Tasmania; and Supersize Recording Studio, Budapest. In 2018 he was part of a team that won Best Sound for Interactive Media at the Australian Screen Sound Guild Awards. In 2022 Louis was nominated for Industry Legend of the Year at the Music ACT Music Awards, in 2024 he produced the Music ACT Music Awards Release of the Year (Flik - Stormchaser), in 2025 he was nominated for MPEG Breakthrough Producer of the Year.

Chapters:00:00 Intro02:11 About Louis Montgomery02:32 Early experiences with music08:25 Discussing the education system10:36 Early experiences of sound engineering14:20 Interning and assisting22:39 The importance of extensive demoing25:52 How to navigate when things aren't going right29:22 What is a "great mix"?32:57 A discussion about mix notes37:14 There's no answer for how to create the "perfect" piece of art39:02 What Louis has learnt about business over the years42:45 Networking and relationships45:15 Recording live and to tape52:10 What's coming up for Louis55:01 Best bits of advice for producers/engineers and artists56:41 Conclusion/Outro

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Stu Watts

Louis Montgomery

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Louis' work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to Stu's work on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Enquiries and suggestions: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.whatsthatsound@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠