Milkshake Godfather – Interview – A Hot Minute
Written by Staff on April 13, 2024
Milkshake Godfather – Interview – A Hot Minute – by Liam Sweeny.
We connect with Brendan Thompkins, a.k.a Milkshake Godfather, to talk shop. This is what he had to say.
RRX: It’s a joke that no one knows what a music producer does, but in reality, it’s a lot. Technically, a kid rapping to his own beats and recording it is a producer, but let’s talk about the bigger role. What do you do as a producer? What’s your favorite thing to do?
BT: As a producer my main goal is to listen to the artist and help them accomplish their vision. I specifically make or contribute to the instrumental or beat the artist sings or raps on (sometimes referred to as a “beat producer”).
My favorite thing to do when making beats is collecting sounds and samples. This could be a cool piano loop, a virtual bass instrument I’ll end up playing manually, or some sounds I recorded on my field recorder (like the NYC subway or a crowded coffee shop in Troy). I love making beats/instrumentals especially when an artist connects with it and ends up creating a song.
RRX: Latching off the previous question, today is the advent of the DIY age, and audio creation software is abundant. AI is going to make that even more of a thing. Tell that DIY band what you can offer them that software can’t. Please give an example.
BT: I’m going to bring my experience, creativity, taste, and feel to the table. Music is about making people feel something. I think that AI can be used as tool or starting point…I don’t think AI can create a song that will connect emotionally with someone.
RRX: Being a producer, you’ve produced. You’ve played a pivotal role in a great piece of music seeing the light of day. Can you tell us about someone you produced that you’d say is one of your “stars,” whether or not they’re performing under the bright lights?
BT: I hope it’s OK I mention two artists here.
1 – TOP BEAMIN.
I’ve been lucky to work with TOP BEAMIN on several projects. We have two projects on TOP’s Bandcamp page (PIED Á TERRE and BARGAIN WARS) and an album where I produced a majority of the beats out on streaming services – The Next Equation.
TOP is a phenomenal rapper and lyricist. Sometimes he’ll have an idea and write an amazing song in a matter of minutes. He’s put out A TON of music. I highly recommend listeners check out all of his albums. TOP is really fun to work with. He’s always looking to try new sounds, push boundaries, make the music better.
2 – MKNA
MKNA’s first official release “Bullet” is out 2/14. We have a bunch of other songs to follow. MKNA has an amazing vision for her music. When working with her I am creating music for lyrics she has already written so it’s an interesting process. She is very hands on, and we work through several versions of songs before landing on the final one. She is one hell of a singer.
TOP BEAMIN and MKNA have both challenged me as a producer which makes me better. That’s something I love about working with them.
RRX: Producers have to do a lot, work with a lot of different people to get all the ducks in a row by the time the artist gets into the studio. Take us through a busy day at the job. If you can encapsulate the role in one story, what is it?
BT: In the DIY age, a busy day can look different depending on the artist. I also don’t always work in studios. I make all the music from home and usually only go to a studio for recording vocals and mixing (sometimes not at all).
If I can encapsulate the role in one story it’s this – today I am answering these questions, I have a beat session this afternoon (creating a custom instrumental for an artist). Tonight, I’m listening to guitar solo options a musician recorded on one of my instrumentals. I am helping an artist release a track on streaming services. Then I may take 30 minutes to make a quick beat from scratch. I try to make music each day.
RRX: So obviously, you work with artists. So let’s say we have two types. One is a talented genius type, but hard to work with. One is passable, but easy to work with. If you know the money is on the outcome, which one do you go for?
BT: The talented genius type. My goal is to make music that people fall in love with and become obsessed with. I don’t think that is easy to do and I don’t mind a challenge. I’d rather work with someone who has incredible ideas. They’ll probably be “perceived” as hard to work with because they have a specific vision they are trying to achieve.
Seeing as how producers bring lots of people together, networking seems like it would be one of the more important aspects of producing music. And for some people, networking is tough. Can you give any tips on how to connect with people in music?
Just reach out. It’s so easy to connect over the internet and social media these days. I guarantee if you reach out to 10 artists, one of them will be up to make a song. Go to shows or events. There is always cool stuff happening around the Capital District. It’s helpful to meet someone in person and introduce yourself.
Thank you.
Milkshake Godfather (Brendan Tompkins)
Music producer and drummer based out of Troy, NY
milkshakegodfather.com
(518) 496-9098
@milkshakegodfather
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