Interview with Guitarist, Singer, Songwriter, Session Musician, Kurt Borst
Kurt Borst is a top NYC based guitarist, singer, songwriter, session musician, and producer. He has a wealth of studio and live experience, and has built a career for himself performing at private events, doing production / session work, and more recently breaking into publishing by placing a track with top Canadian pop artist Mia Martina. Kurt has a lot to offer, and here on AirGigs he has been getting some great reviews, so we were happy to sit down with him for an interview.
You can find his services here:
http://www.airgigs.com/user/KurtBorst1
You have a broad range of talent, from songwriting, to production to lead guitar and vocals… How did these roles evolve for you over the course of your career?
I got my first guitar when I was 10 for christmas and haven’t been able to put it down since! I taught myself to play over the years and my love for writing music led me into wanting to develop my voice. In college I took some classes on music production and soon I knew that it would be the key to putting all of my knowledge together to create entire pieces. I started my career making most of my money off of live performance for events, restaurants, and weddings which I still do from time to time but I was lucky enough that my production business took off with TV and artist placements.
Who are some of the musicians and artists that most inspire you?
I love love love the music of Sublime and I feel that Bradley Nowell’s vocals and lyrics really had an impact on my singing. I still bring a lot of reggae and rock influence to the music that I write for my band Midnight High. As far as guitar, Dime Bag Darrell of Pantera was always my favorite since he combined the style of blues guitar with the technicality of metal. For production, I have become obsessed with Dr. Luke and his hit machine! That guy knows what it takes to put together a great song and his instrumental melodies often dictate the melody for the whole piece.
How would you describe your vocal style / approach in the studio?
I like to think that I am a bit of a vocal and guitar chameleon. I’m great at listening to peoples instructions and turning it into exactly what they’re looking for; I also make it a point for people to give me reference tracks to work off of. Pick your style and sound and I’ll match it!
Tell us a bit about what’s included in your music production gig here on AirGigs i.e. would someone with just a rough acoustic guitar / vocal track be able to book that service? And if so, what would they be getting?
Just like my vocals and guitar work, I feel like I can give people what they’re looking for in every genre based on their instructions and references in my productions. If you give me a recording of the chords, structure, and any instrumental melodies you may have along with a reference track of two of sounds and styles you like, I can turn it into exactly a client is looking for. I’m easy to work with and take pride in all of my work! So, if all you have is a guitar or a vocal track, I can definitely help out with some further instructions from a client. When it’s all finished, I supply a WAV. and Mp3 file of a fully fledged radio quality track.
Take us into your studio and gear.
I work off of Logic X and keep my studio plug-ins up to date as much as I can. I’ve got it all, from the sounds you hear on the Top 40 to the most dynamic and realistic strings and piano you can imagine. I also work with customized pro quality microphones and guitar amplifiers. Just take a listen to my demos, they speak for themselves!
You’ve had a ton of live experience, can you share some of the most important lessons you’ve learned along the way?
When it comes to making a song, you have to think about it like a mirage. Everything needs to be thought out properly or the mirage will fall for the listener. Keep your themes consistent throughout your track, instruments, melodies, and lyrics.
Care to share any exciting recent or upcoming projects?
I have a song coming out in September with a Platinum artist from Canada, Mia Martina. That’s the next thing to hit the public, so let’s hope it’s a success!