Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Villanueva.
Hi Brandon, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My career as an audio engineer and producer started pretty early in my life. I started playing guitar in bands when I was around 12, and when I started high school, I got into making beats.
During my junior year, I moved out early, and that’s really where I started my hustle. I began recording artists out of my apartment and learning everything I could on my own. After I graduated, I took an audio course for a year, and around that same time, I landed an internship at my first studio, Celebrity Sound Studios.
I became obsessed with the environment. I was learning through trial and error and taking on pretty much any session I could. I wanted to be in the studio as much as possible and learn from every producer and engineer that came through the door.
While I was there, I also started working in live sound at a church, so my days were split — running sound for worship during the day and producing mostly rap music at night. That’s where my versatility comes from.
Eventually, the studio I was interning at got bought out by a label. They allowed me to stay on, and that’s when things started getting serious. The label partnered with Sony and Manzana Records, which gave me my first taste at working with bigger artists and being in those types of rooms.
Not long after that, I started working with Chase B, who really put me in the game and got me working with some of my favorite artists, including everyone on Cactus Jack.
Fast forward to today, I’m working with Cactus Jack Records and Stompdown Records, while still hustling sessions at some of the best studios in Houston. Looking back, it’s crazy to see how everything started from recording artists out of my apartment and just saying yes to every opportunity I could.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Anything great never comes easy. I didn’t have the easiest upbringing but I never used that has an excuse to fail. Having to support myself at a young age while trying to pursue a creative career was a big risk but thats why I still work so hard today.
Also, the music industry itself can be unpredictable. You can put a lot of time and energy into a project and the artist might never release it, or you can work with a label and realize they don’t always do business the way you expected. I learned pretty early that you can’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m an audio engineer and producer. I mainly work on rap in Houston, but I’ve engineered and produced basically every genre.
So far, I’m proud of the production deal I signed last year. It’s still early in my career, so I’m working toward getting a publishing deal with a major label. I’m also proud of my credits and the relationships I’ve made with some of my favorite artists.
What sets me apart is my work ethic.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I owe credit to my mentors for showing me the ropes and inspiring me to go harder : Mixbybrandon, Steve-O, Chase, Bruce Bang. I also appreciate my grandparents for helping raise me and supporting my music interests.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: prodnimrod
