Meet Jason Walsh | Music Producer & Composer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jason Walsh and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jason, why did you pursue a creative career?
Honestly, nothing else made sense to me growing up. I was so engaged in music and art my whole life that I always assumed I would be making music as my career. As soon as I understood the concept of a job, I would always tell my parents there was no way I could work a ‘normal’ desk job. I grew up participating in music in every way it called to me. By middle school, all my friends were kids who focused on music, starting bands, and going to local shows. I knew that making music with others was where I belonged, and this was the type of work I was passionate about. I started turning my parents’ basement into a practice space and little home studio at 12 to start working with friends, and I never looked back.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My career has been a series of deep dives into different roles related to music. I was never afraid of saying yes to jobs I didn’t fully know how to do but was confident I could figure out. I spent several years producing and recording bands, making the most of whatever tools I had available. I think a lot of the inventiveness and problem-solving required during those years led me to become the one-stop shop I am today. A decade into producing, songwriting, mixing, and mastering for other artists, I had the opportunity to jump into sound design and music for games.

Turns out, a lot of companies value that kind of diverse skill set, and I found myself at the intersection of tech, audio, and entertainment. After another decade working at an audio startup and a rare opportunity to write music in house at Riot Games, I’m back to producing and composing on my own terms.

I never thought it would be easy. I just knew that making music wasn’t optional for me. Persistence, patience, and showing by doing have been the cornerstones of how I got to where I am today.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
LA has everything you could want. If gourmet food is your thing, you can’t go wrong with any spot in the Arts District. Girl & the Goat and Bavel are fantastic, and Everson Royce has a killer burger and great drinks. For something more low key, the San Gabriel Valley is full of hidden food gems – if you know, you know.

6AM throws some amazing warehouse shows and raves that do LA nightlife justice.

Recover from sleep deprivation with a cold brew and people watching at Jones Coffee on Mission Street in South Pasadena. From there, hop on the 134 to Burbank and head to Perfect Circuit, a synthesizer haven where you can spend a couple hours playing around with bespoke gear and leave with a new purchase for the studio.

In winter, doing a day trip or weekend snowboarding in Big Bear is a must.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Thank you to my parents who have unconditionally supported me in my pursuit of music for as long as I can remember. They pushed me through music when it was tough, helping teenage me lug drums and gear to venues, rolling newspapers with me for my paper route to pay for gear, tolerating hours of loud practicing and recording sessions that went until 4 a.m., and attending all my concerts and shows. You both really are the best. Rest in peace, Mom.

To Monica Philpott, Dan Gerber, Cody Matthew Johnson, Brendon Williams, and Noah Gladstone. You have helped me navigate monumental moments of growth in my career over the last few years.

To my friends and composers at Riot Games: Sebastien Najand, Alex Temple, Kole Hicks, Bill Hemstapat, J.D Spears, Rich Thomson, Mike Pitman, and the whole Riot Games music team.

And my friends across the industry: Alex Seaver, Roman Richard, Eugene Kang, Alison Ho, Nolan Markey, Adam Michalak, Jack Choi, Oscar Coen Yamada, Jesse Zuretti, Travis Fodor, Nick Tomassetti, Max Harchik, Alex Barnhart, Max Davidoff-Grey, Karel Psota, Zack Djurich, Casey Kolb, and so many more.

Website: https://www.jason-walsh.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonnicholaswalsh/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonnicholaswalsh/

Twitter: https://x.com/jwalsh_music

Other: https://linktr.ee/Jasonwalshmusic

Image Credits
Jimmy Sudekum