Meet Michael Pepe: Record Producer

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

Hi Michael, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
This is an interesting question and I don’t think it’s asked enough when talking to and about entrepreneurs. I’m a firm believer in going with your gut. I know that’s a loaded statement because learning to trust your gut is a journey all on it’s own. However I think once you can start down that path and be able to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to yourself is when a lot of the real work as an entrepreneur starts. So going with that theme when I decided over a decade ago that I was going to go into business all on my own my thought process mainly revolved around trusting myself and that instinct I had that was telling me to do this on my own and to make and produce records for a living all on my own.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I produce records and mainly for rock bands. That’s the main genre I work in, Rock/Pop. I like to think my general taste and the overarching sound I aim for with all the bands I produce does set me apart in the end. As a producer I think that’s always the goal…to give each band their personality and characteristics and doing it in a way that honors both the band and my vision for what the band can become after the record is done. There was absolutely nothing easy about being a record producer for a living. It’s a blast, there’s no doubt about that but the road to doing this full time is long and at times very hard. the music industry in general is a very competitive and tough space to live in. it takes complete dedication, a lot of long hours and the never dying passion to create music and learn. As I said, it’s nothing short of a great time but don’t let it fool you, it’s a mountain of hardwork. I’ve mostly leaned that you need to nurture your career like a living breathing entity and care for it, give it space at times, pay a lot of attention to it, etc. It does generally have to be at the top of your list at all times. If you’re not nurturing it, it will fail.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh wow haha this is a fun question. I think LA is such a fun and eclectic melting pot that it’s quite easy to spend a week showing people around here; and I have before! Obviously this answer will correspond to when this pandemic is over and the city is fully functional again! I would absolutely take them to Malibu for a day and go to the Canyon Country Kitchen and Grom to eat and for some dessert. Hiking up there to Point Dume is really something. I would take them to Santa Monica and the Third Street Promenade there, eat and drink at UOVO. I think a quick tour around Hollywood is vital just to see it, maybe drinks at Three Clubs. It’s a quintessential sort of LA dive bar. I would definitely take them to a show at The Troubadour. it’s one of my favorite venues in town and eat at Dan Tana’s. I feel like I could write a novel on this to be honest haha. LA is such an amazing city with so much to see, explore and do. So many nooks and crannies to have fun in. Best thing to do is go to each respective neighborhood and bounce around for a day in the area. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There’s a lot of people I could name here. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to learn and be mentored from some incredible people. So, I’d like to in general dedicate it to them. They believed in me and saw something in me when I might not have even seen it in myself. They worked me hard and taught me what it meant to be in the music industry.

Website: www.mikepepemusic.com

Instagram: @mikepepemusic

Twitter: @mikepepemusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6-DXJmxADzanKAXKIMxO2Q