Blog

Thoughts on music, life on the road, new releases, and everything in between.

JP Storm performing live

What Playing Acoustic Shows Has Taught Me

Every room is different. Every audience brings their own energy, their own stories, their own reasons for being there. After years of acoustic performances in venues big and small, here's what I've learned about connecting with people through music…

June 3, 2026  ·  5 min read

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JP Storm live show
Shows June 3, 2026  ·  5 min read

What Playing Acoustic Shows Has Taught Me

Every room is different. Every audience brings their own energy. Here's what years of performing have taught me about presence, connection, and craft.

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JP Storm in the studio
Studio May 18, 2026  ·  4 min read

New Single: Behind the Recording

A look into the creative process behind my latest release — the story, the recording sessions, and what inspired the lyrics from first draft to final cut.

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JP Storm wedding performance
Shows April 30, 2026  ·  3 min read

Playing a Wedding for the First Time

A friend asked if I'd play at their wedding. I said yes without knowing what I was getting into. Here's the story of how that gig changed my approach to private events.

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JP Storm acoustic guitar
Music March 12, 2026  ·  6 min read

How I Write Songs: My Process Start to Finish

People often ask where my songs come from. The honest answer is: everywhere. A feeling, a conversation, a line that wouldn't leave my head at 2am. Here's how a song actually gets made.

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JP Storm home studio recording
Studio September 9, 2026  ·  6 min read

Why Your Mix Sounds Muddy (And How to Fix It)

The most common problem people send me. Muddiness almost always comes from one place - buildup in the low mids. Here is how to find it, what to cut, and why adding more plugins makes it worse.

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Drum mixing at Darkstorm Studios
Studio September 9, 2026  ·  6 min read

Why Your Programmed Drums Sound Fake (And How to Fix Them)

Not the samples. Programmed kits sound fake because every channel is perfectly isolated - no shared room, no bleed. Here is how ambience, bus compression and velocity put them back together.

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Vocal mixing at Darkstorm Studios
Studio September 9, 2026  ·  6 min read

How to Make Vocals Sit in a Mix

If the vocal disappears the second the band comes in, volume is not the answer. Carving space with EQ, sidechain ducking, and the ducked-reverb trick that keeps big vocals clear.

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Acoustic guitar recording
Studio September 9, 2026  ·  5 min read

How to Mix Acoustic Guitar (Boom, Quack and Everything Else)

Acoustic arrives with the same two problems every time - boom around 200 Hz and a piezo quack in the mids. Both are fixable in about three minutes.

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Compressor settings
Studio September 9, 2026  ·  7 min read

What Compressor Settings Should I Use?

Attack, release and ratio in plain English - plus a table of starting settings for vocals, guitars, bass and drums.

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Mastering loudness
Studio September 9, 2026  ·  6 min read

How Loud Should Your Master Be? (LUFS Explained)

Streaming turns your loudness back down anyway. The 2026 LUFS targets, why -1.0 dBTP matters, and why crushing costs you punch for nothing.

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Reverb and delay
Studio September 9, 2026  ·  6 min read

Reverb and Delay Settings That Actually Work

Sends not inserts, EQ your reverb, and the ducking trick that lets you use a huge reverb while every word stays clear.

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Bass mixing
Studio September 9, 2026  ·  6 min read

Why Your Bass Disappears on Small Speakers

Bass and kick fighting, stereo widening killing your low end, and why a phone cannot reproduce 80 Hz. All three fixed.

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