When I first listened to As Long As, I was sitting in the band’s living room in Fishtown, Philadelphia. “We have a new song,” Dan said as he fired up his sound system and queued the track. “Still needs to be mastered, but you’ll get the idea,” he added. I had never heard anything like it—the tones were so rich and deep, every layer was crisp and present, yet masterfully weaved into the ultimate mix. It was as though I was standing in the recording studio, my head against the kick drum, my eyes on the bass strings, Maria singing directly into my ears. “Have you planned a music video?” I asked.

I was interviewed by Suite Spot—a creative production company I’ve been working with since 2016—about what I believe contributes most to the production value of any given project. I said, “Production value begins with the way you treat people on set.” I would revise that to include the way you treat people in the office during pre-production and in the edit suite during post. At the end of the day, it’s the ambitious drive we get from positive reinforcement that improves the quality of our work.