Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Thomas Swanson of Downtown

Thomas Swanson shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Thomas, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What do you think is misunderstood about your business? 
I would say the most common misconception is that I’m willing to work with anyone and everyone, my time is valuable and I try my hardest to only work with people who have good character and help me solidify my legacy. In the music business, you will encounter a lot of people who are not taking their craft as serious as you take yours and I try to avoid that.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Thomas Swanson, I am a music engineer, and producer. I specialize in helping recording artists make finished record. When it comes to making an actual song that translates to all speakers, and simply “sounds good” one must have a diverse set of skills, and I take pride in the experience I have at making that happen. Most all of my work takes place in my private studio where I have to collaborate professionally with a variety of artists.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
Certainly my mother, she always supported me.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Absolutely not. I never had a backup plan or a doubt with what I wanted to do, and sadly most people who do wont survive in the music business.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
Great question, there are many.

I would say one that stands out to me is that you have to be in a “major city” in order to be successful. I believe that people with this mindset are often blaming their surroundings for their lack of success as opposed to taking accountability and making things work given their situation.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
100% doing what I was born to do. I struggled for a number of years to have a foundation in music, and finding my own identity, but I never saw myself doing anything else other than producing music.

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