Brian Rajaratnam: Engineering Great Vocals

Brian Rajaratnam is an American audio engineer best known for his Grammy-winning work on Flowers by Miley Cyrus. He won a Grammy Award at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards for his contributions to the global hit, collaborating alongside Kid Harpoon, Tyler Johnson, Michael Pollack, Spike Stent, and Joe LaPorta. The song became one of the most commercially successful releases of 2023, surpassing one billion streams on Spotify and earning six Grammy nominations. Rajaratnam received two nominations connected to the project and was ultimately recognized in the Best Engineer/Mixer category for his role in shaping the record’s polished, radio-dominant sound.

Born and raised in New Jersey to Sri Lankan parents who immigrated to the United States, Rajaratnam initially pursued a pre-med track in New York with aspirations of becoming a doctor, following a traditional path often encouraged within South Asian families. However, midway through his studies, he made the pivotal decision to leave medicine behind and commit fully to music—a passion rooted in childhood visits to Sri Lanka, where he first learned piano at his aunt’s home before expanding to multiple instruments. Determined to build a career in the music industry, he enrolled at Berklee College of Music, earning a degree in audio engineering in 2017. After graduation, he worked his way up through studio roles, eventually becoming an assistant to Kid Harpoon and contributing to major projects, culminating in his breakthrough success as an award-winning engineer on “Flowers.”

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

1. Why “nothing really matters” when tracking
2. Transitioning from pre-med studies to audio engineering
3. Being open to diverse projects
4. Building confidence in your skills
5. Having flexibility with your workflow
6. Anticipating the next move
7. Working on Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers”
8. Making revisions to your songs
9. Compartmentalizing the stages of your workflow
10. What great vocal engineering consists of
11. Setting up your sessions for speed
12. Recording Kings Of Leon
13. Getting solid bass tones
14. Tracking with compression

To learn more about Brian Rajaratnam, visit: https://www.soundbetter.com/profiles/278196-brian-rajaratnam

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