Q & A WITH JP HUFF IV
Part of my Iowa Nice Q & A series, focusing on Iowans who have made their career touring in the live production industry.
JP Huff IV has that Mid-Western work ethic.
JP started mixing audio in high school but began working as an industry professional in 2014. Although now focused on FOH audio gigs, he’s earned his keep working as a TM, PM, and monitor engineer, including one scenario where he did it all AND drove the van & sold merch!
Originally from Iowa and now based in Nashville, TN, he has put together quite a resume. His current gig is FOH for Pierce the Veil, but since the pandemic, he’s worked with a solid group of artists, including Mat Kearney, PVRIS, Chelsea Cutler, QUINN XCII, Blame My Youth, and The Aces. Pre-pandemic, he also worked with Jake Miller, Masego, Twin XL, Travie McCoy, plus a good amount of house audio and local sound company work.
Follow JP at:
@jphuffiv
@_doubleohfour
Favorite concert or live show you’ve attended as a fan (not for work)?
I've seen a lot of really cool shows but most of them have been because of work. Every time I see The 1975, no matter if it was Jay Rigby mixing them or Lee McMahon mixing them, it's always an inspiring experience. Same with Kenny Kaiser mixing The Killers.
Is there anything you try to do every off day?
Relax and take time for myself, or eat at my favorite bars/restaurants around the world. I've really taken a liking and paid attention to that aspect of touring the last 5 years. Last thing I want is to sit on the bus all day staring at a TV that doesn't work, or in a hotel room that looks exactly the same as the last one.
One to three must have work-related tool(s)? (Computer, gear, tool, phone app,
etc.)?
SMAART rig calibrated to SPL and running RTA/system alignment tools
Mics package you know intimately
A damn good attitude
Are there any standard industry practices that you’d like to see change?
Just more representation for freelancers. Benefits, resources, general help in life. It's really important to have some direction and some help even if you're your own boss.
Since you began working in this industry are there any concepts or practices you’ve
implemented that have positively impacted your work (reduced stress, saved time,
etc.)?
People seem to be warming up to the idea of saying no. I unfortunately need to practice this sometimes because early on it was "Can you do this?" when the tone of the conversation was basically "Are you working this time period yet? No? Great, then you're doing this." Now people take others' time into consideration. "If you could do this, that'd be great" is better than "Doesn't look like you're working now, so you're doing this." Obviously, there's exceptions to some of these things, but for the most part, it's gotten a lot better.
Where do you see the industry going in the next 5-8 years?
With some of the older guys retiring/taking new jobs, I see the next 5-8 years bringing in a new wave of "A lister's". I feel like post covid, a lot of people moved up a peg in the industry, and a new bar was set for what a show should sound like and what you can do on a console. The technology keeps growing but what's growing faster is people's creativity with it. The studio and the live gap are coming closer just on technology alone, and being able to have that relationship is really important. "Oh in the studio this is the decapitator preset I love,” "ok let me load that here,” "you can do that??" ...or even the other way around. Same with speaker technology and the way we see/hear/interpret what they're doing.
How much sleep do you actually get? And how do you manage sleep deprivation
Actually an ok amount! I can sleep anywhere, anytime. It's borderline narcolepsy. But on the road on show days, I've made a more focused goal of obtaining sleep. Not staying up till 2a when load out is done at 11p and we're on show 1 of 4 in a row. Obviously when you have early flights and long travel days it's more difficult, but I love to sleep and make it a priority in my day, as insane as that sounds. My sleep deprivation isn't as extreme then because if I have 20min to kill on a busy day, I can for sure sleep for 10 of them.
What improves your day at a show?
People being nice and wanting to help make the experience better, good catering, and maybe a few laughs go a long way.
Our industry isn’t as glamorous as often perceived. What motivates you to work
such long hours and be away from home for extended periods?
I just really love the work. I think about 2019-2021 ish when I was at home wishing to have days like this. I wanted to be tired and dirty and on a plane from a gig headed to another. It felt like a part of me was missing big time, so any time I'm down, I think about how badly I wanted to be where I am today. The shows themselves also help. PTV shows are 90min of madness. Fans are loud, the band is exciting, everything is high energy, it's something you want to be a part of.
What advice would you give to someone just starting their career in the live
production industry (perhaps something you wish someone would have told you
when you were getting started)?
Have a goal, but also be open to it all and be ready to learn. If you want to mix, but aren't getting any mixing gigs, but get offered plenty of SE gigs or MON tech gigs, take those and run. If you want to TM but only get production assistant or runner jobs, take those and make connections and learn from those days too. If you want to be out on the road, go do it. Be there and learn, make connections with people and be a good hang and someone that people want to be around. Sometimes that goes farther than just being good at your job. You've got a lot of time to turn into a grumpy old, jaded crew person.
What’s the most essential thing in your suitcase?
Change of shoes, a good hoodie, phone charger, maybe a non-black t-shirt?