Meet Joshua Frerichs | Mix Engineer and Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Joshua Frerichs and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joshua, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think risk is essential if you want to do something meaningful. If you’re going to stand out, you have to be willing to make choices that don’t follow the usual path. Most of the people I’ve seen succeed in significant ways have taken chances that others might have judged, assumed would fail, or simply overlooked. I’ve learned there’s a lot of value in saying yes, even when something feels uncertain, if you feel peace about it and believe God is leading you.

In 2019, I took one of the biggest risks of my life. I was 30, with a stable career, a near six-figure income, and a comfortable lifestyle in a city where the cost of living was low. I had benefits, security, and a rhythm that worked. But I also had a growing sense that I wasn’t where I was supposed to be. After a lot of prayer, deep conversations with family, and some honest reflection about the kind of life I wanted to look back on, I made the choice to move to Nashville and pursue music full-time.

It wasn’t an easy leap. I wrestled with doubts, questioning whether I was too old to start over in music and whether I was walking away from everything I had worked so hard to build. But I also knew I was too passionate to ignore the calling, and I decided I would rather try and fail than stay comfortable and never know what could have been.

Not long after moving, everything changed. I was diagnosed with Lyme disease, and it completely upended my life. The physical and emotional toll was overwhelming, and I went tens of thousands of dollars into debt trying to figure out what was happening to my body. That season was incredibly difficult, not just because of the illness itself but because I was walking through it without the safety net I had left behind.

I still live with it every day, but fortunately, I’ve learned to manage my symptoms. And ironically, it’s opened doors, both in my career and in the relationships I’ve built, that may not have come if I had stayed perfectly healthy.

Since moving to Nashville, I’ve had the chance to grow in ways I couldn’t have imagined. I met my wife here. We now have two beautiful daughters, a church community that means a lot to us, and close friendships that have become a core part of my life. None of those things existed before I took the risk, and I’m grateful every day that I said yes to the unknown.

I’m grateful I get to work with artist that I would’ve only dreamed about before I moved here. My career is on a trajectory that I am so excited about, and for anyone thinking about taking the risk… Everyone’s story is unique, but the safe path is pretty much always available, and it’ll be there waiting if things don’t work out. Take that step, it might open up a path you couldn’t have otherwise imagined.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve been producing and mixing music professionally for over 15 years now, and like most people in the industry, the path hasn’t been linear. I started in a small town, figuring things out on my own, saying yes to just about any opportunity I could get, whether it paid well or not. I spent years developing my ear, learning how to communicate with artists, and building trust by doing the work with excellence, even when no one was watching.

What sets me apart is the hands-on, collaborative way I approach every project. I’m not just trying to make something sound good technically. I want the artist to feel like their song became what they hoped it could be. My favorite compliment isn’t about how polished the mix sounds. It’s when someone says, “That’s exactly what I heard in my head.”

Since moving to Nashville, I’ve had the privilege of working with some incredibly talented people, including artists like Rita Springer, Andrew Ripp, and Sarah Reeves, and teams from Capitol CMG, Universal, and Warner Chappell. I’ve also gotten to be a part of music placed on platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Peacock, which has opened the door to more sync-focused collaborations. One of the main things that I’ve loved is the variety – mixing and producing indie artists, Christian artists, label artists, sync artists… all of the above. Though I am primarily a mixer and a producer, instead of those terms, I typically think of myself as a creative – one that likes to make music that moves me, the people I work with, and the listeners.

It definitely hasn’t been an easy journey. I moved here with no connections and no backup plan. Then shortly after, I was hit with a life-changing Lyme disease diagnosis, which brought a whole new set of physical, emotional, and financial challenges. There were plenty of moments where it felt like everything might fall apart. But I stayed focused, stayed faithful, and learned how to work through pain, both physically and professionally.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that longevity comes from being steady, not flashy. The best opportunities have come from doing great work for people and building real relationships over time, not from trying to go viral or chase hype.

If there’s one thing I hope people take away from my story, it’s that showing up consistently, listening well, and caring deeply about the end result makes a real difference. My brand is less about me and more about helping others sound like the best version of themselves. That’s what I love, and that’s what keeps me excited about what’s ahead.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, I have to tell you…I’m pretty boring when it comes to this haha. I am very family and career focused. I typically leave my house only to go to the gym, church, a session at a different studio, or the occasional lunch or coffee meeting… and 90% of the time I’m just working 60 hours a week excited about pushing ahead on lots of different projects. While I don’t get out nearly as much as I did before kids, Lyra is some of my favorite food in Nashville, and I don’t care if it makes me basic, I love Starbucks coffee. Sorry to all my passionate coffee, connoisseur friends haha.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
If I had to point to anyone other than family that’s been a huge part of my journey, I have to say Joshua Silverberg. When I was going through the worst part of Lyme disease, he became a friend and someone that had faith that I didn’t have, that God would bring me through this and heal me. Since then, he’s also become a colleague, and he’s been a champion for me both professionally and personally for many years now. Secondly, my best friend and best man at my wedding, Kevin Winebarger, has been my daily friend for around a decade. He seen me through all of it, and we really helped each other navigate a lot of different seasons in our careers and personal lives. Now, all these years later I’m actually his producer and we’re seeing some incredible results from his artistry. It’s cool when you have full circle moments like that, totally unexpected and really beautiful.

Website: www.iamjlyn.com // www.mixedbyjf.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_joshuafrerichs/

Image Credits
I hired Jeremy Cowart for the portraits. The one in the studio I took myself.