Justin Bieber’s long-awaited album, SWAG, is finally here — and I am so incredibly thankful I got to be a part of the process. I spent months recording songwriting and pre-production sessions with Justin at his gorgeous Los Angeles home, and several additional locations throughout the U.S.
Take a listen to a few of the songs I worked on as either Engineer or Additional Engineer:
It All Started With a Phone Call
Back in Fall 2024, I got a call from my good friend Eric:
“Justin is looking for an engineer to start on something new with him. He wants ‘the best of the best.’ Can you go meet him at his house?”
One day later, I’m walking into Justin’s place — designing from scratch one of the most elaborate home studios I’ve ever built. Two rooms. Apollos. Pro Tools. Live PA. Drums, synths, guitars, grand piano, float mics… the works.
This wasn’t just a studio — it was an indoor-outdoor inspiration playground. And it lived right in his home. For months, I was there almost every day. I was on cloud-9 hanging with Justin, his beautiful family, and recording an unbelievable lineup of collaborators. There were Eddie Benjamin, Daniel Chetrit, Carter Lang (who I’d also worked with on SZA’s SOS)… and so many more superstar talents I’m probably not at liberty to mention. 😄
Keeping It All Organized
All in all, I recorded over 300 hours of jams and songwriting sessions. Additionally, I built 9 unique home studios across 4 different states.
Logging everything in ClickUp was essential for tracking session collaborators, what instruments they played, what each song was called, and where it lives on the hard drives.
Because when an artist says, “Hey, remember that jam from 8 weeks ago?” You better know exactly where to find it.
Witnessing Greatness Never Gets Old
And Justin? Man, he’s not just talented — he’s undeniable.
Whether he’s firing off a vocal riff on the way to grab a snack or vibing deep with the artists he’s writing with… the love, the creativity, the soul — it’s all real.
I saw it up close. Day after day.
🎷 “When You Gonna Bring Your Sax?”
“When you gonna bring your saxophones, Dana?? I’m gonna start getting MAD if you don’t bring ’em!”
Never wanting to overstep my role as engineer, I was cautious to oblige Justin’s initial saxophone requests. I figured he was just being polite.
Turns out, he was not just being polite– he meant it!
I dutifully brought my horns, kept them at his house, and we’d sometimes jam together after the day’s work was done. 🤯
#unforgettable