Bryan Yepes – “The biggest thing in music is to have fun”

In this exclusive Studio Talks interview, we sit down with the incredibly talented producer Bryan Yepes, who has helped craft many incredible records. With an impressive track record that includes major placements with artists like Drake, Juice WRLD, Don Toliver, Travis Scott, Jack Harlow, and many more, Bryan has earned a reputation as a powerhouse producer with a unique sound and a keen sense of innovation. In this conversation, Bryan shares his journey from his early days in music production to the moment he broke through with his first major placements. He opens up about his creative process, how he approaches collaborating with artists, and the evolution of his sound. The interview was conducted by Rudy Manager via video call on February 11, 2025.

How did you first get interested in music?

I feel like music is something that’s in everyone’s life, whether you do it or not. Obviously, whether at school or riding in the car, you hear music on the radio. But how did I originally get interested in creating music? When I was a kid, the music I listened to a lot was Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins—a lot of rock and alternative, even borderline metal.

At the time, I lived in Miami with my stepbrother. When he was in high school, he’d bring friends over to play guitar. I’d hear them jamming out to bands I liked and even songs I was introduced to through them. Sometimes, they’d bring girls over, and I remember thinking, “If you play guitar, girls will like you.” So at the age of 12, I learned how to play guitar. From there, I started playing at churches—that’s how I first picked up an instrument and eventually joined the worship band. The worship pastor told me, “For every church song you learn, I’ll teach you a Metallica riff,” and that really got me going.

How did that passion for music transition into production?

I joined a few bands, from church groups to a metalcore band. What really got me into production was being in a band that recorded frequently. I kept writing songs just so I could go back to the studio. I was so fascinated when I learned that you could record one guitar and then still record another guitar separately. I always thought that if you were in a band, you had to play the song perfectly together and just capture the moment. But when I learned, “Nah, man, you can record one guitar, then the other, then the bass, and then the drummer can listen and play along,” my mind was blown. I realized you could create things that you probably couldn’t even play live, and I thought, “Wow, this would sound crazy.”

I always had these ideas in my head, like, “I want to go to the studio, I want to harmonize my guitar here.” None of my friends wanted to teach me how to record—I never knew why. And I’m Colombian, and a lot of Hispanic parents—at least from their era—believe you need to go to college to be successful. I knew plenty of people went to school and became successful, so I decided to study audio engineering and production. I was always so excited to finally have access to record myself.

At first, it wasn’t easy. I recorded without even knowing how to turn on a metronome, make it sound right, or quantize properly. But that was all part of the process—little things I learned in school. But that’s how I got into it—having fun playing music with friends, one thing led to another, and then going to school to learn more.