Artist Stories

An inside look at the music and creative direction behind selected collaborations.

haybaletale — from voice notes to finished tracks

“I honestly can’t thank Tayte enough. I’m a UK/USA singer-songwriter and when I first started working with him in the UK, I’d never professionally released anything. I literally just had voice notes of my songs that I’d recorded myself.

Tayte took those ideas and turned them into actual professional tracks, while still keeping the songs feeling like me. He helped develop them and took them to a level I didn’t think was possible from where I started.

I’m so glad I found Tayte and would definitely recommend him to any artist.”

haybaletale

Her Name Was? — in their own words

“Working with Tayte has been a great experience. He brings a really high level of production quality to every session, but what really stands out is how invested he is in helping you get the best out of your music.

He has a great ear for spotting the potential in a song and knows how to develop an idea without losing what makes it yours. He’s also incredibly hard-working, approachable and always willing to offer honest, useful advice, not just on the recordings themselves, but on how to develop and grow as a band. We’re currently on a campaign with our next single, trying to get it to #1 in the UK vinyl charts, which Tayte has been a massive help with.

We’ve learned a lot from working with Tayte and would genuinely recommend him to any artist or band looking to work on their next project.”

George & Olivia, Her Name Was?

Prestyn Smith — connecting music, image and artistic direction

My collaboration with Prestyn Smith began in 2024, following a series of smaller releases. Alongside developing tracks together, we worked on the broader direction of the project: how her music, image and branding could support one another.

For me, artist development includes the guidance around the recordings. Understanding where an artist wants to go helps us make decisions about both the music and how it is presented. With Prestyn, the focus was on bringing those elements into a more coherent direction.

Selected recordings

Our released work includes “Falling Out” and “Can’t Lie”, both released in 2025.

Qobuz credits for “Falling Out” list my contributions in production, engineering and instrumentation:

View the “Falling Out” credits on Qobuz

Shazam credits for “Can’t Lie” list production and drum machine:

View the “Can’t Lie” credits on Shazam

Wider artist progress

By March 2026, Music Connection reported that Prestyn had more than two million combined follows across TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, alongside live appearances with Trueblood and Los Angeles radio exposure.

Read Music Connection’s coverage

Finn Forster — shaping an early collection of recordings

I worked with Finn during an early stage of his career, including on “Fly” and a collection of recordings released around the time he signed with management. Our focus was on developing a more cohesive sound and bringing forward the qualities that made his music distinctive.

Finn had a strong band. Together, we pulled the tracks apart and worked on how the recordings could communicate his character more clearly. On “Fly”, that involved small arrangement changes and shaping the record as a whole, rather than a wholesale rewrite.

Selected recording

Our recordings together involved production, editing and mixing, with the focus on a cohesive sound and Finn’s musical character.

“Fly” is one example of the collaboration. “Call You Mine” also carries a producer credit for Tayte Nickols. Explore the track credits below for more detail.

View the production credit for ‘Call You Mine’

Alex Spencer — an early chapter

I worked with Alex during the early stages of his career, on recordings made before his later label signing. It’s a period I’m proud to have been part of, and it’s been a pleasure watching him move forward with management and build his live career.

Early recording work

One documented collaboration is “The Morning Times”. Alex’s official website credits the recording as “Produced by Tayte - Mad Fox Studios Manchester”.

View the original production credit on Alex’s website

Subsequent progress

Alex’s career has since expanded into UK headline shows and international touring. His official biography documents support appearances with The Black Keys and Louis Tomlinson.

Explore Alex’s current work and live dates

Develop your own project

If you’re making music but need help connecting the songs, sound and wider artistic direction, explore Artist Development or discuss your project.