Lakewood producer Nate Saggio helps Cleveland artists find their sound

Lakewood-based producer Nate Saggio has helped Northeast Ohio artists turn musical ideas into viral hits, all while shaping his own sound behind the studio console.

At a time when anyone can make music from home on a computer or iPad, Saggio said there’s still a need for a producer.

For Saggio, music production is more than technical expertise. A producer is a guide, a collaborator and someone who can translate an artist’s vision into a fully realized song.

“Some of the artists I work with have never tried to really record anything other than just like on a voice memo on their phone,” he said. “They get frustrated because that doesn't sound, you know, how they want it to.”

Danna O'Connor

From gospel roots to global reach

Saggio’s own musical journey began in a musical household in Strongsville.

His family’s jam sessions, Sunday church performances and a variety of instruments at hand created the perfect environment for a budding musician.

Sunday services were spiritual experiences and immersive music lessons.

Between gospel choirs and congregational singing, Saggio honed an instinct for rhythm and timing, developing an ear for how different instruments and voices could interact.

“When I was young, I really just wanted to be a drummer in a band. But I always kinda had an interesting relationship with live music, because my outlet really for that was church,” Saggio said.

His family encouraged him to dream, but also to have a practical backup plan that could support him beyond performing.

That plan, surprisingly, became his calling.

“I started to pay more attention to the liner notes on CDs and vinyl and music credits and stuff like that,” he said. “And, 'Oh, this person's name is on all these different things. What do they do? How do they do that?'"

Noticing names outside of the band members piqued an interest in the technical side of music and recording.

From that curiosity about how music is made, a career in production began to take shape.

Finding a path through sound

Saggio’s first experiments happened at home, in what he calls his “bedroom studio,” where a modest setup of microphones, a small audio interface and a laptop became the launchpad for his foray into music production.

“That gave me time to figure out some stuff and get ready to move into a bigger space,” he said.

He realized that producing wasn’t just about pressing records.

It was about listening deeply, making small adjustments that enhanced a song’s emotional impact, and helping performers feel confident in front of the microphone.

Saggio took this curiosity to Cuyahoga Community College, studying recording arts and gaining the technical expertise he would later blend with his intuitive sense of musicality.

There, he learned the language of compressors, equalizers and multi-track mixing, as well as the subtler skills of studio management and session collaboration.

Landing an internship with Jim Stewart, one of Cleveland’s most respected producers, introduced Saggio to the intricacies of professional recording.

“There are very few artists or bands or music people in Cleveland that I've ever met that haven't at least heard about Jim or probably have worked with him,” Saggio said.

Two years ago, Saggio moved into his own studio inside Jim Stewart’s 78th Street Studios complex in Cleveland.

Saggio’s first major collaboration came in 2021 with Cleveland pop artist Chayla Hope on her song “BFM.”

“We were almost jumping around the room with excitement, and it was just so electric,” he said. “I was like, this is the feeling I'm chasing after.”

Saggio and Hope continued to collaborate on tracks like “No One Else,” exploring a balance of pop accessibility and experimental sounds, honing the chemistry that would become central to his production style.

One of his most notable recent projects was with Jack Harris, whose 2024 single “Careful What You Wish For (the doctor said to)” has amassed over 36 million streams on Spotify and earned a deal with Columbia Records.

“He just kinda teased a video for that song, but he had no plans on releasing it anytime soon. But it just started to take off on social media,” Saggio said.

“That's definitely, obviously, the biggest experience I have of something that really resonates with people a lot. It's a strange feeling, like it's a good feeling.” 

It’s this proven, trust-based collaboration that has earned Saggio a reputation as a producer who elevates artists without overshadowing them.

“I'm kind of more interested in molding myself into somebody else's perspective and goal,” he said.

Making his own music

Saggio also releases his own original songs, most recently with the track “Blame.”

These personal projects allow him to experiment, stretch his skills and test techniques he can later bring to the artists he produces.

“As I do kind of learn things that are interesting to me and useful, when clients come in, I have that tool in my tool belt now, so to speak,” he said.

Beyond the studio, Saggio is a touring musician with Welshly Arms, contributing keyboards and guitar.

Touring across Europe and performing on big stages has informed how he approaches production, thinking about dynamics, live energy and audience response.

“It's awesome to get to see kind of the next level of the music industry as far as touring,” he said.

Observing the technical logistics of putting together a stage show gave him a unique perspective on his music career, particularly across the pond, where Welshly Arms is very popular.

“It really was kind of like, ‘Oh yeah, this is why we do this,’” Saggio said. “Or this is why we spend hours and hours and hours in the studio to capture something, to share with others, so that you can then go out and share it live with people that want to hear it.”

Staying rooted in Cleveland 

Despite opportunities elsewhere, Saggio has chosen to stay in Cleveland, nurturing local talent and cultivating a vibrant music scene.

His studio acts as a home for emerging artists, offering guidance, technical expertise and a safe space to develop their sound.

For Saggio, producing is about empathy and collaboration. The artist leads with vision; the producer translates that vision into sound.

“Being where you're from and just working with who's here and, once again, just trying to elevate, just trying to take what they're doing and be a part of it and maybe make it better,” he said.

Artists describe him as patient, detail-oriented and calming, a collaborator who can turn vague ideas into fully realized songs without ever imposing his identity over theirs.

More than a decade after that first spark with Chayla Hope’s “BFM,” the thrill hasn’t faded.

Whether he’s producing for others or working on his own original songs, he said he loves his job — even if it takes a while to get the sound right.

“I would like to put more pressure on myself to finish a more complete set of songs,” he said. “It just kinda always just takes me a long time to get something that I feel really good about.”