Nels is an Avid Pro Tools Certified Music Producer and holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Production from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, and journeyman degrees in Music Business and Audio Engineering from Musicians Institute. He is owner of The Pie Studios in Pasadena, and his production and engineering credits include Anderson .Paak, Jamie Foxx, Busta Rhymes, The Beach Boys, Sigur Ros, Nekromantix, Flight of the Conchords, Kate Miller-Heidke, John Cale of The Velvet Underground, The Sounds, among others. He also worked on the sound for Sigur Ros’s documentary Heima, which IMDb ranks as "the best documentary of all time,” was nominated for a Grammy in 2008, and received an Academy Award in 2011 for Best Original Song for his work on "Man or Muppet” from The Muppets.