Make Your Mark

In 2020, Vintage King visited Linear Labs, the recording home of accomplished composer, arranger and producer Adrian Younge. We sat down for a conversation with Adrian and talked about how he got his start in music, why he prefers analog gear and the way he seamlessly blends so many different genres together. Watch our new Make Your Mark starring Adrian below and continue on afterward to read the cover story from Vintage King's new print magazine, PLAYBACK. Limited edition magazines are available at Vintage King Los Angeles and Vintage King Nashville while they last, but you can subscribe digitally here and get a copy of each issue sent directly to your Inbox. Enjoy! Continue reading →

When it comes to legendary figures in the studio, it doesn't get any bigger than Bob Clearmountain. One look at his resume confirms this notion; Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, etc. It reads like the roster of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Yet, throughout his journey, Bob has done it all and remained extremely humble. He's the same polite kid who began as a runner at Media Sound in New York, and fumbled his way into working on a Duke Ellington session on his first day. More on that in one second though... Continue reading →

Driving through Nashville on the way to visit Jordan Brooke Hamlin, a few things quickly become apparent. Nashville is a city going through changes. There are more and more by the day. Cranes dot the skyline with further signs of progress, as new high-rise condos go up to house the masses flocking to Music City. It's no wonder that Jordan, the ever-evolving musician, producer, and tinkerer, has put her workplace outside the hubbub of the honky-tonks on Broadway. Situated on 20 acres of serene land, MOXE is an incredible recording studio that allows space for Jordan's creativity to flourish. A handbuilt cloud diffuser here, a custom-designed microphone selector tool there... Anything the studio needs, she builds. Continue reading →

Nashville native Tucker Martine has been living in the Pacific Northwest for over two decades, working with the likes of The Decemberists, The Avett Brothers, Neko Case and Thao & The Get Down Stay Down. While he has spent time in a number of studios, Martine has continued to look for a permanent home for his personal recording studio. He thinks his latest space is just the right fit. "My studio is called Flora Recording And Playback and this will be its fifth and final incarnation," Martine says with a laugh. "It's not quite finished yet, but it's finished enough." Taking a break from the build-out, Tucker Martine sat down to chat with Vintage King about his style of production, the sonic influence of Daniel Lanois, and his studio's forthcoming reverb chamber. Watch our new Mark Your Mark below and continue on afterward for an extended interview and some prime examples of Tucker's excellent work in the studio. Continue reading →

Ken Andrews has always felt at home in the studio. What started as just recording to a four-track in his apartment, eventually grew to the budding engineer/producer and his Failure bandmates decamping to a rental home filled with newly purchased gear. Once there, they would create the highly influential album, Fantastic Planet. In the time since Fantastic Planet's release, Andrews has been working in major studios and helping craft hit records for Paramore, Jimmy Eat World, Pete Yorn and many more. While working in these studios has provided Andrews with a space to grow his recording and mixing skills, the thought of once again creating his own home base was extremely enticing. Continue reading →

Located in Tokyo, Japan, Studio Dede is a monument to the classic era of the recording studio. Owner Akihito Yoshikawa has a deep-seated passion for all things analog, something that he knows is important to pass onto a younger generation of Japanese engineers who remain unsure about its sound. "A lot of aspiring engineers don't even know the term, 'analog.'" says Yoshikawa. "When these kids in their 20s are exposed to it, they are overwhelmed by the sound. It's my duty to keep educating and passing this along." Continue reading →

Life is good for Eric Valentine. It's a sunny day in Topanga Canyon, as the famed engineer and producer sits alongside his wife, Grace Potter, and their brand new baby boy, Sagan. He can't help but unleash a toothy smile while watching his newborn stumble through his first lesson in hiccups. What has Sagan's arrival meant for Eric? For starters, more time at home. The man at the helm of million-selling albums from Smash Mouth and Third Eye Blind has spent time preparing a mixing space a few steps away from his beautiful house. Outfitted with gear from his own brand, UnderTone Audio, and a few other essentials, Valentine is able to keep up with his work schedule while also tending to his son and wife.   Continue reading →

So much of what is done in recording studios all over the world is a balancing act of technical skill and creative instinct. For Matt Hennessy, a Berklee-trained jazz musician and recording engineer, deftly handling both sides of the record making process will always be what excites him the most. "Unlocking what makes it all work is one of the things that is really exciting about what we do," says Hennessy. "When the arrangement is finally there, you got that killer vocal, everything is recorded in a way that it makes sense for the song. You turn it up on the speakers, everyone in the room falls silent and lives in the moment of that record. Those are the moments you can't duplicate." Continue reading →

Producer and engineer Mark Trombino has spent the better part of his life making platinum records for the likes of Jimmy Eat World, Blink 182 and The Starting Line. His work on these seminal records, in addition to his drumming in Drive Like Jehu, helped spark a revolution that pushed the genres of pop punk and emo to millions of new listeners. In his time since working with these artists, Trombino opened his own donut shop located in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. Dubbed Donut Friend, the shop flips the traditional donut on its head and even gives a musical bend to each creation's name, including Bacon 182, Banana Kill, Chocolate From The Crypt and Drive Like Jelly. Continue reading →

Most would-be engineers and producers find their way into the studio in their late teens, as they start to work on recordings for their first bands. For Collin Dupuis, the fascination began forming at a much younger age. "My mom was friends with Glenn Brown of Glenn Brown Productions in Lansing, Michigan," Dupuis says. "She took me in there when I was five-years-old and it was like 'Bing!' Buttons and knobs everywhere. I could feel it instantly forming in my head that technology was going to be a part of my future." Continue reading →