Making Of

50 years ago, Stevie Wonder was smack in the middle of his most critically acclaimed series of albums. Starting with 1972’s Music of My Mind and ending with Songs in the Key of Life in 1976, this “classic period”—as it has come to be known—produced many of Stevie’s biggest hits, including “Superstition,” “Higher Ground,” “Isn’t She Lovely,” “Sir Duke,” and...

In the age of NASA’s Artemis lunar missions, there’s a lot less mystery surrounding the dark side of the Moon. But Pink Floyd’s 1973 masterwork endures, continuing to inspire generations of musicians, producers, and engineers 50 years after its debut. Continue reading →

This November marks the 25th anniversary of Shania Twain’s Come On Over–the multiple GRAMMY Award-winning album that broke records and catapulted Twain to global superstardom. With hits like Man! I Feel Like A Woman!, You’re Still The One, and That Don’t Impress Me Much, to name a few, the album has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide and remains a fixture in pop culture even today. Continue reading →

Jon Gilbert’s entry into the world of recording came by way of a Tascam 414 Portastudio. The Los Angeles-based producer, mixer and engineer cut his teeth making affordable demos for local bands on the classic 4-track cassette recorder. There was just something about the simplicity that kept Jon coming back. “The beauty of the 4-track was the dead simple workflow and the ‘all in one’ nature that helped defeat decision fatigue,” says Jon. Continue reading →

Brendan Brown is the musical force behind the band Wheatus, best known for the alt-rock anthem “Teenage Dirtbag.” More than just a naturally gifted songwriter, Brown is also a fiercely hardworking producer that obsesses over every detail of the sounds he shapes. Continue reading →

With over two decades of production and engineering experience, Danny Reisch has cemented himself as an institution in the Austin, Texas recording community. The engineer has spent time working on records with Wye Oak, Heartless Bastards and White Denim, in addition to running live sessions for Daytrotter with the likes of HAIM,  Mac Demarco and Gary Clark Jr. One of Danny's latest endeavors has been handling mixing duties for the score to The Green Knight. We recently sat down for a chat with the Dallas native to talk about his work on the film, his thoughts on mixing an album compared to soundtracks and the gear at his studio, Good Danny's. Continue reading →

Germantown, Tennessee native Julien Baker grew up worshiping at the altar of bands like My Chemical Romance and Underoath. While Julien's brand of indie rock is more sparse than these iconic emo gods, her lyrics follow a similar intimate, confessional-style approach. For Julien’s latest record Little Oblivions, the singer/songwriter once again enlisted the help of her longtime collaborator and engineer, Calvin Lauber. We sat down with Calvin to talk about Julien’s newest work, the process behind making the record and some of the production choices made along the journey. Continue reading →

For IDLES' followup to 2018's Joy As An Act Of Resistance, the British rock band went to France to work with producers Adam "Atom" Greenspan and Nick Launay. The resulting record, Ultra Mono, quickly became a huge success, hitting #1 on the UK charts and making appearances on many 2020 year-end lists. This isn't the first time Atom and Nick have worked together on a record. Their partnership dates back to a chance meeting which led to Nick becoming a mentor to Atom. While both have done incredible work on their own, together they've made albums with the likes of  Arcade Fire, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Refused.   We recently had the pleasure of chatting with Atom about his experience working on Ultra Mono. Read on to learn about recording drums in a stone wine cellar, his go-to vocal chain for vocalist Joe Talbot and what it's like making a record with his friend Nick. Continue reading →

When synth-pop quartet Future Islands were looking for a studio to track its sixth record, As Long As You Are, they didn't have to venture far from home to find the right place. The Baltimore, Maryland-based group made its way to the world-class facilities of Wright Way Studios, located conveniently within the limits of Charm City. Once there, Future Islands set to work with studio owner, producer, and audio engineer Steve Wright. In addition to handling both recording engineer and mix engineer duties on As Long As You Are, Steve has built an incredible resume over the past three decades working with artists like Mos Def, U.N.K.L.E, Slipknot, and Dying Fetus. We recently caught up with Steve to talk about the new Future Islands record and the recording and mixing process. Continue reading below to find out what gear he used and learn a little more about the set-up over at Wright Way. Continue reading →

Over the last decade, Detroit-based band Protomartyr has been pushing the boundaries of post-punk and how it's defined. The group's earlier work reminds one of Mark E. Smith's The Fall, but they've transitioned into something much broader and more experimental with the release of their fifth record, Ultimate Success Today. When preparing to record the album, the band's record label linked the members of Protomartyr with engineer and producer David Tolomei. David has built a robust resume since getting his start in 2008 with credits on releases from Dirty Projectors, Beach House, !!!, and John Cale. Continue reading →