RSR559 - Pat Sansone - Playing and Songwriting with Wilco, Autumn Defense, and Big Star Quintet. - Recording Studio Rockstars

RSR559 – Pat Sansone – Playing and Songwriting with Wilco, Autumn Defense, and Big Star Quintet.

Why does the rough mix always feel like the real song - and how the hell do you get that magic back without ruining it?

In this episode, Pat Sansone and I go deep into the lifelong puzzle of mixing: why the first tracking rough has all the energy, how chasing it can make you crazy, and why mixing is really more like photography than engineering. Pat walks through how his visual art - Polaroids, slide film, CMYK vs RGB, Lambda printing - has taught him to trust instinct, appreciate imperfections, and approach mixes like developing a print rather than fixing a file. We talk about turning the screen off while playing a mix, the weird phenomenon of hearing a song differently once another person walks into the room, and why limitations make better records.

We also dive into Pat’s history with The Autumn Defense, Wilco, and the Big Star universe. Pat shares memories of making The Green Hour and Circles at my house - dragging the JH-16 up the stairs, tracking G-Whiz in the basement, and writing “The Answer” face-to-face with John Stirratt twenty feet from where we sat for this interview. He explains how the new Autumn Defense record Here and Nowhere came together after an eleven-year break, why Creative Workshop became the perfect studio for it, how Teddy Morgan helped capture tones, and why he still records acoustic and vocal together whenever possible. We get into gear, mic choices (KM84s, SM58s, Sony lavs), the struggle of acoustic/vocal bleed, and the random chaos of synths, plugins, and sessions that don’t open right years later.

Pat also talks about his photography book Noticing, his Infinity Mirrors ambient synth album, and how wandering with a camera unlocked the same creative freedom he felt as a teenager with a Korg Poly-6. He explains how Nashville re-energized his creative life - from running into Robyn Hitchcock in the cereal aisle at Turnip Truck to singing ooohs at Brendan Benson’s studio the next day. We share memories of New Orleans, Chicago, analog tape, Pro Tools Mix+, transferring Birdy on the Moon tracks, losing Josh Shapera, and the role Creative Workshop played in Pat’s “Nashville phase two.”

By the end, we’re talking Big Star, Eggleston photographs, orchestral arrangements, radio DJing, and why slide film and tube mics scratch the same itch. It’s a wide-open conversation about creativity, sound, light, limitations, mistakes, rough mixes, and how to stay inspired for a lifetime.

Thanks To Our Sponsors:

Get hands-on training and launch your music career at SAE Institute Nashville! Learn studio production, live sound, and audio for film using industry-standard gear, taught by experienced pros. With diploma, associate, and bachelor’s programs, SAE helps you build real-world skills.
Visit nashville.sae.edu to fill out an inquiry form and schedule your personal campus tour today!

Fix noisy recordings fast with the new iZotope RX 12 featuring AI-powered repair tools, upgraded Dialogue Isolate, Scene Rebalance, and powerful stem editing workflows. Perfect for music production, podcasts, and post-production audio cleanup.
Get 10% off with code ROCK10 at iZotope.com

Create faster and stay inspired with Native Instruments Komplete 26 featuring Kontakt 8, Massive X, Guitar Rig 7 Pro, Session Guitarist instruments, and the return of Absynth 6. Everything you need for songwriting, production, mixing, and sound design in one powerful bundle.
Get 10% off with code ROCK10 at Native-Instruments.com

Check the Spectra1964 website for factory direct pricing. Spectra1964.com. The STX 600, 100, 100D, and BBDI direct box are available on the site at budget saving prices! US made, high quality professional recording gear made in house in Ogden Utah, since 1964. Get ready to rock!
Discover more at Spectra1964.com

Make your next record with me at the newly remodeled RSR headquarters and experience the ability to hear your music in holographic detail with the Phantom Focus System PFS HD1000 monitors. TheToyBoxStudio.com

The Grace Design M701 audio interface delivers pristine sound quality with exceptional headroom and ultra-low noise performance. Designed for all types of recording facilities, it offers transparent conversion and powerful monitoring in a compact, elegant form. A studio essential you can count on. GraceDesign.com

⬇︎⬇︎Scroll down to listen⬇︎⬇︎

Listen TO THE PODCAST here⬇︎⬇︎⬇︎⬇︎

AppleGoogle PlayShare Leave a ReviewClammr ItListen in a New WindowDownloadSoundCloudStitcherSubscribe on AndroidSubscribe via RSSMix Master BundleUltimate Mixing MasterclassYouTubeSpotifyApple PodcastRockstars Of Drums


LISTEN TO DISCOGRAPHY ON SPOTIFY


Website Links:

Patrick Sansone Photography: patricksansonephotography.com
Baroque Down Palace, music program hosted by musician Pat Sansone: wyxr.org

Instagram: @sansonica_music
Instagram: @theautumndefense
Youtube video: Smokey Day, Pat Sansone


Additional podcast editing and production by:
Vlad Vasilcenko
Daria Tupesis

MixMasterBundle.com
Take your music from sounding like a basement demo to professional radio-ready mixes with my free introductory mixing course using stock and free plugins at MixMasterBundle.com!

Share
Tweet