Produce records with bands or bricks? Dave talked about assembling a production for an artist, songwriting for publishing vs self, how to get songs finished, the importance of sightlines and headphones, and how to find your voice on stage and studio.

My guest today is Dave Coleman who grew up near the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, in Jamestown, Tennessee. He thought he’d become a park ranger, but his love of guitar and music sent Dave to Belmont University in Nashville. He started a band (The Coal Men, still active after 24 years), had a brief publishing deal with Acuff-Rose Music, played for years with Duane Jarvis, and a long list of Nashville’s roots and Americana artists. Producing, recording, and mixing became his day to day around 2010. He’s a self described “multi-instrumentalist with a community-driven heart.”

Dave has produced and recorded albums for Amelia White, Tim Carroll, The Rough & Tumble, Lynn Taylor and the BarFlies, Ned Hill, and lots more. The Coal Men, have released 5 albums, with another coming in 2024. I have had the pleasure of knowing Dave for many years and in 2013 worked with Dave here at The Toy Box Studio doing overdubs and mixing his record Escalator.

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Website Links:

www.thecoalmen.com
Instagram: @thedavecoleman
YouTube: @thecoalmen4

Additional podcast editing and production by:
Brayden Stremming
Vlad Vasilcenko
Liz Hulitskaya

Ga Ga Ti Ga, Ga Ga Ga Ti Ga... John talked about the Samba sing-a-long, studying in India, and Brazil, recording vibes and various percussion instruments, the importance of cultural context in music, and bringing your A-game to every studio session!

My guest today is John Arrucci, an acclaimed master artist in Classical, Jazz, North Indian, Afro-Cuban, Afro-Brazilian and other indigenous traditions and someone I first met when he moved to Nashville to build his studio. Having composed, performed, and instructed for over 40 years, John has studied on three continents and received numerous honors. 

His work as drummer and percussionist is featured on scores for feature films, television, commercial spots and recordings including on Sony, Polygram, Mercury, Chesky, Koch Jazz, Chiaroscuro, Rykodisc and other labels. He has performed and/or recorded with Michael Brecker, John Patittucci, Mariah Carey, David Byrne, Philip Glass Ensemble, and for Dalai Lama, Bishop Desmond Tutu and many other dignitaries and has performed at notable venues such as Carnegie Hall, David Geffen Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Town Hall, Merkin Hall and United Nations.

His percussion can be found on programs including Patriot, Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Oprah Winfrey and Rosie O’Donnell. 

As a composer, John has received numerous commissions, grants and awards from members of The New York Philharmonic, The Manhattan Marimba Quartet, The Mannes College of Music and many others. His acclaimed 2011 release “Metaphors” features 9 of his compositions and performances on Drum Set, Vibes, Marimba and Percussion.

John taught for over 20 years at Princeton University, the City University of New York, and many other prominent institutions including an Eastman School of Music where he graduated with distinction. The Smithsonian Institution awarded him a Post-Doctoral level research fellowship to study Tabla in Benares, India with Pandit Sharda Sahai. He has also studied music in Brazil, and Shekere and Agbe with the renowned Chief James Hawthorne Bey, and Conga and Afro-Cuban drumming with Frank Malabe and Tabla with Robert Becker.

He has basically done a tremendous amount of music and finally landed in Nashville, Tennessee making himself available for in-studio and remote recording, live performances, touring, commissions and Master Classes, one of which I recently took to learn Samba drumming which was amazing!

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Watch More On Youtube:

Website Links:

https://www.johnarrucci.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnarrucci/
Facebook: @johnarrucci.musician

Additional podcast editing and production by:
Brayden Stremming
Vlad Vasilcenko
Liz Hulitskaya

Which is actually more... less or more? Brandon talked about mixing with guitar pedals, Velcro walls, installing the Neotek Elite console, working with Jacquire King, and why you should be using SSL UF8 and UC-1 with UAD Luna and Harrison Mixbus 32C.

My guest today is Brandon Highfill, head engineer at Schematic Studios and the owner of Eastside Music Supply here in Nashville, TN. Originally from Jacksonville, FL Brandon moved here in 2009 and with his friend and bandmate Blair, started Eastside Music Supply in 2014. 

Brandon played guitar in bands since high school and was always fascinated with the recording process but didn't really catch the "bug" until he set out to build a practice space for himself in 2016 which morphed into a full-blown studio as he became obsessed with making the room sound good and building it right the first time. This quickly led to sell more than half of his pedal collection to invest in a small handful of microphones, an interface, his first analog mixer and a Tascam 388. 

Brandon was hooked and gone were the days of making music in his bedroom as it became less about recording his own music and more about recording anything at all. “I just wanted practice and it became like a drug honestly”. 

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Website Links:

brandonhighfillproductions.com
schematicstudios.com
Instagram: @jonnyblane @schematicstudios @brandonhighfillproductions

Additional podcast editing and production by:
Brayden Stremming
Vlad Vasilcenko
Liz Hulitskaya

Sing it again or mix it with a doubler plugin? Brian talked about producing layered vocal bedroom-psych rock, recording and mixing super punchy drums, finger-picked acoustic guitar, and using the LEWITT LCT1040 on vocals with LCT640TS on guitar amps.

My guest today is Brian K. Fisher, a Seattle-born musician, mixer, and producer currently residing in Boston, MA. By day he works as a marketing manager for LEWITT, an innovative Austrian microphone and audio company, and on nights and weekends, he’s producing, mixing and writing as much music as possible.

Shaped by Seattle’s eclectic and tight-knit indie music scene, he’s been producing and performing music under the moniker Eastern Souvenirs for the past 10+ years and mixing, engineering and producing for other like-minded bands and artists for the past 3 years. His remote mixing business has steadily grown as home recording and virtual collaboration become a standard practice (and budgetary necessity) in modern record-making.

Brian loves to help bands overcome the obstacles of home recording and achieve the artistic vision they hear in their heads. He’s also been a consistent presence on LEWITT and iZotope’s YouTube channels, sharing home recording and mixing tips for aspiring producers.

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Watch More On Youtube:

Website Links:

https://briankfisher.com/
https://briankfisher.com/mixingtips
Instagram: @bkfaudio

Additional podcast editing and production by:
Brayden Stremming
Vlad Vasilcenko
Liz Hulitskaya

Can you write a song on an island? Dave talked about capturing the seeds of songs, mixing with Chris Shaw, signing Nataniel Rateliff, Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah, and Ween to Rounder Records, and finding inspiration in Native Instruments Kontakt.

My guest today is Dave Godowsky, a veteran in the music industry, having spent the past 20+ years in Management, A&R, and Artist Relations. On the label front, he served as Director of A&R for Rounder Records (where he discovered and signed artists including Nathaniel Rateliff and Delta Spirit) and GM at Partisan Records (home to artists like IDLES, Fontaines DC, and Deer Tick). On the management front, he served as VP for Danny Goldberg at GoldVE, managing the careers of artists including Against Me!, Okkervil River, Speedy Ortiz, and Cass McCombs. On the technology front, Godowsky handles all artist and industry relations for the pioneering audio tech innovator iZotope, and now Native Instruments, and Plugin Alliance . 

A songwriter and producer himself, Godowsky has released three records, and co-written/collaborated with many others including Adam Duritz (Counting Crows), Lianne LaHavas, and Gene Ween (Ween). He has toured nationwide, including performances at major festivals and on the Late Show with David Letterman. Godowsky was named one of Billboard's "30 Under 30" and has been profiled by the Boston Globe for his industry and musical contributions. He currently lives with his wife and 18-month-old son in Maine.

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Website Links:

www.davegodowsky.com
Instagram: @davegodowsky
Twitter: @davegodowsky
Facebook: @davegodowsky

Additional podcast editing and production by:
Brayden Stremming
Vlad Vasilcenko
Liz Hulitskaya

Take care of your unicorns! Jordan talked about using a Neve console with Pro Tools, capturing the moment and letting the vibe happen, recording your heroes and when to push them for even more, and microphones for vocals, guitar, piano, and drums.

My guest today is Jordan Hamlin, a multi-instrumentalist, composer, engineer and music producer based in Nashville, TN. A lifelong advocate for Creatives, she is the owner and founder of a 20 acre residential recording studio and retreat space, MOXE.

In the studio, she’s produced and/or engineered albums or new musical works for the GRAMMY winning duo, Indigo Girls, KT Tunstall, Tenille Townes, Allison Russell, Lucy Wainwright Roche, Sasha Sloan, Lila Blue, Rufus Wainwright, Adia Victoria, and many others.

As a touring and session musician, her contributions on stage and in the studio have included collaborations with Brandi Carlile, Missy Higgins, Amy Ray, Ruby Amanfu, Loudon Wainwright III, Katie Herzig, Dar Williams, The Secret Sisters and The Nashville Ballet.

Please check out the discography playlist in the show notes. Jordan is making awesome sounding records with exceptional singers and you will love it!

Thanks so much to Cheyenne Medders for making our introduction and for Dave Kalmusky and Addiction Studios for reconnecting us recently.

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Website Links:

https://jordanbrookehamlin.tumblr.com/
https://www.moxe.space/
Instagram: @jamlin @thisismoxe
Facebook: @jordan.b.hamlin @thisisMOXE

Additional podcast editing and production by:
Brayden Stremming
Vlad Vasilcenko
Liz Hulitskaya

Digital or real guitar cabinet? Nathan talked about going from intern to engineer at Blackbird Studios, running a studio like a high-end hotel, how steel drums are heavy metal, why tape should always be rolling, and how to create crankable records.

My guest today is Nathan Yarborough, a heavy rock and metal music producer, engineer, and mixer who started out in North Carolina with a Tascam 4 track studying recording in college and finding his way to Nashville to intern at Sony/Tree and Blackbird Studios where he worked for eight years with some of the greatest engineers like Vance Powell, Niko Bolas, George Massenburg, Joe Chiccarelli and many others.

He then went on to engineer records for producer Nick Raskulinecz for 10 years and now he works with a variety of bands at all different levels to make great recordings here in Nashville.

I met Nathan recently at the 25th Annual AudioMasters Benefit Golf Tournament when we stopped at hole. That was sponsored by the Nashville Recording Supply Company. I came home with a crappy golf score but a new role of black galf tape for the studio and an amazing playlist of Nathan’s discography of hard rock and metal albums including artists like Korn, Mastadon, Glasswalker, Code Orange, and Evanescense. So please give a listen to that in the show notes below.

Thanks to Adam Dalton and Eric Masse for making our introduction.

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Website Links:

www.nathanyarborough.com
Instagram: @n_a_t_h_a_n_y

Additional podcast editing and production by:
Brayden Stremming
Vlad Vasilcenko
Liz Hulitskaya

Don't let the gear eclipse the performance! Jacquire talked about creating 1+1 Management, the five tiers of an artist's professional team, mixing in UAD Luna, making music for META, why social media is important, and how to mix with delay & reverb.

My guest today is Jacquire King, a Grammy-winning music producer, mixer, and engineer with over 13 billion streams and more than 35 Grammy nominations. His extensive credits include: Tom Waits, Kings of Leon, James Bay, Shania Twain, Modest Mouse, Smash Mouth, Norah Jones, Buddy Guy, Zach Bryan, Punch Brothers, Ingrid Michelson, Cold War Kids, City and Colour and many many more. And I’m going to quote from his great website bio: “Jacquire has just one gold record hanging in his studio. It’s Mule Variations by Tom Waits, a personal favorite in the mile-long list of critically acclaimed albums, multiple GRAMMY Awards, and national accolades he’s earned in more than 30 years as a sought-after recording engineer and producer.”

He grew up in the Washington, DC area, absorbing a rich mix of influences from reggae to punk rock. While his friends were forming hardcore bands, Jacquire was studying the noise, making cassette mixes, and learning to transform raw live music into a complex listening experience.

If he maintains one constant aesthetic in his work, it’s blending traditional recording artistry with emerging tools and technology. “Curiosity moves an art form forward, so I incorporate whatever gives the artist the freedom to create. I always want to be part of that evolution.” 

Jacquire is committed to playing an active role in the recording industry’s next chapter, serving as an ambassador for new technology and acting as a frequent mentor to up-and-coming professionals. “I don’t have any studio secrets,” he said. “If I can help someone figure out their own combination of talent and technology, I want to do that. If I can give an artist a new tool to make something great, count me in.”

He has his own studio, The LBT, just outside of Nashville, Tennessee. 

Thank you to Matt Boudreau and Mark Rubel for connecting us - and for API putting us on the same golf team for the The Annual AudioMasters Benefit Golf Tournament for the Engineers Relief Fund. If deals really do get made on the golf course then this interview might be one of them!

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Website Links:

Instagram: @jacquireking
Facebook: @jacquirekingmusic
YouTube: @JacquireKing

Additional podcast editing and production by:
Brayden Stremming
Vlad Vasilcenko
Liz Hulitskaya

How many engineers can you fit on a podcast? Pete, John and Brandon talked about the good and bad of a shared studio, Atmos mixing and mastering, how to make great bass, vinyl records, and why their worst day is better than most jobs' best days!

My guests today are Pete Lyman, John Baldwin & Brandon Towles mixing, mastering, and cutting vinyl at Infrasonic Sound East here in Nashville.

Pete Lyman who has been a guest on episode RSR165 is a GRAMMY-nominated mastering engineer, and owner of Infrasonic Mastering, an audio and vinyl mastering studio with locations in Los Angeles, CA and Nashville, TN. Pete’s digital and vinyl mastering career spans thousands of titles with clients like Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlile, Sturgill Simpson, John Prine, Weezer, Panic! At the Disco and more.  

John Baldwin is a GRAMMY-nominated mastering engineer based in Nashville, TN. In 2010 John launched John Baldwin Mastering out of a studio he built in his house, eventually moving to Historic RCA Studio A. John joined the Infrasonic Mastering roster in 2021, bringing a wide spectrum of genres and skills, including restoring and remastering from vinyl and tape. His discography includes artists such as Nancy Sinatra, Deer Tick, Emmylou Harris, The Jesus Lizard, Sly Stone, The Stone Roses, Margo Price, Delta Spirit, and many others INCLUDING Twiggs II a record I produced at The Toy Box Studio.

Brandon Towles is a Mixing Engineer and Assistant/Engineer/All Around Good Guy to multi-Grammy winner F. Reid Shippen. Originally from Georgetown, KY, after traveling the country for a few years, Brandon landed in Nashville to work with Reid and Infrasonic Immersive. He has Co-Mixed and Assisted on projects for artists including Dierks Bentley, Keke Palmer, Parker McCollum, The Aces, Kenny Chesney, and many more. Outside of music, Brandon loves playing basketball, the Detroit Lions, and very, very short walks on the beach.

Thank you to Raelynn Janicke for setting this interview up!

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LISTEN TO DISCOGRAPHY
ON SPOTIFY

Website Links:

RSR165 – PETE LYMAN – MASTERING FOR CHRIS STAPLETON, JASON ISBELL, AND WEEZER AT INFRASONIC SOUND
https://www.infrasonicsound.com/
Instagram: @infrasonicsound @johnbaldwinmastering @plyman @btowles3
Twitter: @infrasonicsound

Additional podcast editing and production by:
Brayden Stremming
Vlad Vasilcenko
Liz Hulitskaya