65 minute read
Songwriter Profile: Brian Tyler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Andrea Beenham
from July 2021
Brian Tyler
Inspired Emotional Connection
There has never been a time that Brian Tyler wasn’t writing music. Known today as an accomplished film composer and multi-instrumentalist, he took to music early as a form of self-expression through a process he still loves, best described as an inspired creative download.
Tyler’s talent was first uncovered when he was found performing a piano concerto from memory, later teaching himself to play 30 instruments by emulating the music he heard. While he received some formal training, and had mentorship along the way, the majority of his abilities unfolded innately. Tyler explains that creating music as a boy came from being inspired by novels and other reading, sharing that the process is still about hearing music in his head and then finding a way to present it.
With a hardwired understanding of music theory, it wasn’t until college (UCLA and Harvard) that Tyler took formal classes to facilitate orchestral work. As he puts it, “In every culture, a person will look at a tree and know what it is, but we might each call it something different.” Inherent ability notwithstanding, Tyler’s voracious reading and consumption of sound—along with a close observation of conductor techniques—make him a lifelong student committed to self-evolution. “You are an amalgam of everything you’ve learned,” he shares. “I think it's really important to listen to what you love, but [also] to try to expand your boundaries.”
With experience in full orchestral scoring, programming and sampling, and electronic and pop music, Tyler’s versatility and reputation have grown to include theme and logo songs, artistic collaborations and symphonic performances, as well as performing under the moniker Madsonik. When writing music or working on a record, he records, produces and plays all parts himself. For orchestration, he writes it all out, with results coming together during rehearsals, wanting each project to “enhance and represent the emotional tone and support the narrative of whatever I am scoring.” Says Tyler, “The human element is the ‘lightning in a bottle.’ The idea of what makes things beautiful is the imperfections—you would never auto-tune Etta James.”
There have been numerous full-circle moments—including the Children of Dune soundtrack in 2003. Writing the opening piece as a child dreaming of making orchestral music after reading the Frank Herbert series, his melody was ultimately performed by the Czech Philharmonic. Recently scoring a tragic love story as a violin concerto inspired by Gil Shaham (a violinist he has admired since childhood), Shaham ended up as the featured violinist after reading the sheet music. Referencing Stephen Hawking, Tyler said of both instances, “I was standing on the shoulders of giant influences—they are part of me.”
Tyler’s ideology has led to his latest project, Are We Dreaming. Explains Tyler, “It's the story of human beings endeavoring to unite humanity and about living every day as if it were your last, choosing joy and enjoying life.” Learning visual effects to complete the entire project himself, and performing live nightly with hopes to expand the “existential experience” in coming years, Tyler says, “The challenge of starting from the bottom again and learning something completely new is important to me.”
Tyler’s accolades include 32 BMI Awards, 5 ASCAP Awards, 12 Goldspirit Awards, 2 World Soundtrack Awards, induction into the Musical Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (2010), a Cue Award for Film Composer of the Year (2014), SoundTrackFest Award (Best TV Score) for Yellowstone (2018), and Oscar-shortlisting for Crazy Rich Asians. An Emmy and BAFTA nominee, Tyler is now the 9th highest grossing film composer of all time. Recent projects include Those Who Wish Me Dead, F9 and Escape Room: Tournament of Champions.
“Never close yourself off to something new—it’s vital,” emphasizes Tyler. “In music, it’s important to pick the thing you know the least about and dive deep into it. It's those shades and the differences that actually in the end come together to make you more of an artist and a better musician.”
Contact Jeff Sanderson, Chasen & Company, jeff@chasenpr.com Experience Brian Tyler at briantyler.com
DROPS
A biopic is in the works with Universal Pictures on the life and career of musician, actor and fashion icon Cher. The as-yet untitled film will be written by Oscar-winning writer Eric Roth, who worked with Cher on the film Suspect, and produced by Judy Craymer and Gary Goetzman, both of whom worked on Mamma Mia! the Movie and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, as well as Cher herself. Cher made the announcement in May on Twitter on the eve of celebrating her 75th birthday. For further details, contact Liz Rosenberg at liz@ lizrosenbergmedia.com.
Sergio Mendes & Friends: A Celebration, a tribute to the Brazilian producer, composer, keyboardist, vocalist and Oscar-nominated
THE SPARKS BROTHERS
SERGIO MENDES
songwriter, made its world premiere as part of special programming on PBS stations in June. The program, created for PBS, was derived from the forthcoming feature documentary Sergio Mendes: In the Key of Joy by filmmaker John Scheinfeld. A Celebration features both Mendes and many of his friends and collaborators, including Lani Hall, Herb Alpert, Quincy Jones and John Legend. One of the most internationally successful Brazilian artists of all time, Mendes began his career in the 1960s in his group Brasil ’66, which was key in popularizing Brazilian music around the world. He is a three-time Grammy winner. Contact Lauren Mele at lauren@beachwood.la.
Chance the Rapper’s new concert film out this summer, Magnificent Coloring World, marks the artist’s big screen debut. The Jake Schreierdirected film celebrates the five-year anniversary of Chance’s groundbreaking mixtape Coloring Book. The artist made history in 2017 when he became the first independent artist to win a Grammy for a mixtape, earning a trio of awards for Best New Artist, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Album. The film is the first project from Chance to be released through AMC, the country’s largest theatrical exhibitor, and he is self-distributing the film through House of Kicks, marking the first time an individual recording artist has distributed a film through AMC Theatres. Contact Rhett Usry at rusry@ id-pr.com for details. Focus Features released The Sparks Brothers in theaters in June. Directed by Edgar Wright and produced by Wright, Nira Park, George Hencken and Laura Richardson, this documentary tells the story of Ron and Russell Mael of the pop-rock duo Sparks, a band described as at once successful, underrated, influential and overlooked. The film features commentary from celebrity fans including Flea,
Jane Wiedlin, Beck, Jack Antonoff, Jason
Schwartzman and Neil Gaiman. Contact Erin. Reilly@ginsberglibby.com.
Season 2 of Netflix thriller Who Killed Sara? launched this spring, again scored by award-winning Colombian composer and tripleplatinum music producer David Murillo. In a teaser video, Murillo says the second season offers a deeper look into who Sara is and he uses “a cacophony of sounds and unsettling textures” to explain that the character isn’t what she seems. Contact Ray Costa at rcosta@costacomm.com for more information.
BET has brought together nine solo artists and girl groups from the 1990s and 2000s to form the ultimate R&B supergroup in the new original series, BET Presents The Encore, which debuted in June. Shamari DeVoe, Irish
Grinstead, LeMisha Grinstead, Nivea Nash, Felisha King, Fallon King, Pamela Long,
Aubrey O’ Day and Kiely Williams all signed on to the one-of-a-kind music experiment in which the artists move in together, write new music, learn choreography, record an album and put on a live performance in just 30 days. A renowned roster of music industry experts drop in weekly to prep the artists for their big debut, including producer Kosine, choreographer Aliya Janell, songwriter Elijah Blake and vocal coach Cynnamyn. Contact Jesse Metres at jesse@ strategicheights.com.
The motion picture soundtrack to Citizen Penn, scored by Hall of Fame-inducted singersongwriter, producer and composer Linda Perry, is out now along with the film. Shot in the wake of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the film was directed by Don Hardy (Pick of the Litter) and looks back at a decade in the life of actor Sean Penn, who worked to bring aid to the Haitians after the disaster. In addition to Perry’s score, the soundtrack features a track co-written and produced with Bono titled Eden: To Find Love, featured during the film’s end credits. Contact Brad Taylor at brad@ bigmachineagency.com.
Recent MC cover boy Jacob Collier has a new song, “Flow Freely,” with pianist Justin Kauflin. “Flow Freely” was written by Collier and Kauflin for a new documentary film that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, called Reflection: a walk with water. Collier was inspired to contribute to the film due to its alignment with his ethos regarding the climate crisis, and the importance of bringing awareness to this issue on a global scale. Check out jacobcollier.lnk.to/flowfreely.
OPPS
The Virtual Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender, will be held Aug. 6-8 this year and is free to view, thanks to funds raised from donations and sponsorships. The weekend event gives viewers a chance to see performances by the best in burlesque. To learn more about the event and learn how to get involved, visit bhofweekend. com.
U.K. label Domino is seeking a candidate with at least 10 years’ experience to lead its U.S.
Creative Synch
team, based either in L.A. or New York. The Senior Director of Creative Synch would oversee the company’s synch department, and develop strategies for marketing work from the client roster for use in film, TV, ads, video games and other media. For more information, visit dominomusic.com/news/us/job-opportunitysenior-director-creative-synch.
The 2022 Oticons Faculty International Film Music Competition, which aims to discover and showcase the work of talented film composers, will open for registrations on Sept. 1. The annual contest entails three composing assignments, such as composing a theme or scoring a scene from a real, indevelopment film, with winners receiving awards as well as mentoring, network and career development opportunities. To learn more, visit faculty. oticons.com. portions of interviews with Lopez conducted by Ebersole and Hughes prior to the singer’s death due to COVID-19 last year. Contact bobmerlis@ bobmerlis.com for more details.
JON BATISTE
PROPS
My Name Is Lopez won the AmDocs21 Special Jury Award for Best U.S. Documentary this spring after premiering at the 2021 American Documentary and Animation Film Festival (AmDocs2021) earlier this year in Palm Springs, CA. Honoring the life of legendary Mexican American recording artist, guitarist and actor Trini Lopez, the film was directed by P. David Ebersole and Todd Hughes and produced by Joan and Gary Gand of Gand Band, which backed Lopez during the latter part of his life. The film includes never-beforeseen archival performance footage of the singer whose hits included “If I Had A Hammer,” “Lemon Tree” and “La Bamba.” It also includes The 2021 ASCAP Composers Choice Awards were held as a four-day virtual celebration in May, with Film Score of the Year: Soul going to
Jon Batiste and
Trent Reznor. Now with more categories, the event recognizes winners chosen by ASCAP’s composer and songwriter community. New categories included Documentary Score of the Year, which went to Steven Price for David
Attenborough: A Life on Our
Planet, and Television Theme of the Year, which went to Philip
Glass and Paul
Leonard-Morgan for Tales from the Loop. Additionally, Raphael Saadiq was honored for Television Score of the Year for Lovecraft Country, and Video Game Score of the Year went to Gustavo Santaolalla for The Last of Us Part II. This year’s ASCAP Screen Music Awards also includes new category, Top Streaming Films, and more awards for streaming series. Contact Kelly MacGaunn at kelly@bobbimarcuspr.com.
Triller, the AI-powered short video platform, and
Universal Music Group
recently announced expanded worldwide licensing agreements that span recorded music and publishing. Under this partnership, Triller’s users gain access to UMG’s full catalog of music from the company’s record labels and recording artists, as well as the songwriters and catalogs represented by Universal Music Publishing Group for use on Triller. A spokesperson for UMPG said licensing with platforms like Triller ensures their writers are fairly compensated. Contact Chris Day at cday@ triller.co for further details.
JESSICA PACE is a music journalist-turned-newsreporter based in Durango, CO. She is from Nashville, where she started a writing career by freelancing for publications including American Songwriter and Music Connection. Contact her at j.marie.pace@gmail.com.
Out Take
Kerry Brown
Founder, Rolling Live Studios
Web: rollinglivestudios.com Contact: Crystal Henderson, crystal@ thepresshouse.com
Award-winning artist manager and producer Kerry Brown founded Rolling Live Studios––a company that produces live virtual events––in 2020. The inspiration, like so many artistic projects in the pandemic era, was necessity. “I had just opened the doors to a new studio in Laurel Canyon, then the Governor says, ‘Everyone, go home.’ I had just hired employees. So I told everyone to go home with their computers and we’ll just figure out how to take everything online,” Brown says.
Since it began, Rolling Live Studios has produced over 50 live virtual events and helped raise more than $15 million for charitable organizations like Chrysalis. But possibly the most ambitious and celebrated project Rolling Live has produced so far was a three-hour David Bowie tribute concert early this year, featuring a heavyweight cast that included Trent Reznor, Macy Gray, Billy Corgan and Peter Frampton.
“We just called everyone we knew, and everyone said yes. We had so many artists who had some kind of connection to David,” Brown says. Because a live, in-person performance wasn’t an option for artists, Rolling Live turned each cover into its own visual, cinematic piece. “As a result, we got a whole new insight into David’s life from all these artists he had touched in some way.”
Brown says Rolling Live is planning a dozen similar, large-scale events to take place over the next year, with the intent of providing a platform for artists, incorporating unique visual elements into the productions, and collaborating with charitable nonprofits to give back to the music and arts community. “If you’re just looking for a job, there’s always the money gig. But if you follow your passion and trust your intuition, in any field, that’s what ultimately gets you where you want to go,” Brown says. “I had a moment a few days before the Bowie event where I thought, ‘I hope people like it.’ But I knew I’d made something I wanted to see, which means there would be other people who also want to see it. So just go with your gut and make content you’d like to see.” •
Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains
The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains, the critically acclaimed retrospective of Pink Floyd, has now taken residency in L.A. The U.S. is the fifth country to host the exhibit highlighting the legendary rock group’s music and impact on art and culture. Following its hugely successful debut at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum in 2017, over 350 artifacts will be on display, offering an audio-visual journey through more than five decades.
Juice WRLD Live Free 999 Fund
Jarad “Juice WRLD” Higgins’ Live Free 999 Fund announced a formal partnership with Crisis Text Line to make it possible for anyone who needs it to get easy access to confidential crisis counseling. People who need help are encouraged to text LF999 to 741741 to get access to free mental health support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “There’s not a day that I don’t think of Jarad,” said Carmela Wallace, Juice WRLD’s mother who created the Live Free 999 Fund. Juice WRLD died of an accidental drug overdose in 2019 at the age of 21.
Billy Dawson, Seniors and Songwriters
Country artist Billy Dawson has teamed up with Meridian Senior Living in Bethesda, MD to create the video series, Seniors & Songwriters. This show brings songwriters to different Meridian Senior Living facilities across the country, where they play music and tell the stories behind their songs, and in turn, the seniors get to share their life stories and sing along as well.
Dr. P. Miller
Hip-hop icon and business mogul Master P received an honorary doctorate in human letters from Pennsylvania’s HBCU, Lincoln University. “I guess I got to change my name to Dr. P. Miller,” he says. “From the projects to getting a Doctoral degree from Lincoln. Don’t be afraid to change, grow and educate yourself. I did it! You can do it.” Master P was one of several prominent African Americans bestowed with honorary doctorates, including Gloria Carter, Jay-Z’s mother and co-founder of The Shawn Carter Foundation.
Since his eponymous 1972 debut album, Jackson Browne has been hailed as one the Greatest Songwriters of All Time by Rolling Stone. Known for era-defining hits like “Running On Empty” and “The Pretender,” as well as personal ballads like “These Days,” Browne’s catalog has sold more than 18 million records in the U.S. alone. He’s an inductee in both the Rock and Roll and Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Throughout his 15 albums and over his storied career, Browne also regularly threaded activism into his life and songs, raising funds and awareness for social, political, and environmental efforts.
Downhill From Everywhere is Browne’s first new album in six years. Released by Browne’s own Inside Recordings label, it was recorded at Groove Masters in Santa Monica, CA. It was produced by Browne, recorded and mixed by Kevin Smith. Mastering was by Gavin Lurssen and Reuben Cohen at Lurssen Mastering in Burbank, CA.
Downhill From Everywhere was cut with a core band that included guitarists Greg Leisz (Eric Clapton, Bill Frisell) and Val McCallum (Lucinda Williams, Sheryl Crow), bassist Bob Glaub (Linda Ronstadt, CSNY, John Fogerty), keyboardist Jeff Young (Sting, Shawn Colvin), and drummer Mauricio Lewak (Sugarland, Melissa Etheridge).
Downhill From Everywhere houses expressions of doubt, connection, purpose and longing, all while maintaining a defiant sense of optimism that seems tailor-made for these chaotic times. Environmental and socio-political themes are explored: Human existence, clean air, fresh water, racial equity, democracy, and border concerns–– topics examined on occasion in his illustrious catalog.
Music Connection: Many decades ago you wrote songs on piano or guitar, and the lyrics on some paper, or typewriter before computers. But on this new album, much of the writing process took place in the recording studio. Not demo to master steps. Jackson Browne: To me, I am continually discovering any number of things or any number of decisions are interesting and valid and you can pursue them. You just have to be open to what you are feeling and what you are hearing. It’s all trial and error for me. I don’t really have a dogma that I approach or adhere to. Keep your ears open.
Songwriting is a mysterious thing. Sometimes it feels a bit like consulting the oracle. As a songwriter, you want to catch people when they’re dreaming. You want to find a way into their psyche when they don’t see you coming. On the new album it changed a little bit. I write on a legal pad with a pencil. And at a certain point I used to write the whole song out line for line to see what I had.
What I found out a couple of albums ago was that it would be really great to see it typed. And it would be easier to see what was there, instead of my terrible handwriting.
I read a lot, and to read it typed out double spaced helps me see what the lyrics got. I rarely start writing out the song on a word processor until it is pretty much half-written or if I got something. I use my phone now, the Voice Memo to my phone, and sometimes put the Voice Memo on and record whatever. Not think about it. Then I’ll have a series of these voice memos that contain the search. “Right! Voice Memo 395.” I’ll write that. Let me figure it out. I didn’t start doing that until the last album.
As a matter of fact, the song I started to do that on was “Minutes to Downtown.” That was a song I started a few years ago. And when I started looking for the thing, I was looking in the wrong year for this initial voice memo. There it was. One of the first Voice Memos on my phone.
I’ve actually written stuff one track at a time and shaped it. The long way around. From the beginning I used to use a cassette player. In the beginning I had cassettes I wrote with. After cassettes I started using Minidiscs, and they stopped making the damned MiniDiscs (laughs). I have boxes. What I liked about the MiniDiscs was that they had ID’s. You could actually label things and go right to them looking for a song. Now with the voice memo, it is perfect for me.
MC: Tell me about working and bringing your songs to fruition with band members in the studio. Browne: I rely on the players I’m playing with to uncover what is in the song. It’s always been that way. The music is informed by the way that everyone interacts with it in the room, and there’s this journey of exploring and cutting and re-cutting that can lead you to places you never would have ended up at on your own.
In the studio, I very often record a song that is not finished. All the lyrics might not even be there. But I want to know what the song can do. Before I finish the lyrics. That happened a long time ago. I’d written a song by myself with a guitar in a room in Spain. And what you do to make a song finished with one instrument is develop the lyrics. So I get back to go play it with my band and I realize that I don’t want to hear a second verse, I want to go right to a chorus. And I have to throw that verse away. And that changes everything about the song. But it’s clear that I don’t want to hear the band play two verses and then go to a chorus. I wish I had that information.
It goes back to “The Pretender” where I realized a song that I thought was finished was still malleable. I could make a change in the structure of the song not in the studio. To me that was hair-raising at the time, because in those days it was more formal. The idea of calling a session on the people that you have there and the amount of time you had to work in and what you are paying them was more imposing.
In the case of “The Pretender,” Jeff Porcaro and Craig Doerge played something that meant I needed another line. I had a two-line phrase and if they did that it needed another vocal line. And Jon Landau, who was producing that record, said, “This is great.” [I said] They are doing this dynamic thing “but you know I’m gonna have to add another line…” Jon looked at me and laughed. “Well, you’re a writer.” It was easy. So much happens in the studio that it would be all right to go into the studio with a song that was not quite written.
MC: You have clear-sounding vocal performances on this new album. Did you change your diet? There is such clarity and direction, almost Indian guide-like precise vocals on the navigation. Browne: [Laughs]. I don’t mind telling you, but I started working with an APP from the wonderful singer Arnold McCuller [vocal trainer], who has worked with James Taylor for all the years. This APP has given me a way to train my voice and listen to my voice. It’s a bunch of exercises. When I first started I could do it okay, a few simple sessions. And I’ve been doing that. I kind of came into my voice. I just kind of go ahead and learn how to sing at the end of my career. What the hell. (Laughs). That experimenting with my voice and the palate was something that went on during the making of this new record. And that is as much a part of developing the songs as writing them. I’ve always done the best I can with what I’ve got. But I wish I had known at the beginning of my career how I could develop my voice. I’ve always tried to be a better singer, but that sometimes resulted in me trying too hard. If I listen to the way I sang on Late For The Sky, on that whole album I hold notes embarrassingly long. I sing too strongly at times when I could have sung something much quieter.
MC: Let’s further discuss Downhill From Everywhere. Browne: What I think that this album comprises is a record of the search. Each case and each song represents an individual journey or subjects. The dreamers I started writing many years ago and I had the music, but the subject of immigration was a hot button subject a long time ago. You had the vigilantism on the border. And I was gonna try and write about that. It could get very hard to try and tell the story. I thought I could sing about somebody who has a job here and a family there. On “A Human Touch,” I started out wanting to talk about the conflict on the border, but the only way to talk about the conflict is to talk about the people living it, so it became about Lucina, a young woman Eugene and I both know. But the person who sees “enemies” everywhere is also a human being, and what I sing has to be true for that person, too, because I’m not talking about them, I’m talking to them. Even if they don’t like me singing about a girl who came to this country illegally, I want them to care about her.
There are songs, like “Love Is Love” and “A Human Touch,” they represent embracing a subject more than finding a way of talking about it. All of these songs are in the present tense, which has not really happened in one of my records before. I realize they are an attempt to, in the present, come to terms with an issue that is important to me.
On the song “Downhill From Everywhere” I wanted the song to be a great track that you didn’t have to listen to, or if you did literally for five seconds you’d get something from that, the juxtaposition of images. That represented a more cubist or abstract way of putting imagery together. Yet there is an overarching sense being made hopefully. Each of these songs represents a search to uncover––to answer––a question for myself.
There’s a deep current of inclusion running through this record. I think that idea of inclusion, of opening yourself up to people who are different from you, that’s the fundamental basis for any kind of understanding in this world. I think racial and economic and environmental justice is at the root of all the other issues we’re facing right now. Dignity
and justice are the bedrock of everything that matters to us in this life. Then there is also the fact that there is the challenge we face as a country to try and solve the problems that have been with us since its conception. We’ve got a deep flaw in our DNA as a people that we have to address. I see the writing on the wall. I know there’s only so much time left in my life. But I now have an amazing, beautiful grandson, and I feel more acutely than ever the responsibility to leave him a world that’s inhabitable.
MC: Los Angeles, California and Barcelona, Spain are central topics and perhaps at the core of this new work. Like “Minutes to Downtown” and “Song For Barcelona.” Browne: Yes. I’d say Barcelona is a city that I really love and I inherited a kind of apartment there that’s cheap to keep it year round and go there whenever I could. It’s sort of a city that I grew to have a history with. I wrote the song part there and part in Los Angeles. I always assumed I was going to record it there. I even booked a studio and set a recording date and then I couldn’t go. Actually did that twice. And each time I had to cancel those plans and realized practically speaking I had to record it in L.A. But I also realized it was more appropriate to record it with my band because we all love Barcelona. It was more appropriate to be a person from California singing a tribute to Barcelona. “Minutes to Downtown” is a darker song, even when it comes in with a minor key. On the surface, it’s about living in Los Angeles, but it’s really a metaphor for life itself. I adore this city, but I’ve been trying to leave since around the time I finished my first album. You can love and appreciate and depend on a life as you know it, but deep down, you may also long for something else, even if you don’t know what it is.
MC: Guitarist Val McCallum. The weaving he does with bassist Bob Glaub and Greg Leisz is wonderful. Browne: I’ve got some great players to work with. It’s pretty thrilling to work with someone like Greg Leisz, who’s a multi-instrumentalist, and to decide with him what instrument he’ll play or talk about the register. Val is unique. Very little words can do to describe what he does. He is the guy who is willing to go out on a limb and crash and burn. He is so thrilling and he plays something different every time, of course. What is going on between Val and Greg is amazing; they really listen to each other. It’s like there in duet.
They are over there on the same side of the stage; they play next to each other so they really hear what the other is doing. And of course they are playing the song, and I’m pretty much playing the same thing all the time; what varies with me is maybe the emotional charge or the degree which I almost never change the melody or the phrase that I’m singing. They’re the ones who put this fresh music together each time a song is played. And they listen to each other intently and are also cracking each other up, because they both are so good. They support each other.
We go through and designate who is gonna solo on a particular place, but that’s only the beginning of the story. They wind up accompanying each other sonically in terms of register.
Sometimes with Greg, where I do shows and he is my only solo accompanist and sometimes we forget what different instrument he’s gonna play, we discover something in the song or just the tunings that he uses. It’s a very fertile environment to be playing in a band with these guys. I don’t know how to talk about music. I just notice the most fundamental things. At one point we did a particular gig with this band and I hadn’t played with Bob in many years. And the combination of him and Mauricio Lewak was really distinct to me. Wow. He really changed what Mauricio was doing. Bob plays a particular way. I’ve done songs with Mauricio and we’ve cut them with some other drummer a few times. Or I called Jim Keltner who took it to another place.
MC: You’ve worked with some terrific engineers over the decades, including Al Schmitt and Greg Ladanyi.
Browne: Early on I produced myself and worked with an engineer. They were rare occasions where I used a producer. Those were maybe learning experiences, to work with someone whose job it is to chart a course and co-navigate a song. I don’t involve myself that much in the miking of drums. That’s an engineer’s job. And in some cases what I’m deciding about is the register of an instrument or what goes on with the players.
MC: You have some scheduled tour dates for 2021. How do you select a concert repertoire or pick a set list? Does management make suggestions or does the playlist come from band members or even fan mail? You have this body of work, and there are obligations to play hits as well as deep catalog. Browne: I’ve tried every which way and any way you can possibly try it. I’ll give you an idea of some of the approaches. No set list. Or just call a song if you are playing by yourself or with one other person who knows your songs really well. And you can just say, “You know, we’re not really doing a set.” Or I’ll let the audience know early there is really no set list. .... I’ve done that, and after a while my audiences are expected to call for some songs, but you start to feel like a juke box, so maybe that is not the best way, either.
For a long time I thought I had to play all my new songs. I’d make an album and go out there and play, but I had a good friend tell me, “That is not a good idea. Some people are there to hear what they already love. You can’t just play them a bunch of new material. You gotta give them a chance.” And he said “we never play more than two new songs. Never. Think about it.” That was Scott Thurston of [Tom Petty and] the Heartbreakers. That is a useful example to me. I love the Heartbreakers and when I’d go see them and they are playing songs from their entire body of work and those two new songs. And that was a very influential teaching moment. A learning moment for me from Scott.
Also, when it comes to picking, very often I’m not the best judge of how the songs go together. ‘Cause I think in terms of getting from one song.
The guy who is most helpful to me in that is Val McCullum. He is super-opinionated about what should come next and what should be included in the set and very eager to interact with me and help plan the set in recent years. And he’s really right about a lot of things. It’s all intuitive, you know. What do you want to happen next? Not everybody cares.
It matters sometimes whether or not you can set up, getting from one instrument to the next. I’ve got to reach for this guitar so I can’t do those two songs next to each other, putting a song in between. That’s a practical consideration. It does matter. Or I’ll be thinking stuff like I don’t want to do two songs with the same tempo back to back. It’s a mysterious thing. I enjoy getting everybody involved and everybody gives you feedback. If you do a particularly great set, “That one really works when we went from that song to that song.” It’s a band and everybody expresses an opinion about it.
MC: What are your 2021 plans and any projects in motion? Browne: I’m working as a producer with a director on a film about playing the drums. I’ve had the great fortune to play with some of the great drummers in rock & roll: Jim Keltner, Jim Gordon, Russ Kunkel, and Jeff Porcaro. So I appreciate them deeply. I don’t understand them, so I don’t really know that much about it. But I rely on them, though I don’t know exactly what I’d like to know. I’m a good sort of collaborator for a film on that subject ‘cause I deeply want to know. That’s something that is quite a departure for me and a lot of new terrain. .… There are plans for touring, which is a major thing and to be able to play again.
Contact sonny@missingpiecegroup.com Jackson Browne will be on tour this summer and fall with James Taylor. Additional Jackson Browne dates will be announced soon. For more information, visit jacksonbrowne.com For further Q&A with Jackson Browne, see musicconnection.com
Studio: Chicago Recording Company Clientele: The Smashing Pumpkins, Rihanna, Chance the Rapper Web: chicagorecording.com
Sarah Hamilton began her career in studio management as a recording engineer. She spent her first six post-graduate years at various Nashville studios including East Iris and Paragon. When the opportunity to work at Chicago Recording Company (CRC) arose, she grabbed it. Hamilton interned for a few months, transitioned quickly into management and has been there since 2008. Established in 1975, CRC produced a number of commercial jingles early on, but now has three Chicago locations with a total of 11 rooms. Much of The Smashing Pumpkins’ diamond-certified Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness was recorded there.
What sets CRC apart from other studios?
It’s our longstanding reputation and our facilities. There aren’t many places anymore that have five full music rooms. We have a
Sarah Hamilton
vast collection of old gear––great AKG C12s and Neumann mics––as well as all of the latest plug-ins and software. We’re malleable to clients’ budgets and different types of projects. If people want to come in and do a mostly analog session or all-digital, we can accommodate that.
What are some of the biggest challenges that face studios today?
The struggle is always getting in new clients. We have a great client base, but we’re always looking for new ones. We have such a high standard that our rates can be on the higher side. With so many people working out of their homes, they expect lower rates. We make sure they understand how much more we can offer. For our music side, most of our business comes to us by word-of-mouth and our reputation. With all of the music festivals in Chicago, Spring through early Fall is our busy season. Because of those experiences with us, artists often come back to do full albums. Chris Shepard had been our general manager for decades and also runs American Mobile Studio, a service that records festivals around the country. That’s a nice connection for us.
What’s an ideal client for you?
It’s always best for us to have at least a twoweek notice. Typically, we book-up about 48 hours in advance, but currently I have bookings all the way till November. We have a lot of clients who book large projects far in advance, especially during the Summer or Fall. Our ideal clients love to work. There are always the people who want to come in and hang around with their friends in a studio and maybe get some work done.
What’s one of your favorite studio anecdotes?
Not long after I started here, Sting’s management called. He wanted to record some video interviews while he was traveling. It turned into this thing where he brought in Christian McBride and they booked-out the studio just to jam.
What kinds of things did you do to survive the pandemic? Still allowed clients to come in?
We shut down for a few months toward the beginning. But immediately we set up all of our post engineers with home studios so we never truly halted work completely. We’ve put a max capacity on the number of people allowed to attend sessions. We have three live rooms [at the primary location] with a control room in the center. They open up to each other, but we’re also able to close them off so we can further isolate people. We’ve been able to record some great bands and some classical stuff because of that extra isolation.
Do you enable remote work in any way?
It’s less common on the music side versus post-production. For post, we still have engineers working from their homes. We do most of our sessions via Zoom, Audiomovers and Source-Connect.
Has the pandemic caused the industry to change permanently or do you foresee a full return to the studio, ultimately?
For music, I foresee a full return. It’ll take a while but we’ve always been an industry that a good part of the work has been done out of people’s homes. We’ve been battling that since the push towards digital decades ago. We’ll bounce back. [As of mid-May] we’re back to about 70 percent of our pre-COVID levels. People still appreciate being able to go into a professional working environment versus working out of a house.
What are the best ways for artists to save money in the studio?
Be prepared. Put in the time to rehearse and make sure that your songs are written completely. Walk into the studio knowing your game plan. It’s important to be aware of your budget from the beginning. Our bigger rooms are more expensive, but our smaller ones have the same Pro Tools systems. If your budget doesn’t allow for full mixing time in the large rooms, we can switch you to one of our smaller cheaper ones.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve ever faced as a studio manager?
You work with a lot of clients. Some of them are serious, some are less serious, so we can have sessions that go awry. Sometimes they aren’t following protocol, being disrespectful of the studio or bringing too many other unnecessary people. Those are the times when we have to shut it down. It doesn’t happen often, thankfully. Maybe once every two years. Any issue we’ve ever had has never been connected to the artists themselves. It’s always the friends.
What does the future hold for studios?
We’ll continue. We have a lot of gear that many people can’t afford to have in their homes so the need for big studios won’t go away anytime soon. People can hear the difference between a record made in a professional studio and one that was made at home. There’s also a lot to be said for the support system: being surrounded by people who’ve done this countless times before with great results.
Final thoughts?
We’re all going to make it through. Things will go back to normal. They’re already starting to. I look forward to all of the cool projects that were written during the quarantine. •
Candace Stewart
Studio: EastWest Studios Clientele: Rihanna, Elvis Presley, Lady Gaga Web: eastweststudio.com
South Carolinian Candace Stewart segued into studio management through her three older brothers who were all engineers at Los Angeles’ famed Record Plant. She moved to L.A. when one brother launched Take One where she began to learn about
Candace Stewart
studio etiquette and setting up sessions. But Stewart soon realized that her interests lay in helping in other ways, such as marketing. She’s worked at various L.A. studios and at EastWest through its various incarnations––it was Cello for a time and became EastWest in 2006 when relaunched by Doug Rogers. It was originally part of famed engineer Bill Putnam’s United Western Recorders.
What sets EastWest apart from other studios?
The history, the acoustics and the staff. When I was at Cello, we had five techs. Now I have just one chief engineer: Lawrence Malchose. A lot of our gear was designed right in this building by Bill Putnam.
What are some of the biggest challenges that face studios today?
Rates haven’t gone up in probably 25 years and equipment has gotten more expensive, as has real estate. So one of the challenges is to keep it profitable. This isn’t a high-margin business. If you’re lucky, maybe you’ll hit 10 or 15 percent profit, which is pretty low. But the sound library company [Eastwest Sounds] is very successful––we’re two separate companies––and we’re a tool for them.
People think they can record in their homes. While artist empowerment is grand, you can’t do the same thing in your home as you can in a place like EastWest. I don’t like it when professional studios close, because I take it as a bad indicator of our industry.
What’s an ideal client for you?
It’s great if a client knows what they’re doing, what they want and doesn’t grind me too much on the rate. But it’s our job to lead people, too. It’s also important that they’re respectful to the staff. People are excited to be here and they’re usually happy because this is where they want to be.
What’s one of your favorite studio anecdotes?
Paul McCartney once sang “Happy Birthday” to me, thanks to Dave Grohl, who’s one of our favorite clients. I loved having Chris Cornell, Scott Weiland and Cheap Trick here. When you do something long enough, your personal and professional lives intertwine. All my friends are engineers and I’m a champion of the craft.
What kinds of things did you do to survive the pandemic?
At first I told my staff that they’d have to go on unemployment. But Doug [Rogers] called and said that wouldn’t happen. He kept them all employed. We were completely shut down from mid-March to mid-May. But thanks to our clients, we re-opened on May 20th of last year. Financially, it’s been devastating so it’s been important to make people be safe.
In L.A., we’re all competitors, but we’re all friends. We had Zoom meetings early on with all kinds of people. I took the county and CDC guidelines and came up with a plan and we’re still using many of those protocols. The main thing we did was look at the size of our spaces and reduce the allowable per-person room limits drastically. Studio One can hold 70 pieces and we reduced it to 20.
Do you enable remote work in any way?
We’ve used Source-Connect for years but 99 percent of what we do is real-time, in-person recording.
change permanently or do you foresee a full return to the studio, ultimately?
I’ve already seen a return to the studio. Music is going to get heard and creators will create. People have used the time wisely to write a lot of music, so there’s plenty that needs to be recorded.
What are the best ways for artists to save money in the studio?
Be well-rehearsed; be prepared. We’re like a hotel with technology. If you need more time, that’s good for me, but I don’t like to see anyone be inefficient or get upset. A day is 12 hours.
Phil Spallina
Portion it accordingly. And have a producer. A lot of artists make the mistake of self-producing. That’s an error because you’re too close to it. You need an outside, objective voice to rein you in. An engineer can help with that, too.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve ever faced as a studio manager?
When Cello closed. But I also remember when a movie was being filmed outside of here on Easter Sunday. They ran into a fire hydrant and it exploded. Thousands of gallons of water came into the building. You can still see some of the stains on the wall and a lot of stuff got damaged. Fortunately, Sony Pictures had good insurance.
I think we’d all agree that none of us knew what a challenge was until the pandemic hit. One of the most important things to come out of this is the realization of how important it is to be healthy, take care of your family and to do what you love.
What does the future hold for studios?
There will always be a place for facilities like EastWest. They’ll remain relevant because the acoustic space enhances the production
Final thoughts?
For rising engineers, there are a lot of places that need your skills: live music, sporting events. Practice your craft so that when you come to a place like EastWest you can use your time wisely.
I love Music Connection. I used to Xerox your directories. It’s how I networked and got people to come into the studio.
Lastly, people need to remain hopeful. I’d like to see less polarity and more unity, regardless of politics and opinions. Use music as a connecting voice. •
Phil Spallina
Studio: Jungle City Studios Clientele: Alicia Keys, Kanye West, Beyoncé Web: junglecitystudios.com
Phil Spallina started at Jungle City in late 2012, 18 months after the studio’s launch. Like many in the business, he started as a runner: cleaning, making coffee and so forth. His entrée to the studio came through his aunt, Grammy-winner Ann Mincieli, who happened to engineer for Alicia Keys and is the studio owner and operator. He soon found that he loved the environment. His passion fueled his performance and it wasn’t long until he became the manager. Interestingly, Jungle City was designed by noted studio architect John Storyk, whose first commission was Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios.
What sets Jungle City apart from other studios?
Since 1995, Ann’s [Mincieli] vision for Jungle was to make it the best studio possible, sonically. So she brought in John Storyk, who’s one of the strongest studio designers. She worked alongside him to build this, along with a five-star hotel vibe. She wanted to make the room sound as good as possible, but also to make the artists and clients as comfortable as possible. She wanted anyone who came in here to make Jungle City their base.
What are some of the biggest challenges that face studios today?
COVID-19 threw a curveball into everyone’s plan, especially in New York where we were doing great in the years leading up to 2020. The challenge now is to pick up where we left off. We want everybody to know that they can come here, it’s safe and we’re putting health first.
What’s an ideal client for you?
I like having a diverse clientele. I don’t believe that you can survive off of one genre. Studio etiquette is something that’s important to us. Fortunately, we haven’t had clients who have come through and destroyed the place. Everybody treats Jungle with a lot of respect and I’m grateful for that.
What’s one of your favorite studio anecdotes?
I love the diversity that we have going on. We can have Madonna in one room, Depeche Mode in another and Rihanna in a third, all at the same time and they may never cross paths. I come into work and know that I’ll be a part of a creative experience and that’s more than rewarding. I’ve also seen paparazzi accidentally drive their scooters into the front door.
Tina Morris
Do you enable remote work in any way?
Even before the pandemic we did remote work. Often, the artist would be in New York and the producer would be in L.A.. They’d either Skype in or use Source-Connect. Remote work for us didn’t increase during the pandemic.
Has the pandemic caused the industry to change permanently or do you foresee a full return to the studio, ultimately?
People will return to the studio because they’re eager to get back to a sense of normalcy. I believe they’ll always be conscious of what took place over the last year or so. Social distancing is huge, as is washing hands. I don’t think our generation will ever forget these guidelines; they’ll be more conscious moving forward and hopefully forever.
What are the best ways for artists to save money in the studio?
Get to work. No playing around. Come in and get your work done.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve ever faced as a studio manager?
The pandemic. When we were forced to close, that was the toughest thing that I had to explain to our employees and clients. Some don’t take no for an answer: they wanted to get in and create stuff. We’re coming out of it, though, and we have a solid schedule. We’d be nothing without our dedicated employees.
What does the future hold for studios?
The studios that are reliable and consistent will always have a niche. There will always be a place for artists to get work done. Many of them have home studios, but they still value working in a professional one. You’re not going to fly in three producers from California to work in a home studio.
Jungle also has a lot to offer in terms of gear, whether it’s vintage or the newest synthesizers. Rarely do I have to rent anything. It’s a nice workflow when you can go into the storage [room] and grab a U47 [microphone], a Prophet-6 [synthesizer] or one of our more than 30 vintage guitars. We’re most proud of the EMI TG12345 Mark IV console that used to be in Abbey Road Studios. Before we even had a studio, Ann wanted that piece of gear. It’s her prized piece. •
Tina Morris
Studio: The Village Clientele: Madonna, The Rolling Stones, Nelly Web: villagestudios.com
Upon graduation from Berklee College of Music with a degree in music production and engineering, Tina Morris worked at various Boston studios. Shortly after getting married, she and her husband moved to Los Angeles, partly because of the enviable number of studios in operation. She started as a runner at The Village in 2006, moved into tech and later into engineering. When the previous studio manager left, owner Jeff Greenberg offered her the job, which she’s held since 2008. Some of Morris’ favorite artists she’s worked with are Elton John and Coldplay. She also loves when film scores are booked.
What sets The Village apart from other studios?
The hospitality. Everybody has Pro Tools and an 88R [Neve]. It’s also the sound of the rooms. T Bone Burnett called Studio D an instrument that he likes to play. We have a lot of variety; different flavors for different artists. Jeff [Greenberg] comes from a livesound concert background. He worked with Nederlander [Concerts] and ran The Greek Theater for years. We have a concert mindset. “Showtime is now; fix it now.” We don’t want clients to have to wait. We like to treat this like the Four Seasons: everyone is welcome and treated the same. Studio D was built for Fleetwood Mac and they recorded Tusk in it, although the days of full-on lockouts have gone by the wayside, mostly.
What are some of the biggest challenges that face studios today?
The use of technology brings a wave of people thinking they can do it themselves. They go back to a home studio or rehearsal space and realize that it’s cooler and more productive to work in a room with professionals. I’ve seen that wave a couple of times. To keep up and adjust to it is a challenge. It’s costly sometimes, but to be able to do that allows us to switch from a film score in the Moroccan Room to a hip-hop session in Studio D.
What’s an ideal client for you?
Somebody who communicates what their needs are, even if it’s challenging. An awareness of what we go through is also helpful. There are different levels of professionalism that we experience. Someone like Elton John or Dave Matthews is here to work and not to prove themselves; there aren’t a lot of egos going on. Someone who just got a record deal and feels that he or she needs to throw their weight around makes it challenging for us.
What’s one of your favorite studio anecdotes?
I’m thankful for how comfortable people are here. About six years ago we’d done Sara Bareilles’ record and she’d invited Jeff to her Grammy after-party. A few days later, he came in and talked about how great she was. At that exact moment, Sara walked in to say hello. You couldn’t have written that better.
What kinds of things did you do to survive the pandemic?
We were closed for two months––March through May 15. About a week into the shutdown, all of the studio managers got together and came up with a united front; we worked together. Even though we’re competitors, it made me realize what a cool community we have.
Do you enable remote work in any way?
When we shut down, my biggest stress was how to take care of our guys and to keep them working. I’ve been through a studio shutdown before and I knew that there would be a life after it. I had a shower-thought to do a “virtual village.” So I worked with my staff and considered all of the scenarios we might face. We figured out how to run sessions remotely, did a lot of major-label releases and even vocal sessions for TV shows. A portion of our proceeds went to MusiCares to show our appreciation that we were able to keep running.
Has the pandemic caused the industry to change permanently or do you foresee a full return to the studio, ultimately?
Right now we’re fully booked. We just opened Studio Z and I still need another room. I think what will permanently change is the remote access to monitoring sessions, because we’ve come up with such a great way with Zoom and different plug-ins to have high-quality audio streams. There’s a market for having a reason not to fly from New York to L.A. to be here for one session. Fifty percent of our sessions daily are remotely monitored. Prior to the pandemic, it would happen maybe twice a year.
What are the best ways for artists to save money in the studio?
Being prepared. If you’re rehearsed, it’s not going to take you 20 takes to get the right one. It’ll take five or six. Do a lot of pre-production so you’re not experimenting so much and know what your needs are.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve ever faced as a studio manager?
Scheduling and working with people’s needs. I call it “scheduling Tetris.” I can move people around when I have to. I hate bumping clients and sometimes people get mad. It’s not a money thing. I like to err on the side of creativity. Yes, business has to be a consideration, but it’s people’s hearts and souls that they want to get recorded.
What does the future hold for studios?
There will always be a place for them. We have to be wise about what technologies are out there and how to still be versatile. If The Village stayed just a rock studio, we wouldn’t still be here. What I love now is that we’ve got a lot of young talent and labels are starting to open the purse strings, because they’ve finally discovered how to make money off of streaming and the internet. Vinyl’s also making a comeback and that makes me happy. •
Cindy Larsen
Cindy Larsen
Studio: Guilford Sound Clientele: Ryan Montbleau, Valerie June, Ruth Garbus Web: guilfordsound.com
Guilford Sound was established in rural Vermont in 2011. Cindy Larsen has been its manager since day one. But she used to make her home in San Diego where she managed and booked tours for bands and also scheduled for two night clubs. Larsen moved to Vermont where her husband did stonework for Guilford as it was being built. She connected with the owner Dave Schneider, still loved music and was invited to manage the freshly minted audio abode. As a residential studio, Guilford offers overnight accommodation to artists, endless hiking trails and boundless privacy.
What sets Guilford Sound apart from other studios?
We’re a green studio. We have full solar panels, a whole HVAC system with ground pumps and a wood-fired boiler. We try to minimize our carbon footprint, have Passive House certification and are working toward net zero. The sound part of our studio was designed by Francis Manzella and we’ve got a great gear selection that rivals any studio. And where we are is so private. We’re on 600 acres and the scenery is stunning. We’re surrounded by hiking trails.
What are some of the biggest challenges that face studios today?
COVID was a huge one, obviously. But we were lucky enough to have a reserve to see us through. The hardest part was trying to follow all of the guidelines. We had a lot of tentative sessions that we had to cancel because the artists couldn’t fit into the state [COVID] requirements. But people really figured out we were here, because of the pandemic, since we’re so isolated.
What’s an ideal client for you?
We’re pretty easy-going here and are about as quintessentially Vermont as you can get. We like anybody and are open to any type of music or clientele. The person who gets it here is someone who wants quiet. If they want to go out to a bar at two in the morning–– we’re in southern Vermont, things shut down [early]. People want to come here to record and experience nature. Those are our ideal clients––someone who comes up from the housing through the woods to the studio. Artists who are used to the city sometimes take a few days to adjust. Also, anyone who checks out our mic collection and is blown away.
What’s one of your favorite studio anecdotes?
We had artists in from New York and the U.K. a few weeks ago and they saw a bear with its cubs cross right in front of their car and stand up on its hind legs. It was even funnier because one of them had asked if she was likely to see bears here. That was about a quarter of a mile from the studio. It’ll probably end up in a song.
What kinds of things did you do to survive the pandemic?
We shut down completely for about three months. After that, we opened slowly and were able to do a lot of local stuff. What was interesting about COVID was that people were looking for recording studios and Vermont was known nationally for having the lowest infection rate, in part because people are spread out and because our governor was so strict. People wanted to come here, but the restrictions prevented that. That was tough. But even if a client isn’t vaccinated, they can still come here and record as long as they wear a mask and maintain social distancing. Luckily, we have four iso booths. That’s how we’ve gotten around some of the restrictions.
Do you enable remote work in any way?
Not really. Our tracking room is really big and we have great sound. We have had producers work remotely, but we haven’t done remote engineering.
Has the pandemic caused the industry to change permanently or do you foresee a full return to the studio, ultimately?
I see a full return for us, unless there’s another COVID variant. We’re residential and weren’t allowed to house anyone for a while, so we filled in with a lot of local musicians such as Roger Clark Miller. We’re busier than we’ve ever been and are booked-up almost though Thanksgiving.
What are the best ways for artists to save money in the studio?
We’ve had some come here for two weeks and be fully rehearsed; they were ready to go. That’s the biggest thing: be ready to record when you come in. But some people have the budget to be open-ended and that’s always fun.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve ever
faced as a studio manager? Getting the word out that we’re here. In 2017 we were ranked in the BBC’s 10 most stunning places to make music. You can advertise, but it’s more word-of-mouth. That took a while for us to build. We’d hired a publicist and that helped a little. The pandemic also spurred people to find us, because nationwide Vermont was known as a safe place to be. Our story is probably a little different from other studios. It can be tricky for people to understand what we have here. They kind of think that Vermont is a hobbit world and in some ways it feels that way. But we rival any other studio and people are beginning to discover that.
What does the future hold for studios?
I hear all the time of studios going under. It is really tricky for bands without a big budget to record in a high-end facility. We’re also really careful not to undercut the smaller studios who can’t offer what we do. The smaller ones probably have a hard time making ends meet because people can do things on their own. •
Pat McMakin
Studio: Ocean Way Nashville Clientele: 3 Doors Down, Beck, Dolly Parton Web: oceanwaynashville.com
Nashville native Pat McMakin got his start in studio management as an undergraduate at Belmont University in the late ‘70s. While there, he oversaw the student studio and in 1982 moved on to Tree Publishing. Ocean Way Nashville––now owned by Belmont University––was opened by Allen Sides and Gary Belz in 1996 as something of an extension of Los Angeles’ storied Ocean Way. As an engineer, McMakin worked on Vern Gosdin’s Chiseled in Stone as well as with Ray Charles, Tammy Wynette, and Steve Martin on his 2009 bluegrass record The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo.
What sets Ocean Way Nashville apart from other studios?
Our amazing staff and our service-oriented attitude. We make it familiar and friendly. I give as much care and attention to a newbie who’s never recorded as I do to Bob Seger. The biggest differentiation for us is the room. Our A room is in a beautiful, 120-year-old church sanctuary with 30-foot ceilings. We do orchestras there and can seat 80 people. We also do a lot of scoring for film and video games there including Call of Duty and Fortnite. The video game industry is so rich right now and they can easily add $200,000 [for music] to a project.
What are some of the biggest challenges that face studios today?
Home studios. The technology has gotten so good that you can record pretty credibly anywhere now. That’s been tough to compete with. There was a time when the cost of entry was quite high. Now it’s not. A lot of people mix in private studios. That’s why about 10 years ago I started to look at orchestras––something we could do better than everybody else. Incidentally, Waves Audio contacted us recently about doing a plug-in. So now there’s an Nx Ocean Way Nashville plugin that’s a model of our control room. When you mix at home, it gives you all the spatial information that you’d have if you were sitting in our room. It even has a head-tracker. As you turn your heard, the perspective of the speaker changes, just as if you were sitting in front of a pair of speakers. People who mix on headphones love it. There’s an Abbey Road equivalent and I believe we’re outselling it.
Pat McMakin
What’s an ideal client for you?
Our A room books farther out. Studio B is a little easier to get into. But if you can give a twomonth advance notice, the odds of you finding a band and a studio that you like that all line up are much greater. As you start carving down from two months, people and studios start to get booked.
What’s one of your favorite studio anecdotes?
One day we had Joe Bonamassa in one studio, Keb’ Mo’ in another and a third client in B who was using Pino Palladino on bass. I made a point of getting them all in the same room and just sat back and watched as these guys hugged and laughed and generally had fun.
What kinds of things did you do to survive the pandemic?
The first thing that happened was that Belmont [University] called on March 15th and told me to shut down the studio. We had sessions booked for that night. They allowed those, but then we had to cancel a lot of stuff, which annoyed several people. They kept us closed for three months. But we used that time; our tech crew never took a day off. They worked straight through and did repairs.
We reopened in June. Violin players wore masks until last week but with brass, that was an issue. But I did some research and learned that brass instruments don’t spew any aerosol. We bought a UVC light so that we could disinfect the studios each night. A month later, we learned that surface-born [infection] wasn’t a huge issue. We’ll still use the UVCs during cold and flu season just because it’s good health. Companies like Netflix and Apple with all those shows ready to go needed scores. We could have picked up a ton of clients during that period. But we had to be closed for the time that
Do you enable remote work in any way?
Yes. Chris Lennertz, a composer who does the music for Lost in Space, can’t fly out to us, so he connects with Audiomovers. Sometime in the two years prior to the pandemic we’d invested in a pretty extensive video installation for this purpose. We have a four-camera feed with the conductor, two shots of the orchestra and a timecode bar. That’s transformational for a business like ours, because it takes a scoring facility that’s in the flyover part of the country and makes it a global business. I’ve done remote sessions for producers in London, L.A. and Tokyo.
Has the pandemic caused the industry to change permanently or do you foresee a full return to the studio, ultimately?
If anything, the pandemic has solidified what recording is: something that’s done as much in a private facility as in a commercial one. An area I like to talk about is to know when you need which. I love the idea that I can sit in a studio and not worry about a clock and it’s comfortable. I get those advantages. But there’s a moment when it’s easier to rehearse your band, rent a studio and a good engineer and knock out five songs. Then if you want to take a month and finish those songs at your producer’s studio, that’s great. You’ll get a better result if you do and will thank yourself for it. Track in a commercial studio. If you don’t, the social and human aspect is stripped away a bit.
What are the best ways for artists to save money in the studio?
Pre-production. When I produce, that’s a place where I really spend the time. Make sure you’ve got the material, that you’ve got it charted and you know all of your transitions from verse to chorus. That makes it go fast, because the band isn’t working on the arrangement as much.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve ever faced as a studio manager?
It’s always financial. Since streaming is what it is, a lot of the money goes to the label and not the artist, so the money they’d allocate to a recording budget will be tight. Budgets are lower, costs of doing business have increased, but the effective studio rates haven’t changed in about four years. Keeping a balance to what you can charge versus your cost structure is an age-old business equation.
What does the future hold for studios?
I fear that it will continue to be whittled down to a few in the city. But there will always be a class of people who will want pro studios. It’s a proven model that has value. If I were in the equipment business, I’d be looking forward to the time coming up [because] recording is becoming more ubiquitous. There’s a rapper who records everything on his iPhone. The bottom line is that breaking even is about all you’re going to do. You might have years that are profitable, but you’ll end up reinvesting that money. We need to have people who are willing to invest the money and the studio will have value to them beyond the rental income. We see a lot of studios that are sitting on real estate plays. There’s a little one in town and where it sits is zoned for 24 stories. It’ll sell when the right developer comes along.
Royer R-10 Ribbon Mic & dBooster
Early ribbon microphones, such as the ones made by companies like RCA, were for years a mainstay in studio broadcast recording. They sounded good, but they were fragile and were for the most part used exclusively in studio environments. Modern designs like those pioneered by David Royer, founder of Royer Labs, offer less fragile ribbon elements and robust construction that greatly expand the ribbon microphones’ practical use, including miking louder instruments and utilizing the mikes in live situations.
The Royer R-10 is currently the most affordable ribbon microphone Royer offers. The R-10 is hand assembled at Royer Labs in Burbank, CA, and is on par in quality and construction with any other microphone in the Royer product line-up. The R-10 has a figure 8 polar pattern and features Royer’s patented offset ribbon technology, which keeps the ribbon in its sweet spot when recording high SPL (sound pressure level) instruments like the electric guitar and trumpet, two instruments the R-10 excels on. It utilizes an imported Royer-designed metal grill, which helps keep the cost down. The R-10 comes with a swivel mount as opposed to a shock mount, but the ribbon transducer is internally shock-mounted so vibrations are controlled without need of an external shock mount.
The ribbon in the Royer R-10 is a thin (2.5-micron) strip of corrugated aluminum (the same as in Royer’s R-121) suspended between two magnets, which generates an electrical signal in response to sound.
What makes the Royer R-10 unique is its shock-mounted transducer and protective three-layer windscreen system, which protects the ribbon element from wind blasts and also cuts down on proximity effect (the bass buildup you get when close miking an instrument or singer). Its price also sets this mic apart from the rest of the usually moreexpensive Royer line.
The Royer R-10 can handle extremely high SPLs, up to 160 dB SPL @ 1 kHz, so placing it in front of a guitar amp at very high volume is no problem. The Royer R-10 is built rugged enough so that you will not be afraid to take it to your next live gig or tour date––it was the only mic used on Dave Grohl’s guitar cabs on the last 2-year Foo Fighters tour, so it can handle LOUD. The R-10, while an extremely durable microphone, still needs to be protected against excessive wind, shocks from drops, etc.
In use, the R-10 sounds extremely natural on electric guitars––the recorded sound is very much like what you hear at the guitar amp, and you can blend in an SM57 to get more bite if desired. It’s also great on brass instruments, drums and other high-volume instruments. Combined with Royer’s dBooster (for extra gain) it sounds really nice on almost all acoustic instruments and even on some vocals.
Royer dBooster
The Royer dBooster is a passive in-line signal booster that has two settings, 12 dB and 20 dB, allowing you to dial in different amount of gain when using passive ribbon or dynamic microphones. Combining Royer’s R-10 with their dBooster solves the low output level problem common to passive ribbon and dynamic mics.
The Royer dBooster is a perfect companion for the Royer R-10, functioning not so much as a pre-amp, but rather a signal booster that adds gain to the overall signal to create a usable recording or stage level. The dBooster is designed to be used in-line with lower output mics for sound sources like acoustic guitar, ukulele, vocals, etc. The Royer dBooster works great with the Royer R-10, as well as with just about any dynamic microphone, like the SM7 or stage and handheld models.
The Royer R-10 has a warmth and openness you will have to hear to appreciate. It’s a great microphone for live and studio applications and makes a great addition to any home or professional studio environment.
It is not the cheapest alternative, but for the price the Royer R-10 offers a step up to a premium microphone you will not run out of uses for. The Royer dBooster only adds to the microphone’s overall versatility and value. With a little common sense, you can use the R-10 as your go-to microphone in just about any live or studio situation.The Royer R-10 is available for $499 on the street, or $1,048 for a matched pair. The Royer dBooster is available for $179.
Find out more at royerlabs.com/r-10/ and royerlabs.com/dbooster.
