Sandy Stone: A Life of Purpose
by Jane Chiles
A multi-instrumentalist, performance artist, educator, programmer, and author, Sandy Stone’s lived a full enough life to fill several books. With a list of credits that includes Jimi Hendrix,...
interviews
We talk at length with record-makers about how they make records.
Roland Orzabal: Staying “Absolutely Vital” with Tears For Fears
by Larry Crane
If you look at the history of Tears For Fears, the original duo of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith only made three albums – The Hurting, Songs from the Big Chair, and The Seeds Of Love –...
Esperanza Spalding: Leaning Into It
by Larry Crane
With her eighth album, Songwrights Apothecary Lab, vocalist, bassist, and fearless explorer Esperanza Spalding blends input from various disciplines and asks the question, “What do we need a...
Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe: In-Between the Notes
by Ian Brennan
Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe is one the most innovative composers working today. With his experience in punk and metal bands, and as a vocalist, his compositions are grounded in a way that is usually...
Taylor Young: Valley of the Palm Mute
by Sam Retzer
There is a portal inside of a garage in Van Nuys, California, that leads to another world. A world of crushing heaviness, monstrous sounds, and violently compelling breakdowns. Despite its modest...
Tommy Brenneck & The Budos Band
by Geoff Stanfield
Producer and musician Tommy Brenneck got his start as a member of New York's Dap-Kings. He has since made an impression on the east coast music scene as a band member and producer on...
Gavin Brown: Producing Results
by Roman Sokal
If there is anyone out there who is meant to be working in music as a producer, engineer, and songwriter that would be Toronto’s Gavin Brown. For years, he has been Canada’s go-to...
Eric Earley & Blitzen Trapper
by Geoff Stanfield
I’ve been following the career of Portland, Oregon's Blitzen Trapper since their first self-titled release in 2003. I think I bought the CD based on the name of the band and album cover alone. I...
Lindsey Buckingham: Staying Grounded & Creative
by Larry Crane
Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours came out right before I started high school. I remember most of my graduating class (not including me!) singing “Dreams” at our ceremony in a park by a...
Steve Lukather: The Right Guy for the Part
by Larry Crane
Who is Steve Lukather? The guitarist, vocalist, and one of the songwriters of Toto. A session player with ridiculous credits, like Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Lionel Richie, Boz Scaggs, Earth,...
Lenise Bent: Fascinated With the Process
by Lisa Machac
With over four decades of experience, Lenise Bent has worked in almost every field of audio engineering, from studio recordings, to post-production, to film sound and foley. Lenise chats with Lisa...
Nathan Boddy: Cerebral Sonic Mixer
by Roman Sokal
Looking at, and listening to, U.K.-based mixer Nathan Boddy’s seemingly endless credit list puts him at the top of this game. He’s mixed everyone from Gary Numan [Tape Op #125] to...