Interviews

WE TALK AT LENGTH WITH RECORD-MAKERS ABOUT HOW THEY MAKE RECORDS.

Trina Shoemaker

Interviews | No. 173

Trina Shoemaker: How to Lean on a Console

By Larry Crane and Matthew Coughlin

There are a few engineer/producers I've met along the way where I've meant to get an interview with them for ages, but for some reason it takes so much longer for us to find the time to do it. Trina Shoemaker has been one of these elusive folks ever since we first met in New...

David Lowery
Apr 11, 2026 NO. 169 Interview

David Lowery: Fathers, Sons and Brothers

For over four decades, David Lowery has been an innovator and thought leader in the music business. As musician, he's the founder and leader of both indie rock legends Camper Van Beethoven and the successful band Cracker. He's also a writer, producer, studio owner, educator...

The Ting Tings
Apr 13, 2026 NO. 168 Interview

The Ting Tings: They Started Something

Jules De Martino and Katie White are The Ting Tings. Their debut record, We Started Nothing, featured the hit song, “That's Not My Name,” one you may have heard in Apple iPod ads and many films over the last several decades. Home is their fifth and newest album, produced, recorded...

Chris Coady
Apr 13, 2026 NO. 168 Interview

Chris Coady

We interviewed producer, engineer, and mixer Chris Coady, back in 2016 for Tape Op issue #113. He has worked with TV On The Radio [Tape Op#155], Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Future Islands, Beach House, DIIV, The Drums, Porches, Amen Dunes [#164], SASAMI [#157], Hand Habits...

Michael Andrews
Apr 13, 2026 NO. 168 Interview

Michael Andrews

I'm not even sure of when or how we met, but I've known film composer and musician/producer Michael Andrews quite a while. We co-interviewed John Stephens, the brains behind the Stephens Electronics tape decks, in Tape Op#54 nearly 20 years ago, and have kept in touch since...

Charlie Peacock
Apr 13, 2026 NO. 168 Interview

Charlie Peacock: Being a Good Steward

He might be one of the best producers and artists out there, but it’d be hard to tell from Charlie Peacock’s humble demeanor when you get to talk with him. His recent book, Roots & Rhythm: A Life in Music, is an engaging read, chronicling a life growing up in Northern California’s...

Vanessa Parr
Apr 13, 2026 NO. 168 Interview

Vanessa Parr: "I Like To Record"

After studying Music Production and Engineering at Berklee College of Music, Vanessa Parr headed to L.A. and promptly jumped into studio work. After almost 13 years at The Village as an assistant and engineer, she's now freelancing and teaching. Her experience is wide, having...

Shigeto is Zach Saginaw
Apr 13, 2026 NO. 168 Interview

Shigeto is Zach Saginaw

Being in motion while at rest is a good way to describe Detroit’s Zach Saginaw, better known as Shigeto. The self-avowed “jazz school dropout” possesses a critically vetted track record, delivering meticulous records where jazz, hip-hop, and IDM elements blossom from casual bedroom...

Paul Malinowski
Apr 13, 2026 NO. 168 Interview

Paul Malinowski: Massive Sounds

Paul Malinowski is a cornerstone of the Kansas City, Missouri rock scene. His production beginnings from the 1990s and 2000s, plus his presence in the close-knit late-'80s scene, helped spawn the now-iconic KC sound. Paul is an engineer, producer, and musician who was a founding...

Chris Tabron
Apr 13, 2026 NO. 168 Interview

Chris Tabron: A Mutual Commitment to Excellence

I met Chris Tabron in New York at the AES Convention in 2019. We stayed in touch over social media, and I started to realize this was a compelling music maker whose discography was as all over the place as my own. When I asked Larry and John at Tape Op if they’d be up for an interview...

Felipe Castañeda
Apr 13, 2026 NO. 168 Interview

Felipe Castañeda: Out on the Ranch

Originally from Mexico City, Felipe Castañeda is the senior house engineer at Sonic Ranch [Tape Op#94]. Felipe is currently working with two critically acclaimed indie artists at Sonic Ranch studios – Blackwater Holylight, Rachel Eckroth, Portugal. The Man, Strawberry Guy, and a...

Bob Blank
Apr 11, 2026 NO. 167 Interview

Bob Blank: Catching the Moment

Bob Blank built his own Blank Tape Studio in downtown New York City in the mid-‘70s out of spare parts and eventually grew the operation into a multiroom facility. Blank Tape recorded everything, from gold and platinum selling disco records to the Talking Heads, Television, The B-52s...