Tape Op Podcast

From the early days of touring with indie luminaries The Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens, to releasing six albums as St. Vincent and recently wrapping up production on a record for Sleater-Kinney, Annie Clark is much more than a modern-day guitar hero. Her left-of-center approach to songcraft joined with a unique sonic aesthetic, has made her a reckoning figure in contemporary music. Cian Riordan met Annie last year while engineering Sleater-Kinney’s album The Center Won’t Hold, while Clark produced. The two of them ended up forging a great producer/engineer rapport and have been working on numerous recording projects since then – mostly at Annie's home studio in Los Angeles. They joked about the creative mind-meld they had developed from spending so much time working together, so it seemed like a natural fit for Cian to interview Annie for Tape Op. Enjoy! Disclaimer: This audio recording was not originally tracked with the intent of using for a podcast. It was recorded solely for transcription for our print interview. Please forgive any balance issues, background sounds, and lack of clarity. Interview by Cian Riordan http://www.cianriordan.com Sponsored by Radial Engineering https://www.radialeng.com

Adrian Quesada first made a name for himself as a founding member and producer of the Grammy winning latin-rock bigband, Grupo Fantasma. Since then, he's been writing and working on several projects. Most recently, he partnered with songwriter Eric Burton and formed Black Pumas, an Austin Texas based band that has just released their debut album on ATO Records. It's a collection of classic soul-flavored tracks in great songwriting, but is not simply a retro retread. Taking queues from hip-hop and psychedelic genres and parring them with a mix of classic and modern recording techniques, and a live off-the-floor approach, The Black Pumas have created a future classic of their own. Larry interviewed Adrian back for Tape Op Issue #94, so having Geoff Stanfield, Tape Op online publisher catch up with him was long overdue. Enjoy! Sponsored by Yousician yousician.com

We interviewed producer/engineer Jonathan Schenke in November of 2017 for Tape Op issue #122, but since that time he has moved studios, formed new recording and performance projects and been part of a bunch of new records. Online publisher Geoff Stanfield caught up with Jonathan recently at his new Brooklyn based Studio Windows. Enjoy! Sponsored by Cloud Microphones www.cloudmicrophones.com

We interviewed Tycho's Scott Hansen after the release of his Epoch album for Tape Op #123. With the addition of vocalist Hannah Cottrell, aka Saint Sinner, his new release Weather introduces a new chapter in Tycho's music and gave online publisher Geoff Stanfield an opportunity to sit down with Scott in Seattle and have a song by song chat about the making of this fantastic record. Enjoy! Disclaimer: This audio recording was not originally tracked with the intent of using for a podcast. It was recorded solely for transcription for our print interview. Please forgive any balance issues, background sounds, and lack of clarity. Sponsored by Soundtoys www.soundtoys.com

A young intern fresh out of Full Sail University gets a big break (and a nickname) from Missy Elliott, works alongside producers and engineers like Timbaland, Jimmy Douglass [Tape Op #130], Demacio Castellon, and Polow da Don, and ends up mixing hits for Keri Hilson, Britney Spears, Keyshia Cole, Meek Mill, M.I.A., Usher, Wiz Khalifa, and Madonna. There must be a story behind this path! In 2014, she and producer Nate "Danja" Hills opened Dream Asylum Studios and N.A.R.S. Records in the Miami area, with studios for each of them to create and mix in. That's where I met up with Marcella Araica on a typically warm Florida day to talk about her incredible career and life. Enjoy! Sponsored by DistroKid distrokid.com

Heavy music wouldn't sound like it does today without the help of producer and engineer Nick Raskulinecz. We interviewed Nick back in 2005 for Tape Op #50 and so it seemed like a good time to check back in with him to chat about his move to Nashville, his new studio and his work with bands like Rush, Alice in Chains, Mastadon, Foo Fighters and more. Enjoy! Disclaimer: This audio recording was not originally tracked with the intent of using for a podcast. It was recorded solely for transcription for our print interview. Please forgive any balance issues, background sounds, and lack of clarity. Sponsored by Steinberg www.steinberg.net

I’ve been in studios and rooms all over the world. I’ve seen where The Beatles spent hours creating masterpieces. I’ve been in the room where Buddy Holly’s hits were made. I’ve stood at the mics that Al Green used on so many songs. Many of these places have something special going on – maybe those creative vibes soaked into the walls – but almost all of them require the musicians to cart their instruments and gear in, as well as to spend some time sorting out and setting it up. And, by virtue of the typical layout, many professional studios leave the musicians and engineers in isolation from each other, especially during overdub sessions. In contrast Wilco’s studio, The Loft, is a third-floor warehouse practice space turned studio, where Jeff Tweedy and his band have created a musician’s dream. Racks of drums and other instruments fill the space, with the control room area taking up the front part of the building. There’s even a kitchen/dining spot, a tech bench for repairs, and various little hideaways scattered all around the 5000 square foot space. I recently had the chance to sit down and chat with Jeff about his new memoir, Let's Go (So We Can Get Back): A Memoir of Recording and Discording with Wilco, Etc., and his new solo album, Warm. Enjoy! Sponsored by Rupert Neve Designs www.rupertneve.com

Dan Auerbach, along with drummer Patrick Carney, started The Black Keys in 2001 as a writing and recording project, releasing their first album in 2002. Dan also began recording and producing other artists along the way, initially with musicians like Jessica Lea Mayfield, Patrick Sweany, and others. Big changes arrived for The Black Keys in 2010, when the album Brothers and the single "Tighten Up" sold millions of copies and garnered three Grammy Awards. Dan moved to Nashville around then and opened up his Easy Eye Sound studio, a place filled with the best vintage and new recording equipment and is also home to many fun instruments. Sessions for The Pretenders, Dr. John, Shannon & The Clams, Lana Del Rey, and many more have gone on here, so I dropped in to hang with Dan, and his engineer Allen Parker, in June of 2018 to learn more about his career and thoughts on producing records. Check out the new Black Keys album, Let's Rock, and look for a Tape Op interview with Patrick Carney of the band soon. Enjoy! Sponsored by Soundtoys www.soundtoys.com

We first met esteemed mix engineer Michael Brauer in Tape Op #37 in 2003, when Mike Caffrey interviewed him about his multi-bus mixing technique. Some 16 years later Michael and Larry Crane sat down at his new space, BrauerSound Studios, to discuss his career path and unique mixing techniques. He's crossed genres frequently, working as a mixer on projects by artists as varied as Luther Vandross, Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones, Tony Bennett, Coldplay, John Mayer, Calle 13, Angelique Kidjo, Phoenix, Bon Jovi, M. Ward, Grandaddy [Tape Op #7], Caveman, James Bay, and Grizzly Bear. Enjoy! Sponsored by Eventide Audio www.eventide.com

Neko Case released her first album The Virginian in 1997 and since has released six records, documents of her growth as a singer, songwriter and producer. Her latest release, Hell On, still has whispers of her Americana past, but leans more towards an art rock record, with theatrical arrangements that highlight her vivid and evocative lyrics. Neko's recent interview in Tape Op was fantastic but there is just so much to talk about, so Online Publisher Geoff Stanfield caught up with her at a recent tour stop in Seattle. Enjoy! Sponsored by Audio-Technica www.audio-technica.com