Episode 120

John Congleton: Making Records That Feel Authentic

John Congleton is an American Grammy Award-winning record producer, engineer, mixer, writer and musician who has worked with artists such as St. Vincent, Wallows, Everything Everything, Bully, Angel Olsen, Future Islands, The Decemberists, Goldfrapp, Sharon Van Etten and many, many more.

In addition to his production work, Congleton has fronted the alternative rock band the Paper Chase, and writes music for a newer project entitled the Nighty Nite. He has also written music for various other projects, including MTV's Jackass, the Discovery Channel, Friday Night Lights, Evil Lives Here, and several Halloween sound effects/music CDs.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

  • Working with Steve Albini
  • Making recordings sound exactly how it sounds in the room
  • Getting sounds at the source vs. fixing/manipulating them in post
  • Using headphone mixes to help guide musicians to get the right performances
  • What to do when you can’t get the sound you’re after
  • Balancing the needs of a producer vs. the artist
  • Recording fat snare sounds
  • Reamping drums
  • Analog vs digital recording
  • Fighting the urge to be a control freak while recording vs. keeping things simple
  • Getting punchy kick drums without relying on top-end

To learn more about John Congleton, visit: https://www.nextwavemanagement.com/john-congleton/

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About the Podcast

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About your host

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Mike Indovina

Mike Indovina is a recording, mixing, and mastering engineer who has worked with hundreds of artists in multiple genres ranging from acoustic, pop/rock, hip hop, and more. In his time, he's been fortunate to work alongside artists such as KISS, Collective Soul, Ed Robertson (Barenaked Ladies), David Usher, and many more.

He's also the author of two Amazon #1 Bestsellers on music production, "The Mixing Mindset" and "The Recording Mindset.