Gear Club Podcast - podcast cover

Gear Club Podcast

John Agnello & Stewart Lermanwww.gear-club.net
Gear Club Podcast is hosted by engineer / producers John Agnello (Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr.) and Stewart Lerman (Patti Smith, St. Vincent). Each episode of the podcast features an interview with a key player in the audio industry, and also offers tips and guidance to the next generation of engineers and artists. The podcast is an informative, yet irreverent, look at the art of recording by leading practitioners of the art.
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Episodes

#78: Ready, SETI, Go with Richard Factor

In this episode, Eventide founder Richard Factor takes us to outer space on a Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence. Richard is the founder and president of the SETI League: a non-profit, membership-supported group of amateur skywatchers hoping to catch signals of intelligent life from outside our solar system. Richard walks John and Stewart through the inception of SETI, the hows and whys of this galactic search, and one story about a real-life tin foil hat. For video of this episode, show ...

Aug 12, 202153 minEp. 78

#77: Memphis Music Magic & More with Terry Manning

With a career spanning over 5 decades, Terry Manning is an accomplished audio engineer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, composer, and photographer. Terry got his start as a teenager in the legendary Memphis music scene at Stax Records and Ardent Studios. He has worked with the likes of Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, Otis Redding, The Staple Singers, Shakira, Joe Walsh, Lenny Kravitz, Shania Twain, and Bryan Adams - not to mention his quintessential role in Big Star’s debut album, #1 R...

May 28, 20211 hr 47 minEp. 77

#76: Brendan Benson: The Dear Life of a Raconteur

Brendan Benson is a musician, singer-songwriter, producer, and founding member of The Raconteurs. As a solo artist, he’s released seven studio albums, most recently “Dear Life” released on Third Man Records in 2020. Brendan talks with John and Stewart about the recording of Dear Life, his writing process, The Raconteurs, and over 20 years of making music, from Detroit to Nashville. This interview was recorded at Sear Sound in January of 2020. For the full experience, watch this episode on our Yo...

Mar 30, 20211 hr 7 minEp. 76

#75: The Life of Dweezil Zappa (Part 2)

In this episode, Dweezil Zappa and our hosts take a closer look at his father Frank Zappa’s vast music catalog, his gear, and some of his more unconventional instrumentation choices. All in an effort to explore Dweezil’s approach to tackling his father’s work in his show, Zappa Plays Zappa . They’ll also delve into more details of Dweezil’s multi-faceted online music platform, Reward Music. For the full experience, watch this full interview on our YouTube channel & check out Part 1 at gearcl...

Mar 05, 20211 hr 44 minEp. 75

#74: Dweezil Zappa on Navigating the Modern Music Industry (Part 1)

This week, our hosts talk to Grammy award-winning guitarist and son of Frank, Dweezil Zappa. Dweezil recently launched Reward Music, an online platform for artists to host their website, engage with fans, sell music and merchandise, all while keeping 100% of sales. Dweezil talks through the features and benefits of reward music for artists and fans alike, showcasing the need for a paradigm shift away from traditional music revenue streams. Keep on the lookout for part 2, where we’ll go more in-d...

Feb 25, 202150 minEp. 74

#73: Fight the Dialog with Randy Poster

As a renowned music supervisor for film and television, Randy Poster is known for his work with directors Wes Anderson, Martin Scorsese, Todd Phillips, and Sam Mendes, among many others. He has had his hand in a countless number of works including The Irishman, The Queen’s Gambit, Boardwalk Empire, The Hangover, Divergent, The Wolf of Wall Street, Lost, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Tiger King, and Joker, just to name a few. With a career that spans over 2 decades, multiple genres, and several award...

Feb 09, 202150 minEp. 73

#72: Carrying the Torch with Chris Allen

Chris Allen is a Grammy-nominated recording and mix engineer based in New York City. He’s been the chief engineer at Sear Sound for over a decade and was a protégé of the late Walter Sear. Chris has worked with an impressive and varied list of artists, including Yoko Ono, Paul Simon, Fleet Foxes, Nels Cline, Andrew Bird, Ravi Coltrane, and Dr. John. Chris sat down with John and Stewart in studio A at Sear to discuss microphones, interns, crazy sessions, keeping things fresh after 16 years at Sea...

Sep 10, 202049 minEp. 72

#71: Nimble… As It Were with Roberta Findlay

During the 2019 AES convention, Gear Club took over Studio A at Sear Sound for several days of interviews. While there, the guys had the opportunity to talk to the owner and studio manager, Roberta Findlay. Roberta has a long history in film, working as a director, writer, producer, composer, camera operator, and actress in scores of movies from the 1960’s through the 1980’s. For the past few decades, she has booked and managed Sear Sound , founded by her and her partner, the late Walter Sear. L...

Aug 27, 202058 minEp. 71

#70: Gear Club & Friends Live with Lenny Kaye, Tony Shanahan, Kevin Killen, Gerry Leonard & James Mastro

In this live episode, we chat with Producer/Engineer Kevin Killen, Tony Shanahan & Lenny Kaye of the Patti Smith Band, James Mastro, owner of Hoboken's Guitar Bar & member of The Bongos, and Gerry Leonard, best known for his work with David Bowie. This episode originally aired on April 23 as a live stream in Eventide ’s Quarantide series. Be sure to catch more live Gear Club episodes on Eventide’s Facebook or YouTube every Thursday at 4PM ET...

Jun 18, 20201 hr 13 minEp. 70

Special Announcement: History of The Record Plant Live on 4/30

Join us this Thursday at 4PM EDT live on the Eventide Facebook & YouTube as we interview producer/engineer Ed Stasium, along with Record Plant Studios alumni Shelly Yakus, Jack Douglas, Jay Messina, Greg Calbi, Rod O'Brien, & Steve Marcantonio. With combined credits including The Ramones, John Lennon, Aerosmith, Van Morrison, The Band, The Raspberries, & Tom Petty, to name a few, this is a live, interactive episode you won't want to miss!...

Apr 29, 202030 sec

Special Announcement: Gear Club Live Interview on 4/23

Join us this & every Thursday at 4 PM on the Eventide Facebook page for a special live episode. This week, our hosts will be joined by producer/engineer Kevin Killen, Tony Shanahan & Lenny Kaye of The Patti Smith Band, James Mastro (owner of Hoboken's Guitar Bar & member of The Bongos), & Gerry Leonard, best known for his work with David Bowie. So tune in on the Eventide Facebook where our hosts will be taking listener questions.

Apr 23, 202035 sec

Special Announcement: Gear Club Live on Facebook Series: #Quarantide

Join us each Thursday at 4PM EDT Live on the Eventide Facebook Page for a special live stream episode! Tune in, ask questions & hang out with us in the comments as we chat with a bunch of our industry friends, both old & new! This Thursday, April 16 we talk with William Wittman, along Rob Hyman & Eric Bazilian of The Hooters

Apr 16, 202048 sec

#69: Gearspace Joins the Club with Jules Standen

Jules Standen is a producer, engineer, and founder of the audio website gearspace.com. Beginning in 2002 as a forum for engineers, Gearspace has grown into a Mecca for all things audio, from gear forums and classifieds to gear databases and reviews, Q&A sessions with famous producers and engineers, and a worldwide audio community. Jules began his career in music in the early ’80s at Matrix Studios in London, working with the likes of The Smiths and Siouxsie and the Banshees. He went on to a ...

Apr 14, 202053 minEp. 69

#68: Paul Lehrman and the Bad Boy Make Good

In this episode, the guys chat with musician, composer, Professor, filmmaker, music technologist, and author, Paul Lehrman. Paul was in NYC for the 2019 AES convention and stopped by Sear Sound to talk with John & Stewart about his career in the music industry. Listen in as Paul shares his deep knowledge of MIDI, the history of early electronic instruments and music, playing the bassoon, orchestrating performances of the near lost 1924 electro-mechanical composition “Ballet Mecanique” and mo...

Feb 21, 20201 hr 19 minEp. 68

#67: Sylvia Massy: From Prince to Tool & So Much More

Sylvia Massy is a producer, mixer, recording engineer, educator, and author who has worked with everyone from Tool to Johnny Cash. In addition to hosting a Mix with the Masters workshop at AES 2019, Sylvia was part of a panel discussion with other women on their experiences working with Prince, hosted by the Women’s Audio Mission. At AES, she made time to come sit down with us at Sear Sound to talk about her studio in Ashland, Oregon, current work, mentors, mixing, and of course, a few Prince st...

Feb 07, 202037 minEp. 67

#66.1: Where Does Gear Come From? The People Behind the Eventide H9000 with Greg Kellum, Jackson Firlik, Russell Wedelich

In 2018 Eventide’s flagship multi-effects processor, the H9000, received a TEC Award in the category of Signal Processing Hardware. Being such a powerful and innovative tool, we wanted to find out more about the work that went into its development, and get to know the people behind it. The staff at Eventide were kind enough to sit down with Stewart and John to talk about the H9000, Eventide, and their own backgrounds in music and technology. This is a three-part series, with individual and group...

Jan 13, 202058 min

#65: Damn the Torpedoes and the Rules with Shelly Yakus – Part 2

This is part two of our interview with the incomparable engineer and mixer Shelly Yakus. In this episode, Shelly offers advice on how to be a good assistant and talks about his own training underneath the likes of Roy Cicala and Phil Ramone. He also discusses recording to digital vs. analog, mixing methods, and building recording studios.

Dec 20, 20191 hr 22 minEp. 65

#64: Imagine Because the Night, a Moondance at Big Pink went All the Way with Shelly Yakus - Part 1

Shelly Yakus is a true living legend of music and recording. His mixing and engineering work has helped shape the sound of rock and pop music. With credits including Tom Petty, John Lennon, Patti Smith, U2, Van Morrison, The Band, Lou Reed, Stevie Nicks, Meatloaf, Madonna, the list goes on and on, and on. Shelly has an unrivaled work ethic and deep understanding of the studio, knowledge that he has passed down to generations of engineers and producers who have had the pleasure of working with hi...

Nov 27, 20191 hr 28 minEp. 64

#63: Wakin on a Pretty Daze with Kurt Vile

At this year’s AES Convention, Gear Club camped out in Studio A at the venerated Sear Sound in New York City for two great days of interviews with visiting engineers, producers, and artists. During this time, Kurt Vile stopped by to talk with the guys about his writing and recording process, meeting some of his musical heroes, his current projects, and collaborating in the studio. A singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based in Philadelphia, Kurt has worked extensively with Gear Club’s ...

Nov 22, 20191 hr 14 minEp. 63

#62: Breaking Through with Dan Korneff

This week, John and Stewart sit down with Dan Korneff. Dan has spent the past few decades producing, recording and mixing some of the biggest names in new rock including Paramore, Pierce the Veil, Breaking Benjamin, Sleeping With Sirens, and My Chemical Romance. For the past eight years, he’s operated out of Sonic Debris, his 2000 square foot multi-room recording studio in West Babylon, NY. Dan talks to the guys about building & modifying his eclectic collection of gear, moving from assistin...

Nov 07, 20191 hr 9 minEp. 62

#61: Steve Addabbo on the Road from Luka to Highway 61 Revisited

This week, John and Stewart sit down with a man who has worn many hats, Steve Addabbo. Steve got his start as a musician and studio technician, but continued on to managing, producing, engineering, and mixing. He played a key role in launching the careers of Suzanne Vega and Shawn Colvin, and has owned and run the New York City recording studio Shelter Island Sound for over 30 years. Steve has also mixed numerous Bob Dylan box sets, winning a Grammy in 2015 for his work on “The Cutting Edge”. Li...

Oct 04, 20191 hr 53 minEp. 61

#60: Out There at Camp Fuzz with Dinosaur Jr.

In this episode, John chats with J Mascis, Murph, and Lou Barlow at Camp Fuzz, a rock and roll summer camp hosted by Dinosaur Jr. in upstate New York. Live in front of a group of camp attendees, John sits down with the band to discuss their reunion, touring and the recording of their early records.

Aug 30, 201950 minEp. 60

#59: It's Not About Gear with Jeff Rosenstock

This week, John and Stewart are joined by singer, songwriter, producer and composer Jeff Rosenstock. Growing up on Long Island, NY, Jeff has been a purveyor of punk rock’s DIY ethic, founding the donation based record label Quote Unquote records, and with his bands The Arrogant Sons of Bitches and Bomb the Music Industry. Jeff has worked as a producer with artists such as Mikey Erg, Laura Stevenson and Dan Andriano. Jeff has also provided music for the shows Weeds and The Office, and is the comp...

Aug 15, 20191 hr 13 minEp. 59

#58: Tony Visconti: The Maestro, Up Close and Personal

This is a special up close and personal interview with one of audio’s true legends, Tony Visconti. We were honored to host a live event with Tony at last year's AES Convention which was released as Gear Club Episode 44 . Just prior to the live event our hosts were fortunate to have an ‘off-the-cuff’ chat with Tony and he’s graciously agreed to allow us to share it with all of you. In the second half of this week’s episode, John and Stewart dig into the Record of the Week, “Waterloo Sunset” by Th...

Jul 02, 201950 minEp. 58

#57: John O'Mahony & James Brown: Town and Country

In this final installment of our 3 part series recorded at the legendary Electric Lady Studios the guys sit down with James Brown & John O’Mahony in John’s mix room at Electric Lady. These 2 friends came to NYC from abroad looking to become part of the city’s vibrant studio & music scene. John initially found a home at Chung King Studios, & spent time working as a mix engineer for Andy Wallace. He maintains a keen focus on mixing, lending his talents to the likes of Coldplay, Sara Ba...

Jun 05, 20191 hr 18 minEp. 57

#56: Fostering Creativity with Lee Foster

This is part 2 of a 3 part series recorded at the legendary Electric Lady Studios. As Manager and co-owner of Electric Lady, Lee Foster juggles schedules, personalities, and a river running underneath studio A on a daily basis. Beginning his time at the studio as a general assistant, Lee worked his way up to become Studio Manager. With an eye for both preserving the history of the studio and maintaining a presence in modern music, Lee has cultivated a staff, atmosphere, and clientele that contin...

May 24, 201959 minEp. 56

#55: Tom Elmhirst: The Midwife of Audio

This is part 1 of a 3 part series recorded at the legendary Electric Lady Studios. Tom Elmhirst was a 1 year old when Electric Lady first opened its doors in 1970. Today, Tom resides in Studio C as Electric Lady’s lead mix engineer. Tom began his career at SARM studios in London under the tutelage of Trevor Horn, and spent close to a decade in residence mixing at London’s Metropolis Studios. Needing a change Tom found his way to New York City, and has become an integral part of the community tha...

May 14, 20191 hr 30 minEp. 55

#54: From the Heartland with Jay Farrar

After spearheading the alt country movement with Uncle Tupelo, Jay Farrar pursued his vision with Son Volt, who recorded three landmark albums in the ’90s before the groundbreaking artist put the band on extended hiatus and cut three solo LPs. Missing the free exchange of ideas and the surprises that inevitably occur when a group of simpatico musicians lock together, Farrar assembled a new lineup of Son Volt in 2004 and has since released five albums. Along the way, Farrar has collaborated with ...

May 02, 20191 hr 14 minEp. 54
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