Tag: Joey Sturgis

Hello and welcome to a brand new week of music industry insight and advice here on the official blog of Haulix. We have received a number of requests to feature the person at the center of today’s column, and though they personally have no reason to use our service their work has been protected by labels using Haulix for the better part of the last decade.

The music industry is a wild and widespread industry that often seems incapable of change. Every now and then however, someone comes along who takes our preconceived notions of what great music is supposed to sound like and turns it upside down. These people lead landscape-changing evolutions that pioneer new sub-genres of music, and far too often they are never given the credit they deserve because they do not spend much, if any time in front of the general public. Joey Sturgis is one such soul, and since 2005 he has been carrying the torch for modern hard rock by producing albums for some of the cutting-edge music found anywhere on the planet. He recently decided to foray into the world of production tools, and earlier this month took a few minutes to tell us about his journey in the music business.

You may not think you know that much about Joey Sturgis, but I can almost guarantee you have heard his work if you are at all interested in rock and roll. From Asking Alexandria, to Crown The Empire, Emmure, Emarosa, Blessthefall, We Came As Romans, The Devil Wears Prada, Everyone Dies In Utah, Dangerkids, Buried In Verona, and I See Stars, there are very few popular hard rock bands working today that have not spent at least a few hours working with the man at the center of today’s feature in recent years. He’s a true original, and we could not be more thrilled to aide him in sharing his latest efforts with the rest of the music industry.

If you would like to learn more about Joey Sturgis, please take the time to follow him on Twitter. You can learn more about his plugins by visiting Joey Sturgis Tones. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.

H: Before we dive in, could you please tell everyone your name, job title, and the studio you call home:

J: My name is Joey Sturgis. I am a record producer, engineer, and entrepreneur. I’m making plugins now, but I am not sure what the official title is for that. I do not have a studio to call home right now, but I do a lot of work out of 37 Studio in metro Detroit.

H: Thank you again for participating in this feature, Joey. We want to cover your latest plugin, but first we’d like to learn a bit about your history. Would you say music has always been a big influence on your life, or was it something you grew to appreciate with age (as a teen or adult)?

J: Music has been a major part of my life ever since I was born. My parents both played music. My uncles, my aunts, everyone in my family was musically gifted. It was pretty inevitable that I would end up doing something in music.

H: When you think back to formative moments and key experiences that steered you toward the career you have now, what memories come to mind?

J: I am not sure what specifically launched me into being a producer per-say, because I never really thought about it when I was younger. My uncle is actually a producer, but I never really looked up to him with the thought that I wanted to do the same thing.

When I was younger, even one or two years old, my parents would bring me with them to their shows. I was always surrounded by musicians and the musical community, and then once I became thirteen I wanted to be in a band myself. I started doing that, and the thing that prevented me from sticking with bands was that I never found something super stable or solid. I ended up forming my own band and figuring out how to record our own demo. That’s when it all kind of started and when I realized I had talent because the demo that we made got a lot of attention and people wanted to know who we recorded with, which of course was me (laughs). That was around the time when MySpace got big, and it was very easy to connect with people you would never meet otherwise. People would go to our profile and listen to our demo, then they would message us and soon enough I had people coming over to record with me. I didn’t really know what I was doing at the time. I was just trying to do the best that I could.

H: So you put out your own EP and bands started coming to you? Was there ever a time when you went after artists, or was there a demand from the very beginning?

J: No, it was pretty much immediate that bands wanted to come over and record. There were a few, of course, that I went after, but the initial response was very good.

H: It really did take off like wildfire. You had a few key releases early on that more or less shaped everything that has followed.

J: I attribute it to luck a bit, and being in the right place at the right time. Also, probably some kind of gift was involved.

H: A lot of critics have begun using descriptive phrases such as ‘the Joey Sturgis sound’ to describe releases you have produced. How would you describe the ‘Joey Sturgis’ sound?

J: The way I like to describe it is by saying that I bring out the comic book character in the artists that I work with. So, a typical normal record would be the band just performing, and my version of that would be depicting them as comic book characters with super powers.

H: Is that how you explain it to bands when speaking with them?

J: Yea, and it’s kind of how I describe the songs. Like, this song is a force or something and now I am going to make it sound/look cool by having it fly through the air or something. That’s kind of what goes on in my head when deciding how to make a song or band better.

H: Before we move on, what advice would you offer to those reading this who are considering a career in music production?

J: The best advice I can give is just to be really dedicated and motivated. Technology makes it really easy to be lazy, but that is not a good trait to have in this industry. Especially because of technology, everyone wants their material now, now now. If you can find bands in your area, record them for free and dedicate yourself to the craft. Eventually you are going to make something someone will want to pay for, and that is when you know you have earned it.

H: Okay, let’s get to the news item that allowed for this interview to happen. You recently released a new vocal compressing plugin called ‘Gain Reduction.’ What can you tell us about this product for people who may be unfamiliar with your tones?

J: The thing with Gain Reduction is that I wanted to create a plugin that could encapsulate my vocal sound in a way that wasn’t tech driven, so I did it in a creative way so that you’re not worrying about release timing or thresholds, or other common concerns. Instead you’re solely worried about what it sounds like and moving nobs and adjusting to the vocal in a more creative way. My main goal was to create a creative compressor and not one where you just type in numbers. I want more people to use their ears and the right side of their brains.

H: There do not seem to be a lot of other vocal compressors that can do what your product is able to accomplish.

J: Mine is very aggressive. It can be tame if you want it to be, the settings are all their for your tweaking. When I mix vocals I love for them to be right in your face. Every little sound coming out of their mouth and throat I want you to hear. Loud. That’s kind of what I am known for with my vocal sound, so that is what I was going for with this plugin.

H: This is not the first plugin you have created. When did you begin developing your own products, and what attracted you to this area of the business in the first place?

J: It happened kind of recently, probably within the last six months. I noticed I was getting asked a lot about how I made certain things happen in the studio, and that spawned a preset community of people looking for samples to use with their own band. That community was frowned upon though because they were not learning to produce, but rather just copying someone else’s work and calling it their own. I looked at it as kids not wanting to learn to produce, but rather just wanting to make music and put it out so they can play shows, tour, and sell records. The way I look at [these plugins] is as an interesting way to provide good tools for people who don’t care about production, but also make them viable in the production world, as well as allowing other people to connect with me on a deeper level. When I was growing up I looked up to Ross Robinson, and if he had released something I would have run out an bought it because I was such a big fan of his work. So I feel like this is a cool opportunity for people who like my work to try it for themselves at home and feel a deeper connection with me.

H: Do you have any additional plugin releases planned for 2014?

J: We have a full line planned. We actually have another plugin that may be ready for release next month. You can pick up all the plugins at http://joeysturgistones.com

H: You work with some of the biggest bands in the alternative music world on a regular basis. What advice would you offer artists trying to make a name for themselves in 2014?

J: Artists really need to focus on songwriting. I think that is the most important factor in becoming successful. Labels are looking for bands that are capable of writing great songs. It’s a very saturated market, but if you want to get over the competition you have to write great songs.

H: Do you have any interns?

J: Yes, I do actually.

H: If people wanted to be your intern, what should they do to apply?

J: It’s very hard because it’s so competitive and so many people want to do it. I usually end up finding people through weird connections and odd ways. People do submit resumes, but for me that does not mean that much. I want someone I can go bowling with, or go to dinner with, and otherwise hangout with when not working. I don’t want someone who is going to learn everything and run away. I’m looking for people who want to help me and want to work towards building everything that I have going on.

That said, I have so many connections to so many different communities that it’s very difficult for any outsider to come in. There are so many inner circle people that fit the bill that it’s hard for any insider to get in.

H: You’ve accomplished a lot over the last decade. Looking ahead to the future, what career goals have you set for yourself?

J: I do have the aspiration to win a Grammy. I think everyone in the industry, or at least people like me, always hope they will win one eventually. I hold them in high regards and think it would be amazing to win one because it would put me in a whole new league in comparison to my peers. So there’s that, and I also think it would be awesome to get a platinum record. I have a collective one, like two million sold, but you don’t get awards for that (laughs).

H: You have worked on nearly 100 albums since 2005. Off the top of your head, which titles stand out as records you’re particularly proud of? Do you have one release that you feel is your best work?

J: I feel like Reckless and Relentless by Asking Alexandria is one of the best examples of me being completely focused and very in tune with the record. I spent as much time as possible with that album and I am very proud of what we achieved with that record. People often ask me how we did various things on the album and that always makes me feel good.

H: Okay, I think we have covered just about everything. Before I let you go, do you have any finals thoughts or observations you would like to share with our readers?

J: I just want people to check out what I am doing with Joey Sturgis Tones. I feel like it’s going to evolve into something very cool. The idea I have coming up in the future are pretty interesting. I have a bass amp simulator on the way. I know there are a lot of people who struggle with nailing down the rock bass sound, so I want to put my own spin on a product that will do that.

I think we are in an interesting time right now. We can trade guitar tones and the like. Technology has made it possible for us to not only share techniques, but products as well. I think [in the future] you will see me collaborating with artists on a deeper level. For example, let’s say people who play guitar look up to Ben Bruce. They can go to Guitar Center and buy a Ben Bruce guitar, but that is kind of where it ends. I want to see if we can take it further and build a deeper connection between the artists and fans.

H: Thank you, Joey. We will get this live soon. What music are you working on?

J: I am mixing the Emmure album right now. I think I have Crown the Empire next. There are a few things I have to leave out right now, but things are definitely busy.