Matt Ross-Spang
Matt Ross-Spang is a Grammy Award winning American record producer, engineer, and mixer. His credits include such artists as Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Chris Isaak, The Sheepdogs, and Zac Brown, among many others.
Life and career
Matt Ross-Spang, born in Memphis, Tennessee, began working at the Legendary Sun Studio when he was just 16, working his way from an intern to the Chief Engineer. Wanting to capture what made Sun Studio great, Ross-Spang championed hard to find, install, and use the same period equipment that Sam Phillips engineered with from the 1950s.[1] His 11 years of dedication to Sun, and its signature sound, garnered national attention when it was featured by Lester Holt on NBC's Nightly News[2] and the Today Show, as well as NPR's All Things Considered.[3]
In 2015, Ross-Spang left Sun Studio to venture out on his own as an engineer and producer. His first project post-Sun was to engineer and mix Jason Isbell's "Something More Than Free" for acclaimed Producer Dave Cobb.[4] This record earned him his first Grammy Award.[5] The record broke several records debuting at #1 on the Country, Rock, Folk, and Indie Charts. It also broke Americana Radio chart records, staying #1 for over 25 weeks. The record won Grammys for Best Americana Album and Best Americana Song for (24 Frames).
Ross-Spang has continued engineering for Dave Cobb on records by Mary Chapin Carpenter, Chris Isaak, The Rival Sons, Corb Lund, Lori Mckenna, Brett Dennen and the album "Southern Family."
Other recent releases include the latest Sheepdogs record, "Future Nostalgia,"[6] and the debut album by Margo Price. Price's album, entitled "Midwest Farmer's Daughter", the was recorded in 2014 at Sun Studio [7] and released on Third Man records. Engineered, mixed and co-produced by Ross-Spang,[8] the record debuted this year in the top 10 Billboard country charts to critical acclaim.
Most recently, Ross-Spang was hired by Sony Records to mix 18 previously unreleased songs by Elvis Presley from his historic 1976 sessions from the Jungle Room at Graceland.[9]
Awards and Recognition
Ross-Spang won a Grammy Award for Jason Isbell's, "Something More Than Free" in 2015.
The City of Memphis named him one of its' "30 under 30" Memphians in 2015[10]
He also received a Key to the City of Memphis in 2016[11]
He was recently featured on the Working Class Audio podcast with Matt Boudreau.[12]
Selected Discography
| Year | Album | Artist | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | American Band | Drive By Truckers | Engineer |
| 2016 | Hollow Bones | Rival Sons | Engineer |
| 2016 | Midwest Farmer's Daughter | Margo Price | Producer, Engineer, Mixing, Wah Wah Guitar |
| 2016 | Por Favor | Brett Dennen | Engineer, Mixing, Recording |
| 2016 | Southern Family | Various Artists | Engineer, Mixing, Recording, Stomping |
| 2016 | The Bird & the Rifle | Lori McKenna | Engineer, Mixing |
| 2016 | Way Down in the Jungle Room | Elvis Presley | Mixing |
| 2015 | Future Nostalgia | The Sheepdogs | Engineer |
| 2015 | Something More Than Free | Jason Isbell | Engineer |
| 2015 | Things That Can't Be Undone | Corb Lund | Engineer |
| 2014 | Hillbillies and Holy Rollers | Jason D. Williams | Engineer, Mixing |
| 2013 | The Sun Studio Session | The Howlin' Brothers | Engineer |
| 2011 | The Sun Sessions | The Texas Two/Dale Watson | Engineer |
| 2010 | Shine | Nancy Apple | Engineer |
| $200 Sun | Tomislav Goluban | Mixing, Engineer, Piano | |
| Ain't Who I Was | Bonnie Bishop | Engineer, Mixing | |
| Black Crow | Brent Cobb | Mixing | |
| Cassidy | Brett Dennen | Mixing, Recording | |
| Get 'Em Next Time | Star & Micey | Engineer | |
| Grandma's Garden | Zac Brown | Recording | |
| Rooted in the Bone | The Memphis Dawls | Engineer | |
| Shedlight | Jed Zimmerman | Assistant Engineer | |
| Stand Up for It | Brett Dennen | Mixing, Recording | |
| The Sun Session | Grand Marquis | Engineer | |
| Trinity My Dear | Mark Edgar Stuart | Engineer | |
| What's the Secret? | Brett Dennen | Mixing, Recording | |
| Working Without a Net | Delta Joe Sanders | Second Engineer |
Source: Matt Ross-Spang Credits[13]
References
- ↑ http://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/sun-studio-makes-a-comeback/Content?oid=3678431
- ↑ http://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/see-where-elvis-presley-recorded-his-first-hit-n148741
- ↑ http://wknofm.org/post/sun-studios-matt-ross-spang-rediscovers-vintage-sound
- ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/something-more-than-free-mw0002845116/credits
- ↑ http://archive.commercialappeal.com/entertainment/music/memphis-music-beat/memphians-mitchell-ross-spang-enjoyed-grammy-triumphs-in-different-styles-2bd74cba-ef87-072e-e053-01-369159081.html
- ↑ http://www.thesheepdogs.com/news/701/the_sheepdogs_announce_new_lp_future_nostalgia
- ↑ Hudgin, Derek (11 April 2016). "Album Review – Margo Price's 'Midwest Farmer's Daughter'". Country Perspective.
- ↑ "Artist To Watch: Margo Price". Stereogum. 19 January 2016.
- ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/way-down-in-the-jungle-room-mw0002957198/credits
- ↑ http://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/20-30/Content?oid=3809214
- ↑ "Instagram photo by Matt Ross-Spang • Jul 6, 2016 at 5:16pm UTC". Instagram.
- ↑ http://www.workingclassaudio.com/wca-097-with-matt-ross-spang/
- ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/artist/matt-ross-spang-mn0002424765