David Pollock

New CAKE song is out now. I had the honor of mixing it and recording drums, bass, guitar, and some other goodies (not vibraslap, unfortunately). The song is called “Sinking Ship,” and it‘s about how we are totally fucked. The video is awesome too!

Listen here

Rolling Stone article and video

In December 2017 and June 2018, I had the pleasure of spending several weeks at Sonic Ranch Recording Studios in Tornillo, TX, working on albums with Adam Brock (Old Wave), Matthew Heller, and Common Dear.

An incredibly broad range of musical styles were explored, bizarre recording techniques utilized, and friendships formed with other artists from around the world, who were all there pursuing a similar inspiring experience.

At the time of writing (August 2018), none of this material is yet released— most is in the mixing stage here at Fortress Galaxy.  And Adam Brock and I just had a session at New Monkey Studio in Los Angeles, where we added more drums, flute, clarinet, upright bass, violin, and saxophone to his record. It’s sounding outrageous… think Andy Shauf meets Pet Sounds.

In the meantime, here are some photos from our adventures at Sonic Ranch!

Ari Chersky made a mind-altering avant garde record that features some of the most insane performances and compositions I’ve ever heard, and for sure have ever been a part of. I had the pleasure of mixing the album, and recording many of the weirdo guitars and instruments, over the past year. Give this a listen on Bandcamp.

Last year I had the pleasure of mixing the debut EP by The Tamed West. Recently we got started on their first full-length, tracking drums and bass at Trash Treasury, which is the rad and affordable studio owned by Wild Ones and Clayton Knapp. We finished guitars and are now onto vocals… this is going to be a great one… swirling guitars and vocals, psych elements without straying from pop form.

(Photo by Todd Walberg)

The self-titled Kulululu album is a fun blast of weirdo rock energy.  Recorded almost all-live, doing several songs in each half-day recording session. The band and I sat down with Eleven Magazine to discuss all things relating to the recording process and the band’s identity.

Listen to the album here, check out the interview here.

(Photo #1 by Alexander Fattal, #2 by Heather Hanson)

Very psyched to announce the release of the new self-titled Tamed West album! I had the pleasure of recording and mixing, and am proud of the sonic palate we developed to complement the fantastic songwriting and musicianship. Give a listen on Bandcamp or Spotify.

Wrapped up a fantastic album with The Tamed West a couple months back, and they’ve released the first single right here. Recorded and mixed by myself, and mastered by Timothy Stollenwerk.

(Photo by Todd Walberg)

Had a blast recording and co-producing the latest album from Seattle band My Goodness. We recorded this at The Hallowed Halls and Supernatural Sound over some seriously cold winter days. This record is a major step for the band, diving into new sonic territory. Check out the Vice/Noisey article, or give it a listen on Spotify or iTunes.

Haley Heynderickx has been coming through the studio to do some solo recording for a potential future release. Her voice is out of this world, the songs are haunting. She’s bringing songs into the studio that are stripped down and simple, guitar and voice, and we are experimenting with additional instruments and spontaneous production ideas...vocals in the stairwell, casual plunking on the piano getting recorded by distant un-positioned mics, live snapback echo via my Studer A80 tape deck…all the fun shit!

An amazing week was spent at Sonic Ranch Studios in Tornillo, TX, back in May. Working in Studio A, we tracked drums for Matthew Heller’s forthcoming LP, with me having the pleasure of drumming (1970s Rogers kit). Got some unbelievable sounds. One night Matthew stayed up until 7am writing a new song, and we recorded it together live that same day on the incredible 1920’s Steinway grand piano. I was blown away by how the AEA R88 stereo ribbon microphone sounded on that piano, so the next week when I was visiting LA and stopped in at Vintage King, I added one to my collection…as well as a huge speaker upgrade, with new PMC twotwo.5 speakers for my mix room.

Also while at Sonic Ranch, my buddy Eli brought his new LA-based project called Almost Reuben, down to the studio. Added fresh drum tracks and did a mix for a song that we spent a solid week working on back in February at my studio. It's a unique sound that I have difficulty describing…can't wait for it to come out. 

So great to have this out there finally! Latest Tango Alpha Tango LP is a beast of a record… we had an amazing time putting it together last spring/summer. Recorded and mixed almost entirely analog at Supernatural Sound… lots of strange guitars and keys made their way into this album.

http://tangoalphatango.bandcamp.com/album/white-sugar

End of 2015 and beginning of 2016 = busy fun, working on all kinds of music.

Recorded and mixed an amazing album with Pilgrim, that falls right between The Cure and War on Drugs. I can't wait to share this with the world... the songs are moving, and we created some incredible sounds. Recorded entirely on 2" tape at Supernatural.

Recorded a new full-length for Seattle band My Goodness, at the Hallowed Halls studio. We are mixing it right this moment at my mix studio, Fortress Galaxy. Major creative departure from their other records... this one leans more on pop/electronics/big beats and less on the blues...but still lots of guitars and slammin drums.

Had a few more sessions with ska/punk/costume-wearing weirdos Kulululu...love this band...looks like there will be an EP release in the not-too-distant future.

More sessions with Matthew Heller as well. This project is turning into something we could not have predicted...I'm playing drums and quite a bit of electric guitar, Matthew's on piano and stacking vocals like a one-man choir... but there's also a choir coming soon, and we're working on string and horn arrangements right now with our friends Lily Breshears (Haley Heynderickx, Big Haunt), and Ian Christensen. Every session is an adventure!

Photo: Pilgrim, by Robbie Augspurger

Huge congrats to Liz Vice... her recently-released album There's A Light just earned spots on three different Billboard Charts:

Gospel Album: #3

R&B Album: #13

Christian / Gospel Album: #37

I had the pleasure of recording this album at Jackpot awhile back.  Listen here.

Mix Magazine gave a shoutout in their latest issue, for some of the projects I've worked on recently at Supernatural Sound.  An honor to be mentioned among such talented peers!

We recently wrapped up a new Tango Alpha Tango album, produced by Nathan Trueb and myself, and recorded and mixed at Supernatural Sound (mostly live, on 2" analog tape).  It's a bit of a departure from their previous album, which we also recorded at Supernatural.  Really excited for this to come out in the late fall/winter.  Photos by Tango Alpha Tango.

It's been an awesome and varied summer in the studio...

-I've been deep in production with Matthew Heller on a new full-length record

-We wrapped up Tango Alpha Tango album production, at Supernatural Sound

-Recording new music for Kulululu

-Mixing a new album for Common, Dear (recorded at Supernatural)

-Recorded drums, vocals, and guitar for Night Sea, produced by Buddy Ross (Frank Ocean producer and keyboardist, Motopony founder)

-More exciting stuff in the works for fall!

-Photo: Kulululu.  Credit: Hasmood.

Earlier this year I mixed a new EP for The Tamed West.  Love this band's energy... a must-see live show.

EP stream:  https://thetamedwest.bandcamp.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/thetamedwest

Official:  http://thetamedwest.com/

I recently finished mixing the forthcoming Old Wave album...it's full of wonderfully intricate yet simple songs, led by the talents of Mr. Adam Brock.  Here's a video of the single, "Indian Summer"

In the winter of 2014, Big Haunt put out an EP called Devotionals, which we recorded at Supernatural and mixed at my home studio.  Right now we're mixing their second EP at my new studio, Fortress Galaxy.  It was recorded at my home studio before moving into my new space, and it's shaping up to be pretty amazing.  Really looking forward to sharing this.

The past few months have brought so many great projects with a huge variety of artists.  And we continue forth into the new year!

Recently finished recording and mixing the forthcoming Big Haunt EP. They have one single up right now, and more to come…along with an incredible video directed by Sam Kuhn, and a string of live shows.

Tangerine came down from Seattle to record a few new songs. Almost wrapped up with those.  They also came down in August to do a live analog recording and video with us at Supernatural- watch here.

City Pools is a duo originally from San Francisco, and they came through Jackpot for a week track a new LP.  I had the pleasure of assisting the super-badass New York producer John Agnello (Kurt Vile, Dinosaur Jr, Okkervil River).

And in November, I travelled to Oakland to do a record in a warehouse with Father Young Woman– a new band who created a 60-minute track that’s heavy, glitchy, bluesy, and based around a single badass guitar riff.  Hear it at fatheryoungwoman.com

Seattle band Tangerine came to Supernatural awhile back, and we shot a live video and captured a live recording onto analog tape, for their song “Mars.”  Grahame Bywater directed.

Congrats to Wild Ones for being included in TIME Magazine’s 14 Musical Acts to Watch in 2014!

Horsemanship recording session // drums on tape // Oct 2013

Recording Tom Schecter at Jackpot Studios /// Aug 2013

Punishing some drums with Tango Alpha Tango (Taken with Instagram)

Mixing the Wild Ones album, Clayton asking the big questions. (photo by Wild Ones) (Taken with Instagram)

New toy! Ampex 601 tube pre. Born many decades ago.

"Black Cloud" album tracking sessions at Supernatural Sound.  Photos by Tango Alpha Tango.

I had the opportunity to set up a mobile studio in a barn forTyphoon to record their album "White Lighter." We dug into the Supernatural equipment collection & my own, to give Typhoon and engineer Paul Laxer a powerful and flexible setup for 6 weeks of live tracking & overdubbing.  Gear included a 24 channel Toft ATB console, UA 1176, (2) LA-4’s, (2) TubeTech PE1C eq’s, UA LA610, Blue Bottle, Royer 121, Neumann KM184’s, and many more goodies.  [Photos by Hakeem Hashash]

Recording drums for the Sea Wolf album "Old World Romance," out on Dangerbird Records.  [Photo by Alex Brown Church]