This one is a long time coming. So glad it has finally on the shelves for everyone to check out. We went to Abbey Road Studios in November of 2015 for a show in London & to spend a day in Room 3 with a film crew and document some history about the band, roots, where they came from and where they were headed next. We also had a chance to do some recording as well, some fan favorites, and also at that point, new songs as well. Since I was a kid, I had listened to many records made there and it always seemed like a pipe dream to get to see the space, let alone to actually be in there working on some music! The staff engineers were very gracious and gave me a tour of all three studios, and show me some of the gear, instruments and memorabilia that adorns such an important place to all of us that do this for a living, but also love listening to the music that been made there over the years. The recording went well and the label had plans to release the songs for record store day in the Spring thereafter.

  I got the recordings back to Nashville in the early part of December after we got home, and was finally able to pull up the tracks at Undertow. The drums sounded just like I was still in that room! This was a live recording with the guys all in the same space, no overdubs, so bleed was everywhere, but it felt great. My main concern was keeping the vocal present without having to change the mix drastically when Jaren wasn’t singing. I was already familiar with the songs, so it was mostly about keeping that element balanced. For those of you who have seen them live, then you know how dynamic they are, so the mix was mostly about trying to keep that in tact, and preserving the actual recording. I could have added drum samples and make it sound more “radio”, but I felt that this would be more true to what that moment in time was, and hopefully it would compare to recordings I had heard in the past that had also been made there in similar fashion.

  The label ultimately decided to hang on to the record until the songs we tracked had been released on “Bury Me In My Boots” later in the Summer of ’16. So today, they have put it on the shelves for all of us to enjoy. I’m really looking forward to listening to it on my own record player, the same way when I was a kid used to sit in front of it, stare at the artwork and read the liner notes and wonder who worked on it, how & where they did it. This time, I actually know exactly how! Happy listening, and feel free to drop me a line and let me know what you think too…

http://recordstoreday.com/SpecialRelease/9441

Here’s some video footage if you haven’t seen it with the day of in studio live mix:

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Icelandic indie pop group Kaleo, has been in and out of Undertow several times over the last couple of months with my good friend Nate “Pittsburgh” Dickinson. If you haven’t heard these guys as of yet, you will very soon. They have a song (Way Down We Go) on the upcoming HBO series, Vinyl that I’m really interested in, and a new record coming soon. Check out their tour dates and catch them in a city near you.

Kaleo Tour Dates

It’s been a good week so far. Two of my favorite bands (and some of my closest friends anywhere) have music hitting right now. Monday saw The Cadillac Three’s new single “White Lightning” debut to country radio as one of the top 3 most added songs in the country. A timeless song and fan favorite that is sure to resonate with new and old listeners alike.

white lightning

Tuesday saw the release of Five Knives‘ debut record, “Savages” on Redbull Records. Nearly 2 years in the making, so proud to see this finally reaching everyone’s ears. I hope this is a big year for them!

5K

I also wrapped up tracking the majority of the new Bad Cop I have been working on yesterday and it’s shaping up to be nothing short of a record that will earmark a return of rock n roll to Music City. The guys and myself included have worked tirelessly to get this one in shape and I’m looking forward to getting this one out there soon as well.

 

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A few weeks ago, The Cadillac Three performed for an audience of friends and family in Nashville for a live taping for CMT’s Listen Up. The show turned out really great, and we managed to get a pretty solid multi-track of the performance that night. I took it back to Undertow and put a mix on it that we all felt really good about. Word has it that CMT has chosen to move the video into heavy rotation as of today! White Lightning is a band and crowd favorite, so I’m glad we were able to capture a special performance that hopefully everyone will enjoy. Special thanks to Roxanne Ricks at Audio Technica for the microphones, and John Richmond at Budda/Trace Elliot for the amps, and Roger Gibbons and the whole Clair Audio crew for the sound reinforcement at the show. Please check this tune and the other videos from that show and let me know what you think!

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http://www.cmt.com/artists/collections/cmt-listen-up/896712/

I must really be into the future, or maybe better yet, into bands with future in their name. Here’s the premiere of Chicago’s @FutureLaureates new single on @thevillagevoice music page I tracked in Chicago with the band, then mixed at Undertow in the winter earlier this year. Probably my favorite track on the EP, although it’s a tough choice to only choose one. Look forward to seeing what these guys do next, and love to know what you think of what we came up with so far… Full EP is coming soon!

 

 http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2014/09/premiere_the_future_laureates_get_sinners_and_saints.php

Grainger is currently traveling a good bit for work outside of Undertow Studio. In addition Grainger is getting more frequent requests for mixing outside material.

Undertow is available for select projects and time frames for tracking & overdubs throughout the year when he is out of town.

If you are interested in having Grainger mix your material as his schedule permits or curious about current studio availability, please contact:

jon@itsgrainger.com for upcoming dates & rates.

Very glad to see this record finally getting the exposure it deserves. Check out Ace Reporter’s new track “Trouble,” premiering over at FILTER Magazine. One of my favorite projects I’ve ever been a part of. Looking forward to what is to come with my friend Chris Snyder and his project “Ace Reporter” in the near future! Good luck out there guys!

 

http://filtermagazine.com/index.php/media/entry/listen_ace_reporter_release_trouble_filter_premiere

Really excited for the world to see this video. As some of you may know, Kyle and I have been working together for quite some time, and we’re really both really proud of his new album, Brighter Than the Sun, that will be out in July 23rd via his own Elephant Lady Records. We often reference lazer beams, spaceships and various other worldly sounds while recording, and he’s finally figured out a way to bridge the gap between talking about it and actually doing it. Big props to him and director Will Holland for bringing this idea to fruition and I think it perfectly matches the concept of the song. Hope you will think so too, and please get this record when it comes out in a few weeks!

 

http://mashable.com/2013/05/29/kyle-andrews-ipad-gopro/