Phillip Smith

Doors is one of my favorite things I’ve ever recorded. Getting to capture Noah, @gabesimonsays and the band, at @goldpacificstudios was something I’ll never forget! The joyous/nervous energy was electric and contagious, and I think it’s represented in the performances you hear. I was levitating in the control room as they played the song, with the speakers way too loud, just praying that Pro Tools didn’t crash. I think the intention of how songs are made in the moment is something thats felt strongly when the songs are listened to, and it’s magnified when you get a bunch of people in a room together to create. I’ll never get tired of being involved with music as long as thats something that’s still at the heart of it. I was a small part of a large team of extraordinary people who made this record, and this is just 1 out of 17 songs that are all full of the right emotion and intention to make people feel something really special. If you’ve got the time go check the whole thing out!!

When we stepped into the historic confines of RCA Studio A July 23rd and 24th in 2024 (where’d the time go?!) ———I described the sound to the crew that I wanted to go for, to which @ethanballingermusic responded ‘so like bros not pros’! And it was the perfect way to put it. ——- I wanted that joy, that tangible enthusiasm. And it was a few bars into the first song when I knew I had struck gold. ‘Grandmother Loves Her Robot’ is probably the most orchestrated of this bag of songs but it still came off feeling like a house band at a Palm Springs country club social affair. 💃 Just magical (I think) Here’s the details of who did what. I love each of em. I drove em crazy I’m sure -BUT I think they still love me back. Shaun Richardson: Acoustic guitar Ethan Ballinger: electric guitar Aksel Coe: drums Byron House : bass Mike Rojas: piano Billy Contreras: fiddle Uncle B : acoustic guitar Kristen Rogers: harmony vocals produced by Bryan Simpson and Phillip Smith Mixed and engineered by Philip Smith Mastered by Raelynn Janicke All photos by the great @shotbyleddo #grandmotherlovesherrobot #newmusic #recording #rcastudioa

@needtobreathe has a new record out that I was lucky to cut a couple of songs for with them at RCA! Thankful to have been introduced and for our continued collaboration. The whole record is great, give it a spin!

Spent a couple weeks with @konradsollsnyder , @willowavalon , and a crew of some of the best Nashville has to offer to making some cool country music. Thanks to @lemalwel for the assist as well as being my favorite person to hang with at our local haunt RCA. Check “Easy on the Eyes” out!!

Made a cool song with some cool people! And thank god at least one of my dogs liked it, swipe to see him enjoying an early version of Noah Kahan’s new song in the studio! Thanks @gabesimonsays and @itscarriek for having me along to engineer, and thanks to @albertosewald @maddie.harmon for making it all smooth and @ryanhewittmix for making it jump out of the speakers! And none of it would have happened without incredible musical performances from @noahkahanmusic @noahlevine and @actuallydylanjones who I was so excited to reconnect with after many years! Everyone in the room @goldpacificstudios made it an amazing atmosphere to be creative, and I’m thankful to have been a part of making “The Great Divide” there!

#nashvillelegends #protools #api #tracking #turnmeup #nofeetonconsole

I record records on the floor. In the studio. I enjoy the stew of it all. I dig the microwave family the players and the engineers and the interns and me all become over a few days. Punk Rock Show the song and the rest of this record were recorded in the incredible chapel knows as RCA Studio A. The walls are filled with pictures of the legends that have used it as their sonic birthplace. Somehow I squeezed my way in there and made my funnest record to date. I got the best folks with the best spirit and went to town. I used to just find the best players but I’ve learned - if they ain’t got the spirit too -all the skill in the world won’t save em. Thank God for @phillip__smith @akselcoedrums @ethanballingermusic @shaunrichardson #byronhouse for making a few quick days last June such a powerful time. Photos and video by @shotbyleddo #singersongwriter #americana #bryansimpsonmusic

1- Thankful to be a part of mixing a celebration of John’s life at the Ryman, You Got Gold, and am honored to be involved with the incredibly talented people who wanted to lift up the spirit of an amazing human being. I love hearing people’s stories about John’s sense of humor and love for life. It’s always an inspiring reminder to celebrate the people you are with and the memories of those moments that you’ll be lucky to have. 2- Picture Parlours debut album - a project that I still feel like was a dream. Thankful for @pictureparlourband and @gabesimonsays for inviting me to help make a wild sonic world for them to create an incredible record in. Listen to the record as loud as possible, because that’s how we made it. I was lucky enough to sneak one mix, 24 Hr Open, on the record amongst a bevy of heaters from the legendary Alan Moulder which is so cool! 3- Right off the back of the Picture Parlour record was a week with Colter Wall. One of my favorite moments is the extended vamp over the outro in the song “4/4 time”. You get to hear Colter and band at their peak in the world’s best recording studio. I recorded and mixed the whole LP, thanks to @lahonda.records , @patlyonsmusic , and @colterwall for having me! 4- I could write a book about my time with Bryan Simpson making a record, so far just the first singles out; Punk Rock Show, but it’s already made a splash in the local scene. Grateful to be trusted with such incredible tunes by one of Nashvilles true heroes. Bryan’s someone who puts his whole heart into everything he does; and I always admire people who are swinging for the fences everyday. The record features incredible players, wild performances, and hopefully a couple cool songs that reach your ears over the next couple months. Thanks @bryansimpsonmusic ! 5- I was connected to Bryan Simpson thru Eddie Spear who’s always been a champion, both for me and just in general. Eddie took me along to Macon to help make half of Marcus Kings new record, Darling Blue. The whole LP is a great example of a talented producer with one of Nashville’s best young talents; front to back it’s a treat to listen to. Thanks @edwardspear and @realmarcusking

Really happy to have been a part of this, thanks to @davecobb7 for the connection, and thanks to @colterwall , @patlyonsmusic , and @lahonda.records for having me record this at my favorite studio to make music in, over at RCA! First single 1800 Miles is out today. Record comes out in November! Check it out!

Cielo Drive is out today! @pictureparlourband and @gabesimonsays killed it with this one, and thankfully @akmichellee had a big old kick drum lying around. One of my favorite drum recordings on the album. Not pictured is the case of Bud light courtesy of @postmalone keeping the kick drum from moving.

Produced this really fun song for @chloekimes joined by some hip musicians at @soultrainsoundstudios ! Drums - @akselcoedrums Bass - @milesburgermusic Steel - @nick.larimore Fiddle - @ohkittymykitty Banjo - @twshuck Loved working at Soultrain with @ralphs_castle_ and @sam_melrod Mastered by the legendary - @raelynn_jae @infrasonicsound

India was a colorful place full of experiences I will never forget. I didn’t take any pictures of those because I was too busy dancing with friends old and new; but these were some of my favorite things I shot while there! Thanks @indianachilles and @palak_sarawagi for the invite :)