Stephen Leiweke
Owner, Producer, Engineer
Yackland Recording Studio
As the music industry reinvents itself around new financial, distribution and creative models the role of “Producer” is changing considerably. All but gone are the days of millionaire album crafters who work in ivory towers surrounded by minions and lavished with inordinate cash and praise. Today’s successful producers recognize great songs and help artists bring them to life in the most cost-effective and creatively satisfying way possible.
The best producers today are truly servants to the artists and advocates for the fans. Their job is to do whatever needs to be done; including songwriting, editing, engineering, laying down musical tracks, mixing and mastering. They are the first to arrive and the last to leave. Their work starts long before the “record” button is pushed and continues well past the final mix. And while their hands are instrumental in the realization of the artist’s vision, their fingerprints must be translucent.
It is in this new musical reality that producer, engineer, mixer and guitarist Stephen Leiweke excels. He presides over a studio he literally built from the ground up, right next to his home in East Nashville. “It’s a house that was specially designed for both acoustic excellence and comfortable ambience,” he explains. “I designed it to feel comfortable and inviting and yet to have every technological advantage available.” His new musical enclave is just steps from the increasingly hip Riverside Village area of East Nashville. “We can walk a few blocks to get coffee or some of the best sandwiches or sushi in Nashville,” he offers. “But when we are working in the studio it’s this quiet, comfortable, creative space that we inhabit.” Dubbed Yackland, Leiweke’s new digs have already brought forth a wide range of stellar album projects, from children’s jazz to ambient alternative to full-on rock and roll and all points between. When not crafting album projects Leiweke can often be found composing and tracking music for film and television. Recent work has found its way to ABC, MTV, LifeTime, ESPN and in several national advertising campaigns.
Fortunate to have contributed to the music world back in the days of huge studios and major budgets, Leiweke knows how music should sound and how to make it sound that way. Whether working with signed or independent artists his method and work ethic are the same. “Budgets certainly matter,” he admits, “there is absolutely no stigma attached to independence like there used to be. Years ago if an artist was unsigned it was assumed that they just weren’t ready for the big time. Now I work with countless artists who are boldly, defiantly and happily independent.” Label projects are welcomed as well, and for these clients Leiweke provides one of the best cost to value equations in all of Music City.” Every time someone hears one of the projects that comes from here and says that it sounds like a major budget project, I smile,” he admits. “That means I’ve done my job.”
Leiweke cut his musical teeth as a guitarist in several nationally touring bands in the 90s and is still frequently hired as such. He was drawn to the production process through recording demos and live concerts and the studio captured his imagination and attention quickly. “I’ve always liked the way great songs work,” he explains. “The way a perfect beat rolls, and the various instrumental parts play off of each other and the melodies and lyrics is fascinating,” he says. “I just had to figure how that all happened and then learn to do that myself.” Through years of formal study and countless hours of on-the-job training Leiweke became a stellar engineer and song crafter. He has had songs published around the world and has had a hand in numerous award-winning projects.
Along the way he also developed a passion for helping artists decide and articulate exactly what they hope to accomplish through their music. Then he creates a safe, creatively inspiring place to pull the best possible performance out of them. “I'm excited about helping artists achieve their goals and visions with their music,” he adds. “I enjoy helping them find that place where they can say the thing that they want to say, in the way that they want to say it.” He also understands the importance of making sure the final product connects with the end user. “Every project I produce is designed to over-perform with fans,” he adds. “When the audience gets onboard things get really fun. Every artist – whether indie or major – needs their fan-base to be excited enough to spread the word on their behalf. I make sure that everything is in place for that to happen.”
John Thompson works all day in a Music Publishing division of EMI, and for twenty years has also been an independent artist. “I’ve worked in everything from $200 an hour massive rooms to basement studios and I have never had a more relaxed or inspiring time as when Stephen helped us bring our latest record to life,” Thompson says. “He’s a fantastic engineer who can dial in amazing sounds faster than I’d be able to plug a cable in, but he’s also a consummate musician and artist. That project turned out so much better than I could have ever hoped and actually came in under budget!”
Providing guidance and advice is something Leiweke does often and effortlessly. “This can be a very confusing and intimidating process,” he says. “I find that many of the same questions are asked over and over because the answers can be somewhat counter-intuitive.”
Examples?
Write a lot of songs, way more than you think you’ll need
If your songs are not ready for prime time don’t be afraid to co-write with others or to record covers
Be open minded and ready to be pushed
Don’t worry about previous or future projects; only the project at hand
Don’t wait for the album to be finished before you develop your release and promotions plan
Know exactly how to define success when it comes to your recording plans
Leiweke can also frequently be found providing strategic marketing, distribution and publicity advice for his clients. “Making the perfect record is exciting,” he adds, “but it is only the first step.” He calls upon 20 years of experience and a firm grasp of everything happening in today’s music world to help his clients build a comprehensive release plan that takes full advantage of every modern trick or tool. “The fact that an amazing album can be created for a relatively small amount of money is incredible, but it also means there is a lot more noise out there in the market. I’m determined to do everything possible to help my clients cut through that noise.”
Rock, pop, folk, jazz, country, alternative and Gospel are just a few of the genres that have come from Leiweke’s studio. If you are interested in having Stephen Leiweke help bring your project to life please contact him here.