Ep 18 - Mark Greenberg on Managing the Wilco Loft

The Truth About Recording & Mixing

Welcome back to the Truth About Recording And Mixing.

Mark Greenberg has been in the Wilco family from back before there was a Wilco. Now he manages and engineers records at Wilco’s Chicago recording studio The Loft. From his time in the band the Coctails to his role as the “everything guy” at Lounge Ax to leading the composer collective Mayfair Workshop and to his current role in Eleventh Dream Day, Mark is a part of the musical fabric of the city. This hilarious and heartwarming conversation sheds a little light on why.

The Truth About Recording And Mixing is brought to you by the Fretboard Journal from Crackle & Pop! Studio in Ballard Washington and is supported by Izotope. Get 10% off any Izotope product by going to their website and using the code FRET10 on checkout.

Topics covered:

0:00:00 Welcome back! Also ... we’re going to Chicago!

0:02:25 Welcome Mark Greenberg! Mark’s early years learning instruments, starting bands, going to art school, and starting the Coctails. Chicago in the '90s.

0:08:00 Lounge Ax!

0:11:00 The Coctails and how that led to making “music for use”. Starting the Marfair Workshop - a multi-composer workshop.

0:19:45 Getting involved with the Loft. Being called in last minute to work on Jeff’s first record with Mavis Staples.

0:24:00 The Loft - how’s it set up? How does it work? How do they keep all those instruments functioning? Using tape?

0:30:30 Listener question about the Loft and the philosophy of having an open plan studio.

0:32:30 And Zoom froze! ;-)

0:35:00 Pops Staples' final album. Stripping back the layers and rebuilding it from Pops up.

0:40:00 Wilco on the Road & what happens at the studio when Jeff Tweedy is out of town. More about the gear at the Loft & the gear that goes out on the road with the band.

0:45:00 New guitar builders, pedals, amps. Recording gear at the studio. The Neve console that once belonged to Sheryl Crow.

0:55:00 On the value of being ready for a session.

0:57:30 Solid Sound and MASS MoCA!

01:01:40 Eleventh Dream Day and making music now as compared to “then”.

01:12:00 The Wilco organization and why it works so well. Mindful leadership from the top down.

01:19:00 Scott McCaughey - Down with Wilco!