“Working with Matt was a joy. He took great care to understand my project and where I was coming from as a musician, and his thoughtful, precise feedback was invaluable. He was always kind and encouraging, whether he was helping me to clarify a nascent idea, providing constructive pushback, or telling me to trust my musical instincts. He’s also deeply knowledgable and immersed in his craft, being equally at home advising on the technical minutiae of performance and recording as he is discussing the more philosophical aspects of music-making. I can’t recommend Matt highly enough!”
My favorite musical activity is producing albums & tracks. I strive to help artists I admire capture their work in the best possible light. The studio can be such a magical environment given the right attitude, people, and enough time. My first recordings (circa 2005) were made in our home studio that my Dad assembled in West Chester, Pennsylvania back when I was a teenager. In recent years, I’ve been using fantastic studios in Nashville, Chicago, and Denver. In that time, I’ve worked with a GRAMMY-winning engineer (Dave Sinko) and a GRAMMY-nominated co-producer (Liam Davis). I’ve learned so much from each of them, as well as from the amazing musicians with whom I’ve had the pleasure of working.
If you want to chat with me about producing your next single or album, please send me a note through the Contact page. I’d love to hear from you! You can hear tracks from my recent projects below. Scroll all the way down to listen to a Spotify playlist containing entire albums of my work, as well as a variety of singles.
“During one of our private lessons I’d remarked that I’d like to do something “special” to commemorate my 50th wedding anniversary. My wife and I had met on the dance floor in high school; so, music has been a theme of our mutual lives. Matt suggested that we produce a CD of music from the decades of my wife and my lives. Thus began an 18 month project in which Matt produced a 12 song CD incorporating music from nearly every decade of our lives including one of my own compositions. I can’t speak highly enough to Matt’s leadership on this project. He helped me select and refine my interpretation of each of the songs. He identified the exceptional session musicians who performed with me. He supervised the recording sessions and produced the final CD. Though I’d sung in various contexts over my life, Matt made this project the one I am most proud of. His sensitivity to my needs and expertise in all aspects of music made the project easy and meaningful. I recommend Matt highly to anyone interested in working with a producer who loves what he is doing and possesses an extensive set of competencies and experiences.”
Discography (Producer)
Lone Prairie – Matt Brown (2006)
Old-Time Fiddle Lesson, Vol. 1 – Matt Brown (2007)
Falls of Richmond – Matt Brown (2008)
In the Moment – Jane Rothfield (2008)
My Native Home – Matt Brown (2010)
Only Me – Kevin Neidig (2010)
Barrier Falls – Annalivia (2010)
Speed of the Plow – Matt Brown & Greg Reish (2015)
“Smile at the Sunset” - J. Ivy & Matt Brown (2018)
On Big Shoulders – Various Artists (2018)
“Grey Owl” - Max Allard, Otto Allard & Matt Brown (2020)
“Rooster” - Max Allard, Otto Allard & Matt Brown (2020)
Not the Marrying Kind - Michelle Billingsley (2020)
“Matt was integral to how Not the Marrying Kind came together. He was there every step of the way, from helping to decide the finishing touches on the songs, to sourcing the studio, engineer, and all-star musicians that joined me on that record, to discussing final mixes. I was worried that using a producer meant handing over control of my songs and my sound, but Matt made sure what I was good at shone above all else. He dreams big for you, fanning the tiniest flame of an idea into something you didn’t even dare to dream about. And he does so much work behind the scenes, all you have to do is show up. He’s supportive when you need it, and hands off when you want to figure something out yourself. This was such an easy record to make because of him. Highly recommend him for whatever project you’re working on. ”
Here’s the music video for the first single off of Michelle Billingsley’s debut album, Not the Marrying Kind out now on Western Myth Records. Check out this interview with her in American Songwriter about her process in general, and this song in particular. I really enjoyed producing this record. Michelle is a fascinating writer and a good friend, and it was so fun to bring these songs to life with her and a band of some of my favorite session musicians including guitarist & pedal steel player Brian Wilkie (On Big Shoulders, The Hoyle Brothers) and bassist Ethan Jodziewicz (The Milk Carton Kids, Sierra Hull).
In November 2019, I produced two singles for Chicago musicians Max Allard & Otto Allard. I first met them while I was teaching at the Old Town School of Folk Music and they were students there. Over the past four years, I’ve been so impressed to see the musicians and people they’ve become. I was honored to work with them on these two tracks, and to get to play guitar on them. We recorded at the aptly named Mighty Fine Productions in Denver, Colorado. One of those tunes was Max’s original entitled “Rooster.”
The other was the tune “Grey Owl,” which you can hear on YouTube below, or stream on Spotify, Apple Music, Google, or Amazon:
While living in Chicago, I created a concept album called On Big Shoulders, which was a love letter to The Windy City’s musical heritage. It was a two and a half year undertaking, and the project was markedly elevated by the tireless work of my co-producer, Liam Davis. Here’s the music video for our Wilco cover, “It’s Just That Simple,” filmed at I.V. Lab Studios as we tracked the album:
Lead singer Steve Dawson & I went on WBEZ in Chicago for an interview about On Big Shoulders with the legendary Tony Sarabia. You can listen to that here. Below, you’ll find my appearance on Big Blend Radio: