WCA #599 with Alex Newport – Three Decades of Production, a Studio in the Desert, Engineering at Tiny Telephone, and Why Unique Always Beats Good

Matt welcomes producer, engineer, and mixer Alex Newport for his first appearance on Working Class Audio. Alex grew up in the UK Midlands with few music resources, and found his way into production after his band got signed to a UK label with an upstream deal to Columbia, and ended up recording at Sawmills, a legendary residential studio on a tidal island at the tip of Cornwall. Working there with producer Colin Richardson changed everything. From there Alex spent decades moving between LA, San Francisco, and New York — engineering at Tiny Telephone, producing records for At the Drive-In, City and Colour, and many more — before eventually building his own residential studio in Joshua Tree, designed from the ground up to let bands show up and make records without distraction. The conversation covers production philosophy, surviving as a freelancer across three decades, why he intentionally avoids getting pigeonholed, and what really matters when designing a studio space.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

Growing Up in the UK Midlands With Few Music Resources
The Band That Got Signed: Upstream Deal to Columbia Records
Recording at Sawmills — The Tidal Island Studio in Cornwall
Colin Richardson as a Life-Changing Producer
The Difference Between a Producer Who Listens and One Who Doesn't
Why Alex Was Initially Resistant to Having a Producer
What Colin Taught Him That He Still Uses Today — and What He Hated
The Shift From Being a Musician to Wanting to Be in the Studio
Moving to the US: From Arizona to LA to San Francisco to New York
First Impressions of LA — Where's the City Centre?
The Culture Shock of Going From the UK to California
Why Alex Prefers San Francisco Over LA
Tiny Telephone and John Vanderslice — Engineering as Education
Learning to Mic Instruments He'd Never Encountered Before
The Moment Budgets Started Collapsing Around 2004
Building a Studio in LA, Then New York, Then Realising It Was Madness
New York vs LA: Brutally Honest vs Relaxed and Open
Surviving as a Freelance Producer: The Feast or Famine Reality
Why He Intentionally Avoids Getting Pigeonholed as a Producer
Moving to Joshua Tree and Building a Residential Studio From Scratch
Designing the Studio From a Musician's Perspective, Not an Engineer's
The Vintage Trailer as Accommodation: Glamping, Not a Holiday Inn
High Ceilings That Cost an Extra $35,000
Good Coffee Is More Important Than the Gear in the Rack
The Sawmills Influence on the Joshua Tree Studio Concept
Philip Broussard, Daniel Lanois, and the Kingsway/Teatro Philosophy
What Alex Brings to the Table as a Producer: Objectivity and People Skills
The Sliding Scale Rate Philosophy: Money Follows Good Work
On Relationships, Touring, and Finding a Partner Who Gets It
Dual UK/US Citizenship and Thoughts on Moving Back to England

Matt's RANT!: AI and Its Uses

Links and Show Notes:

Credits:

Guest: Alex Newport
Host/Engineer/Producer: Matt Boudreau
WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell
The Voice: Chuck Smith

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