Stew Kirkwood is the at the tippy-top of the list for Producers in Western Canada..I dare say in Canada entirely.
As this phase of Sound Extractor winds down, Stew Kirkwood takes a time-out to reflect on the past 20 years...
This episode we discussed :
- The start of Stew's engineering days (grade 2!)
- his band 'Welcome' , who's rehearsal space gave birth to Sound Extractor
- how he expanded his business in the early 2000s
- when he "quit his day job"
- music industry changes and how they affected business
- his cover band 'Rotting Fruit'
- why indie bands still need CDs
Stew Kirkwood is a musician's producer. He began recording his own songs at the age of 7 with a primitive multi-tracking technique he developed out of necessity to accommodate his sonic visions.
Today, he owns and operates one of the most successful studios in Western Canada, Sound Extractor Studios, and is in high demand as a producer and audio engineer. He has produced albums for over 200 artists, many of which have had mentionable success on radio charts, in film placements and in written and online press.
As a producer and a multi-instrumentalist, he has the vocabulary to speak to the artist and musicians in the language of their respective instruments. His encyclopedic knowledge of music and the recording arts both past and present, gives him a wealth of insight to draw upon. This expertise, combined with his tireless efforts in coaching the artists he works with to greater heights, has been key to his continued success.
**music is from Stew Kirkwood's LP "Free to Fly on a String That's Tied"