The webcam days are happy memories for us all. The days and nights of seemingly endless screen capping are looked back on with fondness, as are the people we spent so much of our time watching: Ghostie, Plaid Guy, and Cap’n Gary! As we have already interviewed Ghostie, we thought we should interview Cap’n Gary aka Jamie as well! Read on to see what he has to say about his job, working with Switchfoot, Oh! Gravity, and his nickname!
Land of Broken Hearts(LOBH): Thanks again for doing this interview with us! First off, I’m not really sure of what exactly your job (mixing/engineering) is. What all does it entail?
Jamie: As a Recording Engineer I am responsible for capturing the music as it happens. I tailor the sound to the producer’s wishes and try and stay one step ahead of everyone else, while at the same time staying out of the way of the creative process. I guess you can say I put out little fires before they get out of control, and all the while I am invisible to the naked eye.
As a Mixer, it’s like painting a picture. You look at the subject and try to form an idea of what you want the final picture to look like (in this case, sound like). You discuss with the producer your ideas for the mixes and get feedback from him/her. The rest is mostly creating a sound that best showcases the performance you captured during the recording process. Mixing engineers are artists. No two mixers will mix a song the same way. And that’s the beauty of music. It’s a personal, creative, and inspirational process from the initial songwriting right through to the final mixing stage.
LOBH: How long does it normally take to mix an album? How DO you mix an album?
Jamie: Depending on how many songs there are and the budget for mixing, anywhere from 2-3 weeks for modern/pop records. A song is mixed by putting the different elements of a song, e.g., vocals, bass guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, drums, percussion, etc.. together in a way that forms a stereo mix or “balance” of the different instruments that best represents the idea for the song. Different EQ, Reverbs, Delays, Compression, Filtering and the like are employed to help “sculpt” the sound and “blend” everything together so that it can be delivered on various formats such as CD and MP3 for consumption by you wonderful people.
LOBH: *laughs* Thanks. What got you interested in that particular line of work?
Jamie: I’ve always loved music. There was always music in my house when I was growing up. My dad played the banjo and harmonica as a hobby, so I just picked it up from there. I wanted to play drums in high school, but my dad wouldn’t have it. Anything but drums!!
I started recording music later in college. Recording my friend’s bands at night and later, I started doing live sound in clubs. I moved to Los Angeles in 1989 and have been working in various studios around Hollywood for about 18 years now.
LOBH: What do you enjoy the most about your job?
Jamie: I don’t have to deal with rush hour traffic, and I don’t have to wear a suit to work. Oh yeah, I get to work with mostly cool people and make music that people will listen to long after I’m gone…
LOBH: Speaking of cool people…what was it like working with Switchfoot?
Jamie: It was great! They are really nice people and that made the whole experience of making their record that much better. Good times!!
LOBH: It was good times for those of us who were watching on the webcam too! By the way, how did you feel about the Cap’n Gary nickname? Which, in case you didn’t know, you were given because you were wearing a gray shirt the first day everyone saw you on the webcam. Whilst posting screen caps on the official SF boards, I accidentally typed “gary” instead of “gray” and it stuck. The Cap’n part came in when we thought you had an X on the back of your shirt…hence X marks the spot…hence Captain Jack Sparrow…which morphed into Cap’n Gary.
Jamie: Well, I was just plain flattered!! I didn’t know what to make of it all, so I just rolled with it! It seemed like the gentleman thing to do, after all “Ghostie” already had a name so, I didn’t want to be left out… Ha! I thought it was charming. I felt suddenly loved… like a new found old teddy bear.
LOBH: So did you ever check the Official Switchfoot boards? If so, what was your reaction to some of the posts?
Jamie: I did when I wasn’t busy. I was amazed at what you guys found to be of interest. And also, the various reactions to the doldrums of our world…studio boredom!!
LOBH: What do you think of the Oh! Gravity CD?
Jamie: I think it’s a great record for the band. It shows they have depth as songwriters, and that’s important right now. Plus, their fans will find new ways to fall in love with them… all over again!
LOBH: How involved were you with the making of the record? Jamie: I worked on the whole album, but only during the final mixing of the record, which is when I became the infamous Cap’n Gary!!
LOBH: Do you have any tips for aspiring engineers/mixers?
Jamie: Be cool and stay in school! The music business is not what it used to be. It’s getting harder to make real music anymore. If I would have known how the business was going to be in 21st century, I would have gotten my MB and become an attorney. Ha! Fo’ Real!!
LOBH: But then you wouldn’t of gotten the Cap’n Gary nickname. Horrors! To wrap things up, we have what call the LOBH Three, which we ask to all our interviewee’s:
1. What is one questions you’ve never been asked and the answer?
Jamie: Boxers or Briefs? (Briefs)
LOBH: 2. What is one song you wish you had written?
Jamie: “What I like about you” by the Romantics. It’s a great song to dance to in the shower… but, I wouldn’t recommend it!
LOBH: 3. What is the best advice you’ve ever been given/heard?
Jamie: My dad always said, “Follow your ‘Gut Instinct’ in everything you do, if it doesn’t feel right it’s wrong!” That’s God talking to you right then and there, so listen up!!
LOBH: That is definitely some good advice! Well thank you so much for the interview and have a VERY Merry Christmas!
Jamie: Merry Christmas too!