Call & Response: Matt Boudreau

(5 min)

Matt Boudreau is so much more than a reputable mixing, mastering, and recording engineer. Though the work that comes out of his own studio is impressive in its own right, Boudreau has one of the most influential podcasts in the industry. Working Class Audio has been required listening for all of our past and present studio interns. The depth of knowledge shared and vast array of incredible guests are just part of what makes his podcast special. We talk with Boudreau about his background, podcasting, and his love of coffee.

Lab Notes (LN): If you had to boil your musical journey into one sentence, what would it be? (Run-on sentences accepted and encouraged.)

Matt Boudreau (MB): Adventure, fun, disappointment, victory. Sometimes I feel like Captain Willard in Apocalypse Now.

LN: Can you give us a rundown of your early days as a drummer and how that led to a life behind the glass?

MB: I spent my early years (17-27) playing drums in bands. After producing a record for a local San Francisco band, I wanted to switch to the other side of the glass. I loved that experience so much more than playing drums in a band.

LN: What was it about the work of some of the producers/engineers you observed that got you excited about the process of recording?

MB: Observing the impact that they could have on a record, good, bad or otherwise.

LN: The Working Class Audio podcast has nearly 300 episodes, each packed with incredible insight and knowledge. What was the original idea behind the podcast and how has it evolved over the years?

MB: The original idea was that I needed answers from my peers on how they were making "it" work. Meaning, how were they surviving in the world of audio. The questions then and now are similar but what's evolved is my interviewing abilities. I can now meet someone new and having done no research on them jump right in and get them to tell me about their journey. The show itself has evolved sonically. The show sounds more like a radio program than it did before.

The original idea was that I needed answers from my peers on how they were making "it" work. Meaning, how were they surviving in the world of audio.

LN: The roster of interviews you’ve conducted is really impressive. Do you have some favorite episodes that you would recommend for a newcomer to the podcast?

MB: WCA #200 with Tchad Blake is one of my personal favorites as is WCA #220 with Butch Vig.

LN: You use The License Lab music as part of your podcast. Among an infinite number of options, why did you decide to go with our music?

MB: I'm able to find music that fits the WCA aesthetic. Raw, rustic and unobtrusive.

LN: What advice would you give to a new podcaster?

MB: How much time do you have? Seriously....If you want to do a podcast: Do it on something you love. Commit and stick to a schedule. Be yourself.

LN: What inspires you?

MB: Coffee, music, the potential of fresh ideas, starting a new mix from scratch.

LN: What music are you listening to right now?

MB: Joe Williams and Count Basie "Memories Ad-Lib.”

If you want to do a podcast: Do it on something you love. Commit and stick to a schedule. Be yourself.

LN: What do you do when you’re not in the studio and/or working on the podcast?

MB: Hanging with wife and kids, binging a good series, taking pictures, listening to records, thinking about audio and generally hatching a plan to conquer the world.

LN: If you were trapped on a desert island, what 5 albums could you not live without?

MB:

1. Miles Davis - Kind of Blue

2. Stewart Copeland - The Rythmatist

3. Metallica - Master of Puppets

4. The Replacements - Pleased to Meet Me

5. Willie Nelson - Red Headed Stranger

LN: What are three things about you that wouldn’t want left out of your Wikipedia page?

MB: 1. How much I love working on records, 2. How much I love Coffee. 3. How much I love my family.