James Krivchenia: Making Ripples

BY JOHN BACCIGALUPPI, ERIN BIRGY

James Krivchenia is best known as the drummer for the band Big Thief. But prior to sitting on the drum stool with that band, he put in quite a bit of time as an engineer and producer in a variety of recording situations, from studios with SSL consoles to makeshift home setups. He continues to work outside of Big Thief as a producer, solo artist, and in-demand session drummer, working with a range of artists from Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran to Kevin Morby [Tape Op #151] and King Princess. James was in town recently for a Big Thief concert at UC Berkeley's Greek Theater, so we met up mid-morning before the show, grabbed some food at Sam's Log Cabin, and then sat down at the Albany Bulb art park to talk music and recording.

Regina Spektor: Collaboration & Experience

BY GEOFF STANFIELD, EMILY PAIGE PEREIRA

The story of Regina Spektor is one of a truly self-made artist. In 1989, at nine years old, Spektor and her family emigrated from Moscow to the Bronx in New York. Her love and affinity for playing the piano found her studying in high school at the Manhattan School of Music, and as she continued her classical studies she was also being exposed to, and fell in love with, pop music, hip-hop, and punk rock. Her self-released albums, 11:11 and Songs, led to a growing audience and opening slots for The Strokes and Kings of Leon. She was soon signed to Sire Records, who released her third album, Soviet Kitsch. Fast forward many years, and the list of accolades and accomplishments for Regina is long. She has released eight studio albums, featured at the Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, and Glastonbury festivals, performed at the White House for the Obamas, wrote the theme song for the Netflix series Orange is the New Black, and has had songs appear in multiple films. She recently reissued her albums Begin to Hope, Far, What We Saw from the Cheap Seats, Remember Us to Life, and Live in London all exclusively on vinyl. Geoff Stanfield caught up with Regina from her home in New York to discuss her early years, her passion for the craft, and takeaways from working with producers such as Jeff Lynne [Tape Op #92], Garret "Jacknife" Lee [#149], John Congleton [#81], and Mike Elizondo [#144]. This interview is transcribed from the Tape Op Podcast, episode #108.

Cameron Spies : Always Something Cool Happening

BY LARRY CRANE, LARRY CRANE

In my hometown of Portland, Oregon, there are a number of talented engineers, producers, mixers, mastering engineers, gear builders, studios, and more. It's a thriving community of creative people, if you hadn't noticed, and one of the folks I'd been curious about for years has been Cameron Spies. He first caught my ear in the cool-sounding Radiation City from 2010 to 2016. From there, he began recording and producing some interesting Portland artists, such as Blackwater Holylight (amazing femme metal), Aan, The Shivas, New Constellations, Spoon Benders, Forty Feet Tall, Haley Johnsen, Reptaliens, and many others. He's now working out of Trash Treasury Studio, and his current group, Night Heron, is a real groovy sonic treat. We met up at Trash Treasury for a chat, and I got to see a heck of a lot of keyboards there!

Giving Back, But Gaining More

BY JUSTIN DOUGLAS