Tape Op Magazine - Issue #62

Interviews

Interviews

Interviews

Interviews

Interviews

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AUGUST 20, 2025 INTERVIEWS

Dr. Dog : Scott McMicken and Dr. Dog

BY RYAN COLLERD, NATHAN SABATINO

Scott McMicken is a founding member of the band Dr. Dog. Along with Toby Leaman, Scott began writing and recording songs in his Philadelphia basement with very primitive gear, like the Tascam 388. Some of these early recordings found their way into the hands of My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James, who invited Dr. Dog to open for MMJ on a US tour. Upon returning, Dr. Dog recorded Easy Beat, which landed the band record deals, simultaneously being released in North America by Park the Van and in Europe by Rough Trade. The success of Easy Beat allowed Dr. Dog to devote all of their time to recording and touring, and also allowed them to vastly expand upon their humble basement recording setup. In 2006 the band bought a studio, American Diamond, along with longtime friend and engineer Bill Moriarty. Besides Scott and Toby, Dr. Dog's current lineup includes Zach Miller, Juston Stens and Andrew Jones. I've had the pleasure of working with Scott and the band on a few occasions and really enjoy his approach to making records. It was great to catch up with him recently and talk about his recording process.

AUGUST 20, 2025 INTERVIEWS

Dr. Dog & Bill Moriarty: Build and use their own studio

BY RYAN COLLERD, NATHAN SABATINO

Bill Moriarty is an engineer based out of Philadelphia. He co-owns American Diamond (named after the cross streets nearby) with the band Dr. Dog. When he's not sharing tracking and mixing duties on their projects, he can be found working with some of Philly's finest musicians. In 2007/2008 Bill will be traveling several times to learn recording and mixing directly from engineer Oz Fritz [Tape Op #75] through a Philadelphia performing arts grant.

AUGUST 20, 2025 INTERVIEWS

Giorgio Gomelsky: Recording the Yardbirds

BY DAVID FIRST, JODI SHAPIRO

At times it can be difficult to believe that someone like Giorgio Gomelsky actually exists. For almost fifty years he has been at the center of so many significant cultural events and initiated so many things we take for granted, it seems that he must be a fictional composite of dozens of people. But no, he's for real — a flesh and blood man almost painfully committed to the highest ideals of art and its communication. One could call him a producer — and, indeed he has been — he produced records by John McLaughlin, Julie Driscoll, the Spontaneous Music Ensemble (with Derek Bailey), Vangelis, Magma and many others. But he also is/has been a manager, a club owner, an impresario, a raconteur, a facilitator, festival organizer and astute political theorist. However, unlike almost every other person in the music business, he has usually been seen running away from the money rather than towards it. If there is an underlying thread to his life story, it is that whenever things started getting too close to the mainstream, Gomelsky lost interest and moved on to another uncompromising situation. For this article, the focus is on what many people feel is his most important contribution to the world of music — his association with the seminal British rock band, The Yardbirds.

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