ryan hewitt = producer/mixer/engineer
“My philosophy is that the song informs my methods of recording and mixing, and dictates the sounds we capture in the process. I want to be known as a chameleon, working on music that inspires me to try different palettes in order to paint an appropriate sonic picture for the artist’s song”
This desire to work on diverse musical forms using methods apropos to the artist is evident in Ryan’s discography. He is as comfortable mixing major label radio singles as he is producing a jazz record. Throw in traditional Irish instruments, cutting edge indie bands, legendary blues artists, down home country singers, classic rockers and eclectic guitar players, and you get a picture of the wide eyed enthusiasm Ryan has for music as a whole.
past...
Ryan began by taking up drums and piano in the third grade, and set up his first primitive bedroom recording studio at age 10. His interest in recording prompted his father, remote recording engineer David Hewitt, to take him on the road at age 12. Over the course of 10 years on the Remote Recording Services trucks, Ryan learned to get sessions going quickly, pay attention to details and capture the moment on tape at all costs.
After a degree in Electrical Engineering from Tufts University, Ryan moved to New York City to take a job at Sony Music Studios. Once there, he quickly moved up the ranks to assist and learn from some of the best engineers and producers such as Michael Brauer, Phil Ramone, and Elliot Scheiner. Moving to Los Angeles in the autumn of 2000, Ryan landed at Cello Studios, again moving to the head of the class and working with top engineers such as Jim Scott, Richard Dodd and Ed Thacker.
Today, Ryan is emulating his mentors, recording, mixing and producing projects by diverse artists such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, blink-182, Flogging Molly, The Missing Hours, Roman Carter, Cat Power, The Alkaline Trio, Three Days Grace, We Are Scientists, Tom Petty, Saybia, Oslo, Ascendant, Fields, and John Frusciante. Producers such as Rick Rubin, Max Martin, Jerry Finn, Tom Rothrock and George Drakoulias call on Ryan regularly for his work ethic and sense of humor as much as for his recording and mixing skills.
present...
Ryan just completed recording LA indie band Eulogies with producer Hrishikesh Hiraway for Dangerbird Records and Colorodo bluegrass artists Yonder Mountain String Band with producer Tom Rothrock. He is currently mixing a track for a collaboration between composer James Levine and electronic music genius Photek.
recent...
After setting up his new studio Sea Sound in his Venice Beach loft, Ryan has completed overdubs on the Eulogies record for Dangerbird Records, mixed half of Buddy Guy's new album, "Skin Deep," as well as 3 tracks for SoCal's Pepper and a country record for Nashville artist Dawn McCoy.
Over the past several months, Ryan recorded LA indie phenom Eulogies for Dangerbird Records and UK band The Automatic Automatic with producer Butch Walker and mixed singles for Three Days Grace and Australian band The Missing Hours. Previously, Ryan was at The Pass Studios with producer Ariel Rechtshaid (Plain White T's) mixing We Are Scientists' Brain Thrust Mastery (Virgin).
In 2007, Ryan co-produced, recorded and mixed Flogging Molly’s latest effort entitled Float (Side One Dummy), which debuted #4 on the Billboard top 200 and has been called “one of the most important records of the year” by AP magazine. Ryan also mixed Cat Power's cover of Bob Dylan's "Stuck Inside of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again" for the Todd Haynes directed Dylan biopic, I'm Not There. Other projects included recording an album for John Frusciante and a single for Carolina Liar with producer Max Martin, producing a single for the Alkaline Trio and a record for avant-garde jazz artist Sebastian Robin Craig as well as mixing an album for Danish band Saybia and several live shows for TV and radio broadcast for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.