Glenn Sawyer

I’ve been playing music since I was 5 but didn’t really get into it until I took a guitar class in high school. My mother had me playing classical piano from 5-14 and although I enjoyed it, I wasn’t passionate about it. I like classical music but it felt confining having to read off the page and only play what was there. The class I took on guitar gave me the tools to write my own music and that was what really appealed to me.

The biggest inspiration that pushed me to pursue a career in music is the band Phish. I was introduced to them when I was 17 or 18 and I loved how they wrote and played a variety of styles and also how they took risks in their improvisations. The idea that you could do whatever you wanted with music really appealed to me and continues to do so to this day. There’s obviously a huge body of knowledge when it comes to music theory and what has worked in the past but I love the idea that you could ultimately do whatever you want as long as it appeals to you.

My music has undergone massive changes over the years and continues to evolve to do so to this day. I’m a big believer in doing what excites you artistically and I think that has kept music fresh for me. I’ve never tried to limit myself to one style or genre and I incorporate new techniques and styles that appeal to me, into my work all the time. I’ve also been fortunate to be able to work with artists in a wide range of styles which has helped push me to develop new skills and refine old skills on the regular.

When I first decided I wanted to do music I was all about live performance and improvisation, but the longer I do it I find I’m more interested in songwriting and distilling ideas into the best and most concise forms.

The Spot is myself and my production partner Rich Veltrop’s personal production studio. We are the only producers/engineers that use the studio and we’ve designed it to maximize our workflow. The Spot is unique in that we took a house and converted it into a studio. The main room is 30x30 with vaulted wood ceilings and has a warm focused sound. We also have two isolation booths and we also offer lodging for artists although we’ve limited that due to the pandemic.

We’re a bit unorthodox in that our control and live room is one and the same. We feel like this helps with communication and it creates a more homey and laid back experience for the artists that we work with. We also have a solid selection of gear and instruments so that we’re not limited by what the artist brings with them. We’re a bit unorthodox in that our control and live room is one and the same. We feel like this helps with communication and it creates a more homey and laid back experience for the artists that we work with. We also have a solid selection of gear and instruments so that we’re not limited by what the artist brings with them.

I think there are a few things that set us apart from our competitors. The biggest difference is what Rich and I are able to bring to the table. Rich and I make a great team because of our different skill sets and backgrounds. We come from different generations and although we have a lot of overlap in terms of the music that we like, there is also quite a bit of separation. This allows us to work in a wide variety of genres and still deliver authentic work as once of us always has a firm grip on what we’re doing.

Although we both share production and engineering duties depending on the project, Rich tends to be more focused on engineering including all of our mixing and mastering and I take the lead on production and writing with artists.

The other thing that sets us apart is our focus on the end product. A lot of studios will only charge by the hour/day which encourages people to approach things in ways that will ultimately be cheaper but won’t yield the best product. Our focus is on delivering a ‘radio ready’ product to the artists we work with and we offer ‘by the song’ package deals where we guarantee completion for a flat rate. This gives us the time we need to get things right and gives the artists we work with the peace of mind that they will get a great product without ballooning costs.

The members of Backseat Vinyl aren’t celebrities (yet) but I love their story as it really sums up what it’s all about to me. We’ve been working with them for 4 or 5 years now and it’s been awesome to see them grow as artists. When we first started working with them they were still finding their sound but they put a ton of work into defining what they were about and who they wanted to be and have created a distinctive sound that’s true to them. They’ve also put a ton of effort into learning how to get their music out there and it’s been paying dividends. They’ve garnered a lot of attention from blogs and playlists and recently had their music feature on ‘Shameless’. I expect this to continue given they’re still putting in the work and making great music. Their two albums ‘Sad Frenzy’ and ‘Scared of Everything’ is a testament to that.

It’s tough to only choose one but I would have to say that passion is what drives me the most to stay in this business. I love both the process of making music and also the feeling that you get from finishing something that you know is as good as it can be. It’s an addicting feeling and it’s always given me the motivation to work harder when I need to and the strength to keep pushing when things are bleak.

I think the biggest thing that sets me apart is my willingness to try new things and not get bogged down in what’s worked in the past. I’m a very curious person so I’m always wondering what will happen if I do this or that, or if we change our approach to something. The longer I do this the more I realize that you don’t always need to know where you’re going as long as you know if you’re not there yet. I think a lot

of people want to follow a specific path because it’s easier or more comfortable to know what’s going on but this can be limiting when it’s come to creativity and doing something that’s unique and true to who you are. I’m also a big believer in tapping into who the artist is and what they’re about and trying to bring that to life. I think a lot of producers do one or two things well so they try to do that for everyone but art should be true to the maker so you have to listen and adjust accordingly.

I think the biggest challenge that I faced was getting comfortable being vulnerable in front of people. I think the idea of creation as a baring of the soul is an accurate description and it can be scary to put your ideas out for others to see as you don’t want them to be critical. I think when I first got going this was compounded by the idea that everything needed to be perfect right off the bat. The longer I’ve done this the more I’ve realized that sometimes things come out perfect right away but more often than not it’s a process. I’ve also done so much work in front of people over the last 10 years that it’s become an everyday thing that I don’t think about anymore.

This is a great question. I don’t personally believe that suffering is a crucial ingredient for making art but it can lead to great art if that makes sense. For me art is all about expressing yourself and it’s a chance to do things the way that you think they should be done. That in itself doesn’t require suffering but suffering is an intense experience so the expression of that as art can be powerful.

I do think that suffering can be a by-product of being an artist as it can be a very difficult way to make money. I know there were times that I felt like things were hard and I was ‘suffering’ but they were all by-products of my personal decisions and in retrospect it was worth it to get to where I am today.

I think that the internet has had a massive impact on the music industry in ways that are both good and bad. I think one of the positive impacts is that it has opened up opportunities for artists that were not there in the past. 30 years ago the only way to truly make it in music was to get a record deal so that you could have financing for recording, distribution, etc. For all but the insanely rich, these things were not possible without additional help. These days you can distribute your music around the world for $10 to $20 bucks, which is a huge deal. The downside to that, is that everyone and their brother can do the same, so you have to fight through a lot more ‘noise’ in order to be heard. I think this has made it much harder to become a Michael Jackson type artist, where you are known by the entire world and you’re making money hand over fist, but makes it much easier to create a career where you’re able to do nothing but music. All-in-all this is a net positive if you ask me.

This is a tough one but the one change that I would make is getting back to a time where the focus was more on the music and less on the artists’ image. This is obviously a pipe dream given our social media obsessed society but that would be the one thing I would change.

This is another tough one as there have been so many great albums that have influenced me but I’ll see what I can do. Here are the first five that come to mind.

John Coltrane - Blue Train - This was the first CD I ever owned. I have no idea why my parents bought it for me as they didn’t listen to a lot of Jazz but they did and it opened me up to jazz which I still love to this day.

Jimi Hendrix - Greatest Hits - I can remember trading my good friend Hardin for this album when I was 15 and it had a huge impact on me. I had just I was 15 and it had a huge impact on me. I had just started playing guitar but hadn’t really been exposed to rock music. I loved how expressive Jimi’s playing was and it kicked off my ongoing love of the electric guitar.

Tool - AEnima - This album was given to me by friend Sully and I can remember sitting in my room in high school and being blown away by the sounds and Maynards vocal work. It was definitely a stepping stone towards listening to more progressive and heavy music.

LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver - I got into this album around 2006 or 7 if I’m not mistaken and it had a big impact on me as well. I had recently taken a class on midi and this was a gateway for me to listening to more electronic music and to incorporate those styles into my own art.

Outkast - Stankonia - Prior to this album my exposure to hip hop and rap was limited to what was on MTV’s TRL but a friend’s brother played this for me in high school and I was instantly hooked.

I’m not sure who to credit for this advice but the best advice I’ve ever received is to follow my heart. I think this is a crucial lesson for life in general but especially for artists.

The only person who you can truly understand is yourself so your heart should always be your North star. A lot of artists will try to think of what other people will like but that’s a dark rabbit hole and will lead to making things you don’t necessarily believe in.

Following my heart has helped to make a business and art that is true to me. It’s also made all of the hard times in pursuit of my passion worth it. If you believe in yourself and what you’re doing it’s easy to put the work in.

There’s a couple different ways to get in touch with us and book a session. The most direct is to email me at Glenn@thespotstudios.com or call the studio at 303-988-2170. We also have contact forms on our website, www.thespotstudios.com, that people can fill out or they can get in touch with us via social media. Whatever is easiest for them is great for us.