Memories In The Gear with Travis Ference (St. Vincent, Aloe Blacc, Skylar Grey)
Love Music More · hosted by Luke F. Walton (Scoobert Doobert)
Guest: Travis Ference
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Host note
Travis Ference has mixed records for St. Vincent, Aloe Blacc, and Skylar Grey: and we were supposed to record this episode a year earlier. Then the LA wildfires threatened his home. He spent weeks mixing in headphones across hotel rooms, away from the studio and the gear that had his memories in it.
We start with what that actually looked like: the logistics of maintaining a professional mixing workflow when the tools are gone and the family situation is everything. Ference is clear-eyed about it, gear carries memory, and losing gear means losing that. But the episode’s real thread is what he found when the constraints forced the question of what’s essential. How do you define success as a mixer? And once you’ve defined it, what happens when the version you built has to be rebuilt from scratch?
Selected moments
- Travis begins with a background on his podcast 1:41 Discusses his journey and podcasting origins.
- Thoughts on defining success 2:56 Travis shares how he contemplates success in a changing industry.
- Importance of creativity beyond music 4:32 Discussion about finding artistic growth outside of music.
- The challenge of using limited tools 8:32 Travis reflects on mixing using only headphones.
- Rebuilding after the fires 44:04 Travis discusses the impact of the wildfires on his personal and professional life.
- What songs mean to us 53:34 Travis speaks about the emotional connection to music and its power.
Selected excerpts
What’s good, everybody? Welcome back to Love Music More. I'm joined with Travis. We're going to be talking about an incredible musical journey, a crazy last year, and Grammy nominations and all of that industry insider information that you'll be able to give our listeners.
...I really started thinking about that kind of stuff and looked around at a lot of my friends and I was like everybody kind of feels this way everybody's like why don’t I have the hit that I thought I was going to have...
...the big point was to ask them how they define success and if they’ve ever decided to change what that means.
You know what it worked and I miss the air and I can't wait to have speakers and an acoustically tuned studio again.
...there’s just so much power in it just, you know, and you see it like with kids they're just they're so, there's no filter right when they hear something they love they just they love it...
FAQ
What challenges did Travis Ference face during the wildfires?
Travis faced a significant loss when wildfires threatened his home, impacting his family and career. His studio was lost, and he had to adapt to mixing in temporary setups.
How did Travis Ference redefine success in his career?
Through his experiences with loss and family, Travis reflected on his perceptions of success, moving from external recognition to personal fulfillment and meaningful connections in music.
What tips does Travis Ference offer for mixing in challenging situations?
Travis emphasizes the importance of adapting workflows and using available tools creatively, while maintaining confidence in one's work despite limitations.
Curated notes only — no public transcript. Listen on the links above.