Tag: The Howling Tongues

PLAYING ATLANTA: Pariah Recorders Launches with a Bang

So far, Audiofemme has had the chance to connect with some incredible Atlanta bands through Playing Atlanta. This week, we’re taking it a step further into the music scene to chat with Nick Magliochetti, the owner of Pariah Recorders, a brand new studio opening its doors to the Atlanta scene.

AF: You’ve just opened a studio with a ton of analog gear in a time when more and more people are DIY-ing it, in bedroom studios and on laptops. What made you decide to stick with analog?

NM: It’s the way I like to work. I can work extremely quickly and efficiently in a scenario where I can be hands-on with equipment that I know very well. In a digital world with endless plugins and decisions with amp modelers and drum samples, people have a hard time picking and committing to a sound. If you’re looking for a specific sound, I know how to get to it fairly quickly with analog equipment. It’s a more unique experience that way. It’s not always the same and is more fun to experiment with tactile equipment. Why use the sounds everyone else has on their hard drives and laptops when we can create our own sounds? To me, it helps the artist or the band not focus so much on what’s on a screen. I like moving air with a band and tracking drums and guitars and everything all at once, and analog equipment makes that really easy. My style of working isn’t for everyone, but I’ve never been really super excited to plug into a laptop to record a guitar part. There’s more of a mysterious element when you don’t exactly know what will happen, rather than clicking on an AC30 patch on your virtual guitar amp. 

AF: We’ve all seen the legendary studios — Abbey Road, Electric Lady — but, in the grand scheme of things, very few musicians will have the chance to record their music there. How do you plan to bridge the gap between those massive studios and incredibly talented indie musicians who want a similar recording experience?

NM: Those are all great rooms with amazing equipment and an incredible history. That is inspiring for many artists, though some artists get a little intimated when you say, “Johnny Cash recorded with this microphone.” 

I like to think that at Pariah Recorders, we offer a similar experience with a more at-home feeling. My room was acoustically designed, and we have some amazing equipment, but I’m able to offer it at a more affordable rate than the big name studios. We can really make ourselves at home at my studio; we have pinball and arcade games, video games, a kitchen, an office, bedrooms. I want to make it an immersive experience for the artist, so they can really feel at home with their music and be hands-on with the creation of it.

AF: You’re the lead guitarist and major creative force behind the music for your personal projects. How does your role change as the producer?

NM: I think being on the outside and being let into a project is always a really cool experience. I have a lot of ideas, and, in my personal projects, I may throw out a lot of them. Sometimes we do all of them and sometimes none of them. That’s how it can be for a producer, too; sometimes you just guide the artists, and it’s more of a spiritual connection to the music, and then sometimes it’s a more technical or musical position. A fresh set of ears that you can trust is always an interesting take. I feel I know enough about producing and recording that I have something to bring to the table in most scenarios, whether it be technically or musically. 

The Howling Tongues’ “Get What You Paid For,” recorded and produced at Pariah Recorders.

AF: How did you get into audio engineering and production?

NM: I got into it by doing live sound and being an assistant. I learned the ins and outs of being a live sound engineer by being thrown into the fire. It was a great experience, and I think it’s the best way to learn about audio before you get into recording. Recording can be a little slower paced and experimental, and, in live sound, you set it up as fast as you can and go. 

I got into recording a couple years after learning live sound. I started recording all of my friends and really honed my skills. I read everything I could, watched every video, read every manual, went to two schools for engineering, and even ended up teaching the analog class. Then I got into a band and started engineering all of our stuff and got super deep into it. My ultimate goal is to continue to grow as a musician, producer, and engineer and help people make their favorite records.

AF: Do you have any special tricks up your sleeve to produce a great track?

NM: I have a lot of tricks that I can use in the studio, but my best advice is to make it sound how you want it to sound at the source. It should sound like it’s been mixed before it gets to the mixing. Build the mix into the track with everything flat before you start reaching for EQs and compression; that’s how they used to do it back in the day, and ever since I started adopting that philosophy, my work has gotten better and needed much less. Make sure it is exactly what you want at the source, and have great players who believe in the song. If you have those two things, you will have a great track. 

AF: Atlanta is a city full of indie and DIY musicians, with a seriously diverse and growing creative community. Why did you think the city was a good fit for your studio, and how do you hope to add to the creative scene here?

NM: I think it is a great scene that continues to grow rapidly and inspire me. With the film industry blowing up here and the music scene, I think it’s going to be a wonderful place to put my roots down with my new studio. My hope is that I can help some of the artists around here make some music that they’re proud of. It is all about experimenting and having fun, and I think I can really help my clients make records that are unique, exciting, and most definitely fun. Even sad songs can be a fun experience to record! The scene is amazing, with punk, rock, pop, country, hip-hop… this city has a lot to offer. I think if I can connect some of the dots and help foster the music scene in Atlanta, that would be amazing.

AF: One more! Who are your heroes in the recording world, and why?

NM: I have a lot, but I think my Mount Rushmore of the recording world includes Vance Powell, George Martin, Daniel Lanois, and Sylvia Massy. All of them are so different from each other but at their core, they bring out the BEST in an artist. Vance Powell is incredible, He’s a live sound guy turned Grammy-winning recording engineer; his technical experience and analog workflow are the best. But he tailors his flow to the artists he works with, and makes amazing sounding records. George Martin was the fifth Beatle and did some of the best string arrangements and sound production to exist; it still blows my mind. He also created a lot of the tricks we know and use today. Daniel Lanois is like this spiritual mentor type of guy that you just love to have in the room. He just has this vibe and is incredibly gifted at finding cool sounds. Sylvia Massy is a total badass. She takes the rules of recording and flips them upside down; to me, she’s like a modern day George Martin. Some of the most unique stuff comes from her recordings. She’s so knowledgeable and every video she’s ever been in is a must-watch for an aspiring engineer or producer. 

Keep up with Pariah Recorders and stay tuned for more Pariah acts on Audiofemme. 

PLAYING ATLANTA: The Howling Tongues Premiere New Single “Daily Dose”

When The Howling Tongues hit you, you know it. Atlanta’s brazen sons of rock ’n roll — Davey Rockett, Nick Magliochetti, Brandon Witcher, Thomas Wainright, and Tylor James — are best known for their signature garage rock-inspired records and over-the-top, bombastic performances, and made their name in the darkest, grimiest rock clubs around the country before taking the stage with Bon Jovi at State Farm Arena in May 2018. After spending most of the last decade wearing out the roads and leaving fans dazed and confused, the quintet is back and better than ever with a series of singles preceding their newest recording project.

Audiofemme caught up with lead guitarist and producer Nick Magliochetti and drummer Tylor James for the premiere of their newest single, “Daily Dose.” They’re gearing up their last show of the year, The Howling Tongues “It’s Not A Christmas Money Grab” Show at The Earl on December 20th. Read on and get ready to party with rock’s most devoted disciples.

AF: You’ve been together for over seven years, and friends even longer than that. What’s your secret to longevity?

NM: The fact that we were friends for so long before really set us up to be able to communicate more openly. We live together and do a lot of things together, when a lot of bands don’t go that far with their relationships. We’ve kinda just been rooted in that for so long, it’s become second nature.

AF: What’s been the biggest change within the group since you started? 

NM: I think the biggest change has been streaming and availability of music. The modern DIY scene had just kind of started when we were starting out as a band. We were selling a ton of CDs in the beginning. Now with Spotify and Apple Music and others, our big sellers are vinyl and other merch items. I think Spotify is a tool that artists can use nowadays to promote themselves.

TJ: And sometimes we can charge money to go play somewhere.

AF: How do you keep the creativity flowing and evolving? Do you ever feel musically stagnant, and if so, how do you get beyond it and keep creating? 

NM: We try not to put ourselves into a box when we’re in the studio, but more into a situation where a song can come out. Whether someone writes a part on an instrument that they’re not used to, or has a strange idea for a song lyric or title, that’s the stuff that’s inspiring. Having lots of options and infinite time is the real killer of creativity.

TJ: And you’ve just gotta keep listening. Everyone’s gonna get stagnant once in a while, but that can be limited by constantly seeking inspiration, whether it’s music or otherwise.

AF: “Daily Dose,” and your last single, “Fever Dream,” are a step away from the sound you trademarked in 2016 with Boo Hiss. What new sounds and techniques are inspiring you guys for these latest songs, and how important to you is it to maintain The Howling Tongues’ sound? 

NM: With Boo Hiss, we wanted to be more bold and daring and take some chances. We’re all about creating moments in songs and on stage, so this is really us taking that ideology and diving even further into it. We’re always trying to push ourselves and continue to make the kind of music we love. We are always pushing the studio to the limits, using different equipment and things that might be unique. Sometimes the stuff that’s broken or almost broken can be inspiring and create a really cool moment in the track. I think we did some of that with these latest singles.

TJ: I don’t know if I could cite one sound or technique specifically, but we try to never be afraid to just play around with shit in the studio until we stumble into something we enjoy playing and hearing back. The Howling Tongues’ sound is free to change as we change; we’re not Aerosmith. 

AF: How has the creative process changed for you guys? 

NM: Since we have our own studio, it’s good for us to put a little pressure on ourselves and create deadlines. If we don’t do that, then we sit on stuff for a long time, which is easy to do that because of infinite studio time. If you limit that, it forces you to make decisions and that usually leads to some pretty cool stuff happening.

AF: What’s been the proudest moment for you as a group over the last seven years? 

NM: Every time we release something new is a proud moment for all of us. That’s what gets us most excited. We want to keep making music that people can turn up really loud and get lost in it for a moment. That’s what gets us going.

AF: How has the Atlanta music scene impacted you as a band? What’s your favorite part of the music scene here? 

NM: The Atlanta scene has been amazing. We have seen so many bands come and go in seven years of being a part of the scene. Plus it’s so diverse in Atlanta. There are a lot of bands with their own unique sound, and that creates interesting shows here in Atlanta.

TJ: There are so many different and fun places to play, and some good promoters in the city that are willing to give a young band a shot.

AF: What inspired “Daily Dose?” What was the writing process like? 

NM: I wrote the main riff on a bass guitar and wouldn’t stop playing it until the rest of the band joined in. It developed into this really funny jam and it kind of has this Jekyll and Hyde thing going on with the verses and the choruses being one and the end being a faster different feel.

AF: What’s your goal, moving forward? You’ve already toured the country, opened for Bon Jovi, and released an EP and two full-length LPs. What’s next? 

NM: I think for us it’s always going to be to keep creating and pushing ourselves to be a face for rock ’n roll music. If we can inspire someone to pick up a guitar or drumsticks, then it’s all worth it for us.

TJ: I want to get a big corporate sponsorship, like Olive Garden or something.

Keep up with The Howling Tongues on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and if you’re in Atlanta be sure to stop by the Earl on 12/20.