"It's all about intention." In this episode of the podcast, Lij Shaw sits down with seasoned artist, songwriter, and producer Ryan Ordway, who shares insights from his two-decade journey through the music industry. They discuss various nuances of music production, covering topics from remote recording challenges to the importance of acoustics and effective studio management. Ryan emphasizes the need for adaptability, personal interaction, and practical tips to ensure high-quality sound and a smooth creative process. Aspiring producers will gain valuable strategies for optimizing their craft and navigating the evolving landscape of music recording.      Get access to FREE mixing mini-course:&nbsp; My guest today is Ryan Ordway, a multifaceted artist, songwriter, producer, and audio engineer, proficient in analog and digital recording, mixing, music licensing, session playing, and commercial studio management. With over two decades of experience in the music business, he has recorded and produced nearly 1,000 songs across musical genres. Ordway has designed, built, and operated three commercial recording studios throughout his career. In 2020, he partnered with The Studio Portland in Portland, ME, where he undertook an ambitious remodel completed in 2024. Under Ordway’s direction, The Studio became home to 98.9 WCLZ’s Studio Z series, through which he has recorded an impressive roster of international recording artists, including: Noah Kahan, Grace Potter, Lake Street Dive, Joy Oladokun, The Heavy Heavy, Gregory Alan Isakov, Josh Ritter, Hiss Golden Messenger, Talk, SMYL, Lucius, Cecilia Castleman, Joseph, and Charlie Crockett, among others. Ordway’s songwriting talents earned him an invitation to the renowned Blackbird Studios in Nashville, where he recorded with famed producer Ken Scott (whose client list includes The Beatles, Elton John, and David Bowie). His song "Easy Street," produced by Scott, was featured in Robert Willey's Getting Started with Music Production, published by Hal Leonard in 2015. Recognized for his ability to create transformative experiences for clients throughout New England, Ordway was nominated for Producer of the Year at the New England Music Awards in 2023. His song "Back Again" was nominated for Song of the Year in 2022. Ordway’s original music is licensed in over 13 countries and featured on major platforms like Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Hulu. His music has appeared in popular TV shows such as NBC's The Office, ABC's Happy Endings, and FOX's Raising Hope. In 2023, his cover of Rusted Root’s “Send Me on My Way” won him a multi-year contract for Nature Valley's Life Happens Out There national TV spot He has worked with other national clients, including Klondike, Polo Ralph Lauren, and John Deere. In addition to his technical expertise and commercial success, Ryan is a passionate educator and mentor. At The Studio Portland, he leads professional audio production training programs and recording camps, sharing his knowledge and inspiring the next generation of audio engineers and producers. Beyond music production, Ryan produces podcasts and provides voiceover (VO) and automated dialogue replacement (ADR) post-production services for elite clients such as Lucas Films, Netflix, HBO Productions, and Penguin Random House Audio Books division. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!   &nbsp;Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off! &nbsp;Use code ROCK10 to get 10% off!  &nbsp;Get your MBSI plugin here! &nbsp;   Listen to this guest's discography on Spotify:    If you love the podcast, then please leave a review:&nbsp;

RSR492 - Ryan Ordway - Producing Americana at The Studio Portland in Maine

Featuring Jonathan Rogerson on guitar and samples

WeerdNite

Justified Fitting End is the 5th track on Tallsome Tales by The Carnivaleros.

Was you sent or did you just went 
Asked the preacher 'cross the table from me
I told him it was neither I was backed up to a wall 
Certain things are meant to be 
I had to kill my father he was beatin' on my mother 
Some old fences just will not mend
It was an unexpected, loosely-jointed, understated, overrated, 
Jaded but sophisticated, justified fitting end

My Ma was a-raisin' my sisters and me 
In a shack on the edge of town
She always did her best to keep food on the table
Even though Pa was not around
But he'd show up now and then in the heat of the moment 
Reeking of a backwoods still
He'd been in a rage every day gone by 
Since they laid him off down at the mill
He knocked us all around but my Ma got it the worst 
Only so far a body can bend
Until his unexpected, loosely-jointed, understated, overrated, 
Jaded but sophisticated, justified fitting end

There was a time things weren't so bad
When we were knee high to a man
But that must've been just a child's perception 
Don't remember when they got out of hand

Now I'm doin' time on the local state dime
I did what I had to do
My Ma would've died and the bruises on my sisters 
Were a spectacle of black and blue
I’m a peaceful man most every day 
But when the trouble just would not end
I had to do something 'cause my ma and my sisters 
Had not the strength to fend
If I had to do it over it would come out just the same 
Some old fences just will not mend
It was an unexpected, loosely-jointed, understated, overrated, 
Jaded but sophisticated, justified fitting end

Gary Mackender - accordion, organ, vocals
Karl Hoffmann - bass 
Les Merrihew - drums
Joe Fanning - electric guitar
Mitzi Cowell - slide guitar
Björgvin Benediktsson - harmony vocals
Carla Brownlee - bari sax
Mike Coyle - trumpet
Michael Oliver - trombone
Greg Mackender - horn arrangements

Tallsome Tales

Justified Fitting End

Episode 5 Justified Fitting End

Oakhurst's latest offering Barrel (their 5th), was produced and engineered by Joe Pisapia (K. D. Lang, Ben Folds & Guster) and was recorded at his own Middle Tree Studios in Nashville, TN. With Pisapia and Oakhurst front man Adam Hill's collaborative songwriting and Pisapia's guitar performances, Barrel takes a noticeable turn from the bluegrass tendencies that characterized the band’s previous efforts to a more genre-bending Americana and Bluesey reverberation. The arrangements and the harmonies are tight, pushing the songs towards a much broader audience with mainstream appeal.

02 Out West

I Love It

Kanye West & Lil Pump - I Love It

Swamp_Gas_2

Charles H. Root, III remix of the song "American Winter" by Nashville-based, Grammy Award winning engineer, producer, and musician Lij Shaw.

Skadoosh!

LIJ SHAW - American Winter - CHAZROOT MIX

Experiment

Jahnke "Glimmer"

Matt Kramer "Bricks In The Atmosphere"

From the album Jennie Lowe Ghost Tracks 2020.
Featuring Tyler Ramsey (Band of Horses) andSebastian Steinberg (Fiona Apple)

RSR492 - Ryan Ordway - Producing Americana at The Studio Portland in Maine

thetoyboxstudio

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