A Bad Think, a musical project led by prolific singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and GRAMMY®-nominated artist Michael Marquart, recently held exclusive VIP listening events of the band’s newly-released eleventh LP Short St. in immersive Dolby Atmos® playback in Nashville and Los Angeles.
The Nashville event took place on Wednesday, August 23, at Blackbird Studio in the city’s Berry Hill neighborhood (a hub for musicians and studio pros). The Los Angeles event took place less than a week later, on Monday, August 28, at Apogee Studio, located in the heart of Santa Monica. The sessions, which showcased the album’s sonic beauty via its beautifully rendered Dolby Atmos immersive mix, as well as in stereo, were attended by a who’s-who of the Nashville and Los Angeles recording communities.
While in Nashville, Blackbird Academy Director of Education Mark Rubel invited Marquart [along with multi-GRAMMY-winning producer/engineer Dave Way (Fiona Apple, Echo In The Canyon, Michael Jackson, Macy Gray), who co-produced the album with Marquart; and multi-platinum award-winning mix engineer Bob Clearmountain (Bruce Springsteen, Bryan Adams, David Bowie, The Cure, INXS), who expertly mixed the album’s sonic textures in stereo and Dolby Atmos] to attend and lecture current Blackbird Academy enrollees.
Marquart, Way and Clearmountain held an in-depth discussion with the students, covering each of their personal histories in the industry, their origins and beginnings in recording studios, and general advice on building a career in the music industry. An extensive Q&A came next, covering topics including mentorship, how to conduct oneself with clients in a studio environment, how to listen and learn on the job, tips for interviews, how to achieve the vision of the artist, producer and engineer for a song, album or soundtrack, and more.
Later that evening, at the Blackbird VIP listening event, guests were able to hear the Short St. stereo mix in the control room of Studio D, while the Atmos mix was played back in the 9.1.6 reference room (Studio C). In attendance at the Nashville event were the following acclaimed producers, engineers, and/or audio educators: Ben Fowler, Chuck Ainlay, Brian Foraker, F. Reid Shippen, George Massenburg, Jeff Balding, Jim Kaiser, John McBride, Michael Janas, Russ Long, Steve O’Brien, Vance Powell, and several others. Throughout the night, both Clearmountain and Way joined Marquart in the control room, playing through the entirety of Short St. to rave reviews and the accolades from the attendees.
It was a great pleasure to have Michael, Dave and Bob come and lecture our students. The Blackbird Academy believes in the importance of our students getting exposure to real-world knowledge from industry leaders. Together they covered a wide range of topics that were entertaining and informative, and of tremendous value to our aspiring audio professionals.
Mark Rubel
About The Album:
Inspired by Marquart’s childhood in a small town in Wisconsin, Short St.weaves together a tapestry of introspection, vulnerability, and the resilience of the human spirit. With 12 beautiful tracks, Marquart’s poetic lyrics evoke a sense of longing, reminding us that even in the darkest of times, there is a glimmer of hope that can guide us through.
Short St. was mastered in stereo by multi-GRAMMY winner Bob Ludwig (Led Zeppelin, Queen, Jimi Hendrix), and mastered for immersive Dolby Atmos by GRAMMY winner Emily Lazar and GRAMMY nominated Chris Allgood at The Lodge.
The album is now available for high-resolution stereo streaming on all major platforms; find the lossless Dolby Atmos download on ImmersiveAudioAlbum.com. Additionally, a video for the album’s single “Hammer and the Plow” is now available – view it at https://youtu.be/BAl7jEbgxeI.
About The Artist:
A Bad Think is a musical project led by prolific singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Marquart, creating deeply introspective and emotionally charged experimental rock music. Marquart has an illustrious musical background, having collaborated with industry giants and garnering particular acclaim for the surround sound album The Savior, which garnered a 2020 GRAMMY nomination for Best Immersive Audio Album. His unwavering commitment to his craft has resulted in his latest album, Short St., a beautifully personal record that pushes the boundaries of technology with the Dolby Atmos format.
To learn more about A Bad Think and their album Short St. please visit abadthink.com, Vevo/YouTube or check out @abadthink on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
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