A skilled producer, audio engineer, guitarist, songwriter, teacher, and inspirational speaker, Joey Stuckey is a jack-of-all-trades. And unlike most, he’s a master of them all. He’s also the owner of Shadow Sound Studio and has been anointed the musical ambassador of his hometown of Macon, Georgia. Although he’s constantly busy touring and making music, Joey was gracious enough to chat with us about his enviable career, life challenges, and ongoing relationship with Sweetwater.
You were introduced to music at an early age by your parents. What did you listen to while you were growing up? How did it shape your musical future?
As a child, most of my records were things like the Chipmunks, Sesame Street, etc., but my dad listened to a lot of country — Hank Williams, Sr., Statler Brothers, Eddy Arnold, and Chet Atkins.
My mom listened to what we would now call sacred music — primarily things out of the Baptist hymnal and also a lot of classical music.
My first “real” album that wasn’t designed for a young child was the Beatles’ Yesterday and Today — which I listened to practically nonstop. The captivating things about this record were great melodies and vocal harmonies. I was filled with great joy when listening to this album. The joy of making music with great melodies in my own compositions is the legacy I have carried with me all these years.
Of course, as I got older, I listened to what you would expect of a child in the ’80s — U2, Loverboy, Def Leppard, and Journey. In my formative years of writing my first original compositions, I was listening to R.E.M., the Smiths, the Cure, and Nirvana, but my collection of Beatles CDs was never far away.
What inspired you to transform your early love of music into a lifelong passion? What made you want to become a musician yourself?
I am a blind brain tumor survivor and was a very sick child. Music always brought me solace, but I never thought that it would be a career until I was 13 years old and I began my obsession with recording equipment. My initial thought was that I would make sound effects for film and TV. I got my first job at 15 as the sound technician for the planetarium in my hometown of Macon, Georgia.
At this point, other young people in their teens and 20s began approaching me about recording their garage bands. When I heard one of those bands record an original composition, I knew that I too could do that, and that music was the vehicle with which I was going to tell my story. By the time I was 17, there really was never any question in my mind that I would be a full-time musician, recording engineer, and producer. By the time I was 19, I moved into a building downtown and out of my attic. I have never had another job that was not music or audio related.
You’ve had both classical and jazz training. Some of your music has a folk-rock sound — kind of Americana-ish. And your guitar sounds downright bluesy at times. Who and what has influenced your eclectic playing style?
Albums like the Beatles’ Revolver, “The White Album,” and Abbey Road have certainly played their part. Of course, no guitar player is free from influences like Hendrix, Page, and Clapton. I’ve also been highly inspired by Joe Bonamassa, Eddie Van Halen, Johnny Marr, Adrian Belew, and Neil Finn. And from the realm of jazz, I have drawn inspiration from guitarists such as Pat Martino, Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, and John McLaughlin. Basically, I play whatever I want to with little regard for convention. I do tend to blend the insane bending that you find with Hendrix along with very fast picking such as Van Halen or Al Di Meola. This is juxtaposed with more melodic content that you would hear from guitarists like Russ Freeman or Dickey Betts. For clarity, this is when I am playing my music. As a session musician, I really try to focus everything on the needs of the song and whatever instrument has the melody. I try to support the recording without drawing focus.
My current guitar rig employs boutique pedals from Strymon and Pigtronix. I also have my trusty Mark Tremonti Wah by Morley. I actually have several of these pedals that are all the same that I carry with me as spares because I am terrified of not having them as part of my rig. I have used every amp under the sun at some point, including Fender, Marshall, Line 6, and Naylor. Currently, I am using Supro amps.
On tour for our current album, In the Shadow of the Sun, I am using a custom-built guitar from my luthier, Danny Boyles. It is a semi-hollow Telecaster-style body with a truly bewildering array of pickups and tone knobs.
You’re a nationally touring artist with several albums under your belt. You’re also an accomplished songwriter. What inspired you to start creating your own music?
I have a bit of a gallows sense of humor, which has been a valuable coping mechanism that I developed during my health struggles as a child. The brain tumor took my eyesight and sense of smell and also my endocrine system, so I don’t have adrenal glands, for example. Later in life, as a latent issue from the brain tumor, I had to have a total hip replacement and have recently undergone a total shoulder replacement. All that to say that I believe in the power of music to change lives for the better, and I also believe in laughter! I have a finely tuned sense of sarcasm and irony. The desire to express my struggles musically is not to complain or be sad but rather to show that regardless of how broken we might be, the human spirit can rise above any travail and find purpose through a life of intention. It isn’t always easy, and I believe that saying you are unhappy with your situation, frustrated, or sad are appropriate and healthy acknowledgments as long as you move through those emotions and find joy in living life.
Music is not something I do — it is what I am. It is a primal compulsion, just as necessary as drawing breath. Humans are, by our very nature, storytellers, and it is through stories that we understand our place in the universe. My stories use the vehicle of music and I believe fulfill the essential task of recording history, evolving new ideas, and most importantly, giving each of us a connection to one another so that we are cognizant of our connection and know that we are not alone and that there are others with whom we can share our journey.
What kinds of projects are you working on these days? Rumor has it that you’ll be heading up to Sweetwater to work with our studio team.
Currently, we are still pimping the album In the Shadow of the Sun. I am also recording a Christmas EP that will be released November of this year. I am honestly not sure what will happen next on my personal projects, as I have several in various stages of completion. It will be interesting to see which project the stars align behind. I am a fan of Sweetwater’s Mark Hornsby and also consider him a dear friend. He and I have spoken several times about doing an album in the Sweetwater studio with Nick D’Virgilio and Dave Martin on drums and bass respectively. Our current concept, which might change several times between now and when we roll tape, is to do a live session with few overdubs or corrections.
You instruct guitar, voice, music theory, and engineering. You’re also an in-demand inspirational speaker. What got you into teaching and speaking?
I had been asked to teach guitar in my early twenties, but I didn’t actually start teaching until my mid-twenties because I felt like if I were to undertake educating someone I wanted to be sure that I truly had something to share. I’ve been teaching ever since, not only privately, but through master classes at a variety of universities, including University College of London, University of Southern Mississippi, and Buena Vista University, just to name a few. I also teach music technology at Mercer University and Middle Georgia State University. I am concerned about ensuring that students are given a strong foundation in things that will give them a sustainable career path. This means in the current state of the music business, students have to understand basic music theory, basic music technology, and basic music business, in addition to being exposed to the concepts of critical listening, problem solving, and entrepreneurship.
Regarding my work as an inspirational speaker, I am convinced that each person has within them everything needed to live a successful life. It starts with having a core of intention and embracing whatever it is that is your passion. At some point, this bewildering thing we call life can be distilled down to a simple choice — be happy or be miserable. My talks lay out what I believe to be the four pillars of success, and if I had to break the message down to its most basic form, it would be that if a blind guy with a metal hip and metal shoulder, and no adrenal glands, can live his dream, then we all can.
Beyond that, you’re also in the music publishing business. And a music columnist. How do you wear so many hats at once? Most of us would keel over from sheer exhaustion!
It is true that I wear a lot of hats. But it’s partly a necessity in the music industry in its current configuration. As old revenue streams dry up and new ones are invented, the drive to diversify is powerful if you want to continue making music and not have to take on work that is outside of your passion. However, I’ve always liked to challenge myself and I really only have two speeds: full speed ahead and off. I’m not sure if it’s a product of being very sick as a child and feeling like I had a lot of time lost to illness or if it’s a product of my very active mind and imagination. As a blind person, the only data really available to me is things that I touch or things that I hear. Sight is a very powerful stimulus and the way I think about it is that it eats up a lot of bandwidth/takes up a lot of RAM. So without that constant drain on my awareness, I feel like I do a lot more deep introspective pondering and analytical thinking. Basically, the short answer is, that’s just how I roll (laughs).
How did you get your start in producing, recording, and audio engineering?
Interestingly, the producer in me was born out of the laziness of some of my early bandmates. They wouldn’t learn the specific and nuanced parts that I wanted the band to take on when we were playing cover material. Even bands that are trios will often layer backing vocals and lots of guitars to flesh out their recordings. So for a band that had three guitar players, a bassist, and a drummer, and with several singers in the group, I was not content for us all to strum the same chords. So I began picking out the parts in the recordings that I felt drove the piece, learned them all on multiple instruments, and taught them to my bandmates. This experience made it natural for me, when I started recording my own material, to arrange and analyze the music, not just capture a performance. I realized fairly quickly that I had raw talent but was not content to coast on that. I wanted then and still want now to constantly improve and learn from people that have more experience than I do. This is one of the reasons that even though I am an accomplished musician and make a living as a recording engineer and producer, I like to come to the Sweetwater master classes because the artists and producer you’re working with are at the very top of the industry, and there is always something to learn.
What’s the history behind Shadow Sound Studio?
It is an imperfect illusion to being blind, but I use shadows a lot in introducing the concept of blindness to sighted folks. In reality, of course, there are no shadows when you’re totally blind, and contrary to popular belief I do not walk in darkness. Rather, there is a complete absence of visual perception. My wife, Jennifer, came up with a pretty great analogy that I like to use. She says that I have the same sense of sight with my eyes that a sighted person has with their elbow. It’s not dark — it’s just nothing (absent). To “see” darkness is to visually notice the absence of light. But as this is a bit esoteric, I stick with the shadow theme for convenience. I’ve been using that brand since my first album, Take a Walk in the Shadows (which is also the title track). As I said earlier, like most of your readers, I started in an attic room with some very primitive recording equipment. In fact, just this past week at an AES conference, several of us were remembering fondly our TASCAM 424s. I moved into a professional space in downtown Macon, Georgia, and started the studio. We are still in that space but getting ready to grow into a 9,000-square-foot tracking and control room and my current studio will become our B-room. In some ways, as I have described above, the studio business found me, but I realized one of my primary obstacles as a blind person would be transportation, and I thought that I should find a reason for people to come to me and that the studio would be an excellent way to do what I wanted to do and take away unnecessary stress by not having to travel as much. Keep in mind that when I made this decision, I was in my late teens. Now, of course, I travel all over the world and it’s not really a problem. I started my first recordings with nothing but a boom box. I graduated up to some basic live sound gear that I used for recording. I then moved into a more professional realm — tracking with the Alesis ADAT and later the TASCAM DA-88s before finally being dragged into computer recording kicking and screaming in 2003.
I actually like the nondestructive editing, automation, and collaborative elements of digital technology, while of course preferring the character and vibe of analog gear of which I have quite a bit. The primary issue with tracking everything to the computer is that the accessibility for the blind for various DAWs and plug-ins comes and goes.
You’ve got a nice setup — everything is centered around a Soundtracs Jade console. What are your favorite pieces of gear? What mics do you find yourself reaching for the most?
I could literally talk about this stuff for days! There are so many wonderful products out there that do incredible things. Oftentimes I will patch in a compressor or another piece of outboard gear and not even use it for its intended function, because I have found that just running a signal through a unit like the Warm Audio WA-2A adds a lot of character. For drums, I really love my JDK Audio R22 compressor and my SSL XLogic Alpha Channel. I also use the JDK Audio R24 for subtractive EQ work on toms. My faithful Chameleon Labs 7720 is something I like a lot on overheads and use on stereo buses on strings, horns, and backing vocals. I literally never track a lead vocal without my trusty Rupert Neve Designs Portico 5012, and believe it or not I am still using my Eventide H3000 and older Lexicon units from the ’90s. I also employ my Retro Instruments Sta-Level and Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor quite a bit. I’ve got some pretty exciting TL Audio mic pres and compressors in addition to some awesome API mic pres.
For microphones, I have everything from Shure SM57 to the Royer R-122, the Blue enCORE, the sE Electronics Titan, the Warm Audio WA-47, Neumann U 87, Miktek PM10 and PM11, AKG 451, Yamaha SubKick, and I could go on forever. I find, though, that for auxiliary percussion, strings, and acoustic guitars, I love the AKG 451 for nearfield miking. For reverberant or ambient miking, I really like the sE Electronics sE2200, Neumann U 87, sE Electronics Titan, Blue Kiwi, WA-47, or Miktek CV4. For vocals, you really can’t go wrong with a Neumann U 87, although I will sometimes trade this out for the Miktek CV4. On my drums, I have everything from AKGs to EVs and even some Audix, but probably the two most important mics on the kit, in my opinion, are my snare mic — Telefunken M80 — and my overhead mics — sE Electronics R1 ribbon mics. On my baby grand pianos (yes, I’m cool enough to have two (laughs)), I always have a pair of Neumann KM84s inside the piano and a variety of other mics outside the lid and in the room. For electric guitars, Telefunken M80 is awesome, as are Blue enCORE, Royer R-122, and Shure SM57. I may even employ a Neumann U 67 as well.
Thanks to Sweetwater’s Mark Hornsby, I am currently lusting for some DPA mics and plan to buy some, along with several flavors of the AKG 414s, when we upgrade the new studio space. My wife says, “Thanks, Mark!”
What kinds of recording projects have you worked on? What are you the proudest of?
I’ve worked on a lot of different projects and genres as diverse as klezmer, bluegrass, classical, hip-hop, heavy metal, Latin/world music, and even a few honest-to-God barbershop quartets. Some career highlights would be live concert recordings for Randall Bramblett (Traffic), Chuck Leavell (Rolling Stones), and Mike Mills (R.E.M.). I took part in recording Alan Parsons’ “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” which can be found on his current album The Secret. I was also honored to have been chosen to track vocals for Gregg Allman’s last album, Southern Blood, but unfortunately Gregg passed away before this happened, and the album was released with his scratch vocal takes. This album, while not truly completed, is a wonderful farewell from Gregg, and I encourage any of his fans to experience it. I’ve also had the privilege to record some incredible musicians for my own albums, including Ben Tucker (Herbie Mann), Al Chez (Tower of Power), Huey Thomasson (Outlaws, Lynyrd Skynyrd), Jimmy Herring (Allman Brothers), Chris Hicks (Marshall Tucker), Miguel Castro (ARC recording artist and percussionist with Tito Puente), Jimmy Hall (Wet Willie, Jeff Beck), Jerome Thomas (Maceo Parker), David Ragsdale (The Smashing Pumpkins, Kansas), and many more.
What I’m really most proud of is working with artists who are at the beginning of their journey and giving them a great experience in an environment that is creative and that nurtures them. They get a lot of free advice (whether they want it or not (laughs)) about the music business, because I want everyone who is serious about the craft that graces my space to leave with tools that will ensure a better tomorrow for their career. A few of my most recent artists are Shannon Lilly (“Light It Up”), Pammie Kakes Ensemble (The Year of Still Here), Joey Stuckey Presents Ladies of the South, and WillieF1 (“Get Right,” “Bounce”). And of course, there is my current record from the Joey Stuckey Trio, In the Shadow of the Sun.
What’s your favorite part about being a Sweetwater customer?
The truth is that I have never had a better experience than working with Sweetwater. My dear friend, Yuval Fuchs, who is a senior Sales Engineer, has always gone beyond the call of duty to help me, especially as it relates to accessibility concerns for a blind musician. He has never let me down when I’ve needed something, even when I needed it yesterday! I am proud to call him friend, and the knowledge and care with which he treats all of his customers is something I am sure Sweetwater is proud of. Of course, Sweetwater prices are the best available, and the breadth and scope of the products that are carried are impressive but also selected with great care. If you love music and every aspect of making it, a pilgrimage to Sweetwater HQ in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is a must. Everything from the museum and gift shop to the recording facility, spaces to check out gear and instruments, and their concert venues are second to none. The giant slide from the second floor is one of my favorite features even though I am terrified to go down it. The master classes and Sweetwater Studios, under the helm of Mark Hornsby, are world class, and the Sweetwater staff, from the session musicians to the security personnel, are knowledgeable and friendly.
I also should give a shout out here to Julie Doust, who is amazing in more ways than I have time to explain.
While I have not yet had the privilege to meet Chuck Surack, doing so is one of my goals. I would like to shake his hand and thank him not only for the skill and care with which he has built a truly unique company that is an excellent resource for musicians at every level but also for his many philanthropic contributions.
My wife also feels like a valued Sweetwater customer, because at her request they only send her Tootsie Rolls, and plenty of them!
Pursue Your Dreams (with a Little Help from Sweetwater)
Joey is one of the hardest working folks we’ve met in the music industry. He works nonstop, day in and day out, to make his musical dreams reality — and Sweetwater is proud to call him a customer, partner, and friend. What are your musical dreams? We’d love to help you achieve them. Give us a call at (800) 222-4700, and we’ll get started!