Matt Squire is an American based producer and engineer who has produced some slick punk and edgy rock recordings over the past 10 years. Most recently he produced the young and incredibly hyped band Panic! At The Disco. Their single sold well over a million copies world wide and their video for for 'I Write Sins Not Tragedies' is among youtubes most viewed videos. Posted 3 months ago (September 2006) it has been streamed more than 5.4 million times. Mixdown was intrigued as to who was behind this interesting sounding album and learn more about the man Matt Squire.

Firstly, thankyou for chatting to us! you have produced some slick albums over the last few years and Mixdown appreciates you taking the time out of your incredibly hectic schedule to talk with us.

MD: What are you up to at the moment ?
MS: I'm recording strings on the new Daphne loves Derby record - its been a blast.

MD: How did you intially become involved in mixing and what bands or producers/engineers influenced your direction ?
MS: So many but my faves are Bob Rock and Jack Joseph Puig. I like the Lanois/ Eno/ Flood team that did a lot of the U2 stuff too - classic!

MD: Do you do a lot of pre-production with bands before you record them ?
MS: Its absoloutely my favourite part. So yes I do alot. I like to have the record sussed out before we even set up a mic.

MD: As a mixing engineer do you reference other work to draw conclusions ?
MS: Not as much as I should. I kinda just follow my instincts.

MD: Production wise, you produce such slick sounding albums but still retain a real in your face confronting punk feel over them. IE Thrice, Panic, Hot Water Music. How do you keep this overall 'in your face' feel to them?
MS: Well, my good friend Brian McTernan had a lot more to do with Thrice and Hot Water, but as for Panic: its about making tiny decisions along the way as to what to perfect and what to let hang out. Its an instinct thing and it has a lot to do with what feels good at the moment and whether it still feels good a week later.

MD: What gear do you use that is imperative to your characteristic sound?
MS: I have an SSL console - its sounds great - other than that , my gear is pretty much standard. API distressor , Neumann - I'm not as much of a gear freak as I want to be. Im more of a performance guy when it comes down to it. The gear is an afterthought.

MD: With the shift more toward the home studio, are the tracks getting better or worse?
MS: Some are great - I have a friend who is 18 and making some amazing recordings - most home recordings I hear misuse certain tools ( especially auto tune ) I think home recording is great but its not a shortcut. Just because you can computerise a vocal doesnt mean you dont need to learn how to sing.

MD: Is it possible to produce great albums from the home studios? Does production play a massive part into what makes a great album ?
MS: My studio is in my house (haha! ) - its definitely possible - as long as the song is great. I dont care where it is recorded - I do think production plays a massive role in what makes a great album - capturing a moment is a very subtle art and there is some sort of unexplained magic that exists that drives us onward. My favourite producers are all very gifted in this area.

MD: Should an album be something a band can reproduce live and just be the song in its natural form or should an album be something special with layers and layers of subliminal sounds and interesting production?
MS: It's a tough question - I think you need the layers in most cases - when a band plays live, the singer can make a gesture and the point gets across - sometimes it can take 50 tracks in the studio to convey the same emotion.

MD: Panic at the Disco's album has sold well over 500,000 copies worldwide. When you finish a project like that do you know it will be a success?
MS: I knew the record was great but i dont think anyone can preditc success - I just work my tail off so I can look back and say that even if a record isnt a success, I did absolutely everything in my power to make it fly and to make the artist shine. It is an amazing thing to watch unfold when a record breaks - It's more fun when you cant completely explain why it's happening.

MD: How important is the vocalist-engineer relationship during tracking ?
MS: Its huge - trust is so vital to this process and vocals is the biggest test - I find that alot of singers are self conscious in the studio - I am brutal with people and I think this eases the tension because they know that they have got a take if I actually say its good.

MD: What is your vocal microphone of choice? or does it vary with particular singers ?
MS: Totally different - its hard to predict what will sound good on such a complex instrument.

MD: Do you have to like the band's music to work on their project ?
MS: Absoloutely 100%.

MD: What mixes over the past four years have made you step back and say wow ?
MS: Im so picky - the only records that sound great great to me are the ones that I grew up on - NIN, Downward Spiral, Jellyfish, Spilt Milk, The Cults, Sonic Temple - I guess that doesnt really answer the question (or maybe it does).

MD: What do you look for in on the initial listen and how do you treat certain instruments in the recording stage to enhance the final mix of that given instrument ?
MS: I try and get it right on the way in - I like to track in such a way that the record kind of mixes itself - the way the mix can take it to a whole new level rather than just serve as a big band aid.

MD: How do you mix to suit such formats of I-pods and the fact that music is being played on computers and I-pods ?
MS: I don't know - I think I-pods actually have a cool sound - all the mids are pretty much intact - it's the highs and lows that seem to suffer - if the songs rule, then it shouldn't matter.

MD: What's next for Matt Squire ?
MS: Im looking for new stuff to get my hands on - I would like to do pop or metal or anything that I havent really done before - Its always good to keep yourself guessing and thats when I find I do my best work