Ryan Freeland is an American record producer, songwriter,

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limit ...

, and mixer based in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

. Freeland is a five-time

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

winner and is best known for his work with Bonnie Raitt,

Ray LaMontagne Raymond Charles Jack LaMontagne (; born June 18, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. LaMontagne has released eight studio albums: ''Trouble'', ''Till the Sun Turns Black'', '' Gossip in the Grain'', '' God Willin' & the Creek Don ...

Aimee Mann Aimee Elizabeth Mann (born September 8, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter. Over the course of four decades, she has released more than a dozen albums as a solo artist and with other musicians. She is noted for her sardonic and literate lyr ...

Joe Henry Joseph Lee Henry (born December 2, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer. He has released 15 studio albums and produced multiple recordings for other artists, including three Grammy Award-winning albums. Early life H ...

Grant-Lee Phillips Grant-Lee Phillips (born Bryan G. Phillips; September 1, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He led the group Grant Lee Buffalo in the 1990s, afterwards launching a solo career. He features as the town troubadour ...

Hugh Laurie James Hugh Calum Laurie (; born 11 June 1959) is an English actor, comedian, writer, and musician. He first gained recognition for his work as one half of the comedy double act Fry and Laurie with Stephen Fry. The two men acted together in ...

, Ingrid Michaelson,

Loudon Wainwright III Loudon Snowden Wainwright III (born September 5, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actor. He has released twenty-six studio albums, four live albums, and six compilations. Some of his best-known songs include "The Swimmin ...

Rodney Crowell Rodney Crowell (born August 7, 1950) is an American musician, known primarily for his work as a singer and songwriter in country music. Crowell has had five number one singles on Hot Country Songs, all from his 1988 album '' Diamonds & Dirt''. ...

Alana Davis Alana Schofield Davis (born May 6, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter. Her father, Walter Davis Jr., was an African-American pianist who played alongside such jazz greats as Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. A record deal with Elektra R ...

, and

Jonatha Brooke Jonatha Brooke (born January 23, 1964) is an American folk rock singer-songwriter and guitarist from Massachusetts, United States. Her music merges elements of folk, rock and pop, often with poignant lyrics and complex harmonies. She has been a ...

. He is represented exclusively by Global Positioning Services Management in Santa Monica.

Life and career

Personal life

Freeland began playing the piano at age 6 from the encouragement of his mother, and continued studying classical and jazz piano at Interlochen Arts Academy. He later attended California State University, Chico where he completed a bachelor's degree in music with a minor in English.

Work with Bob Clearmountain

After working for six months at Kiva Recording Studio in Memphis, Freeland heard that the esteemed producer, engineer and mixer

Bob Clearmountain Bob Clearmountain (born January 15, 1953) is an American recording engineer, mixer and record producer. He has worked with many major acts, including Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, Toto (band), Toto, Bon Jovi and Bryan Adams, with whom he ...

was looking for an assistant engineer at his new private studio in Pacific Palisades. He decided to cold call Clearmountain and landed up getting the position. Freeland describes it as “a life-changing event” and from 1994 to 1998 he was Clearmountain's second engineer. He then moved on to become an independent engineer, and some of his first projects included Aimee Mann and Jonathan Brooke, whom he had met by working with Bob Clearmountain. He has since worked for 20 years as an independent producer, engineer and mixer.

Stampede Origin Studios

Freeland works from his custom-built two story studio “Stampede Origin Studio” in Culver City, CA. The facility features a large live room, two isolation booths and amplifier closets, while the second floor hosts the main control room, listening area, a kitchenette and a third isolation booth often used for vocals. Five full-racks house most of his outboard gear, and the studio is home to a large collection of new and vintage microphones and instruments.

Grammy Awards

Freeland is a five-time Grammy award winner and has won awards for the following albums: * 2009:

Ramblin' Jack Elliott Ramblin' Jack Elliott (born Elliot Charles Adnopoz; August 1, 1931) is an American folk singer and songwriter. Life and career Elliott was born in 1931 in Brooklyn, New York, United States, the son of Florence (Rieger) and Abraham Adnopoz, a ...

- “A Stranger Here”, Best Traditional Blues Album (Engineer, Mixer) * 2010:

The Carolina Chocolate Drops The Carolina Chocolate Drops were an old-time string band from Durham, North Carolina. Their 2010 album, ''Genuine Negro Jig,'' won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards, and was number 9 in ''fRoots' ...

- “Genuine Negro Jig”, Best Traditional Folk Album (Engineer, Mixer) * 2010:

- “God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise”, Best Contemporary Folk Album (Engineer, Mixer) * 2012: Bonnie Raitt - “Slipstream”, Best Americana Album (Engineer, Mixer) * 2018:

- "Mental Illness", Best Folk Album (Engineer, Mixer)

Selected discography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Freeland, Ryan Living people American record producers American audio engineers American male songwriters Year of birth missing (living people)