TYLER LINDGREN DOULA OF HOPES AND DREAMS TYLER LINDGREN is a Swiss Army Knife in Denver’s DIY music scene, shifting his shape to fit the needs of the artists he’s working with to help them realize their dreams. If you are active in the Denver music scene, you are likely to be familiar with Lindgren’s work, even if you don’t know who Tyler Lindgren is, and he likes it JOSHUA ABEYTA DENVER VOICE MUSIC REPORTER that way. “As a record producer or mixer, I don’t jump out of the curtain. I’m not ‘the band,’” Lindgren said. “I’m not the guy that’s doing interviews. I’m not getting attention. I’m a little tiny note on the [record], and I love to serve in that stewardship role.” Lindgren’s do-it-yourself ethos began early. He described his developmental years as being in “the shadow of a scene,” playing in a few different teenage punk bands with the support of his parents. Lindgren invested in Pro Tools, the industry-standard recording software, and began to experiment by recording his friend’s bands for free. After five years of doing it himself, Lindgren began to pursue music engineering more seriously, first by enrolling at The Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences in Phoenix. “I finally realized I needed an education to just really know why I am compressing this, or how is the EQ working, or how would I work a tape machine if I wanted to use one, so I went to school,” he said. Soon after, Lindgren made the big jump to the West Coast music mecca, Los Angeles, where he found himself learning and working in the Long Beach/SoCal music scene. There, he became close with the late Ikey Owens, before his untimely death in 2014. Owens was a beloved underground music legend who was a founding member of The Mars Volta and played with notable acts such as The Aquabats, Slightly Stoopid, Long Beach Dub Allstars, and Jack White. Owens introduced Lindgren to Gregg Ziemba, a member of Rubedo and Wheelchair Sports Camp, and co-founder of Denver’s Unit E Records with Thadeaous Mighell. Lindgren, Owens, and Ziemba began to work closely on multiple projects while cementing the bonds between the Long Beach and Denver DIY music scenes. In LA, Lindgren sharpened his skills alongside some of the music industry’s finest talents and eventually made his way back to his hometown to collaborate more closely with Unit E artists and the Denver network at large. He has since produced records for homegrown talent, like Machete Mouth, featured in the June issue of the Denver VOICE, as well as Lewis Turner, Cherokee Social, Graveyard Choir, the new project from Nate and Eric from In The Whale, and this writer’s own project, lil piñon. In addition to his work behind the mixing board, Lindgren is also an accomplished drummer, and he finds that the two skills often overlap. “So, I played drums and produced with Milk Blossoms and have been doing that for probably four years now. We did a record where I [produced] and played drums on the record, and they’re like, ‘Hey, you wanna be in this band?’ That happens a lot, which I’m very grateful for.” As is his deferential nature, he mentioned his own project almost as a footnote. “And then I just wrapped my ‘metal band making fun of metal bands’ called Goblin Cock. That’ll be coming out this fall, that’s pretty fun.” On top of creating industry-standard recordings and providing drumming services when needed, Lindgren also prides himself on making his services financially accessible and on helping artists with wraparound professional development, thanks to his years of industry experience. “I love doing the work. I love the process of recording. I love 6 COLUMN Tyler Lindgren drums in too many bands to count. Photo by Kevin Kirchner the process of helping an artist try to get their point across or learning what that is. I’ve learned so much just from watching other people do their thing and just being in that kind of doula place,” he said. Lindgren is known for his willingness to meet artists where they are financially, with a sliding scale. “It’s just… what’s your budget? And then, alright, how much time is this gonna take, and how involved is this gonna be? In bigger records, or in movies, there’s someone called a line budgeter or a line producer that literally just runs the budget, hires people, and focuses on that so that they hit their marks. I try to guide people through that process, as well, so that the things that they wanna accomplish and the people they want on there are not only being paid equitably but are being treated equitably. It’s not only just a discount, but I try to teach and listen as much as humanly possible in that process.” So many musicians credit Lindgren’s thoughtful, thorough approach with helping them record professional-quality albums, develop industry soft skills, and make connections they might not have otherwise. Among the musicians who have benefited from Lindgren’s guidance is Unit E’s Thadeaous Mighell, who said “For as long as I’ve been serving Denver’s creative community, I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside Tyler Lindgren,” he said. “His unwavering support of EVERYONE, regardless of their ability, experience, background, or budget, speaks to his well-earned, guru-like persona. And for this, Denverites are infinitely lucky. Without Tyler, countless stories, voices, and pieces of art that document our history and inspire future generations would be lost. To me, Tyler is perhaps the most dedicated archivist, historian, anthropologist, and caretaker of our little slice of time and place.” You can learn more about Tyler Lindgren and his work at his website: https://a-void.audio.
7 Publizr Home