# Matt Ross-Spang

Matt Ross-Spang is an American Grammy award winning record producer, engineer, and mixer. His credits include such artists as Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Al Green, John Prine and Elvis Presley.

## Life and career

Matt Ross-Spang, born in Memphis, Tennessee, began working at the Sun Studio when he was just 16, working his way from an intern to the Chief Engineer. Wanting to capture what made Sun Studio great, Ross-Spang championed hard to find, install, and use the same period equipment that Sam Phillips engineered with from the 1950s. His 11 years of dedication to Sun, and its signature sound, garnered national attention when it was featured by Lester Holt on NBC's Nightly News and The Today Show, as well as NPR's All Things Considered.
In 2015, Ross-Spang left Sun Studio to venture out on his own as an engineer and producer. His first project post-Sun was to engineer and mix Jason Isbell's Something More Than Free for record producer Dave Cobb. This record earned him his first Grammy Award. The record broke several records debuting at #1 on the Country, Rock, Folk, and Indie Charts. It also broke Americana Radio chart records, staying #1 for over 25 weeks. The record won Grammys for Best Americana Album and Best Americana Song ("24 Frames").
Ross-Spang continued engineering for Dave Cobb on records by Mary Chapin Carpenter, Chris Isaak, The Rival Sons, Corb Lund, Lori McKenna, Brett Dennen and the album Southern Family.
Other recent releases include the latest Sheepdogs record, Future Nostalgia, and the debut album by Margo Price. Price's album, entitled Midwest Farmer's Daughter, was recorded in 2014 at Sun Studio and released on Third Man Records. Engineered, mixed and co-produced by Ross-Spang, the record debuted this year in the top 10 Billboard country charts to critical acclaim.
In 2016, Ross-Spang was hired by Sony Records to mix 18 previously unreleased songs by Elvis Presley from his historic 1976 sessions from the Jungle Room at Graceland.
Later that year, Ross-Spang mixed and engineered the Lori McKenna album, The Bird and the Rifle, which later went on to be nominated for a Grammy Award for Best American Roots Album and Best American Roots Song by the Recording Academy.
2017 has seen the release of Sean Rowe's new album, Lore, which Ross-Spang produced and engineered. American Songwriter magazine gave the record 4 out of 5 stars.
In September 2018, Ross-Spang participated in Amazon Music's first 'Produced By' series, which asks producers to develop music exclusively for Amazon customers. His contributions include tracks from Al Green, Margo Price, John Prine, Erin Rae, and William Bell.
Ross-Spang has been a regular collaborator with The Mountain Goats, engineering their album In League With Dragons (2019), and producing both Getting Into Knives (2019) and Dark in Here (2021).
In 2020, Ross-Spang's mid century modern home was featured in Memphis Magazine, "From the tile floors to the original light fixtures, the 1957 home is remarkably preserved."
In 2021, Ross-Spang opened Southern Grooves, his 3,000-square-foot recording studio. The building process started in August 2020, with acousticians Steven Durr and Matt Schlachter. The studio occupies space, on the second floor of Crosstown Concourse. The studio consists of a live room, control room, a long hallway (for reverb) echo chamber, a lounge, office, tech shop and an EMT plate reverb room. "The undulating ceiling and lack of 90-degree angles or parallel surfaces in the live room reportedly give the impression that the space is a lot bigger than it is". Memphis Business Journal quoted, "One of the most distinctive features of Southern Grooves is the small, closet-sized echo chamber. The walls are designed at odd angles, and they're heavily plastered". “I knew I didn’t want acoustic tile,” Ross-Spang says, opting instead for the burlap-and-wood design favored by such iconic Memphis facilities as Stax Records and Ardent Studios. “I also knew I wanted an angled ceiling, because Sam Phillips did that at Sun and Phillips Recording. I’ve always loved that look and sound.”

## Awards and recognition

Matt Ross-Spang worked as the engineer on The Fluffy Jackets' debut album Fighting Demons featuring producer/ guitarist Manny Charlton (Nazareth) and bassist Neil Murray (Whitesnake). The album won the Best Studio Album of the Year Award for 2014, voted by listeners of The Blues Hour show in UK and France.
One year later, Ross-Spang won a Grammy Award for Jason Isbell's "Something More Than Free in 2015.
The City of Memphis named him one of its "30 under 30" Memphians in 2015
In 2016, Ross-Spang was awarded the Key to the City of Memphis.
He was featured on the Working Class Audio podcast with Matt Boudreau.
For their January/February 2017 issue, Tape Op magazine interviewed Ross-Spang about his past and the future of music production.
At the 2017 Grammy Awards, Lori McKenna's The Bird & The Rifle (engineered and mixed by Ross-Spang) was nominated for Best American Roots Album, Best American Roots Performance, and Best American Roots Song.
At the 2018 Grammy Awards, Ross-Spang received a Grammy for his work on Jason Isbell and the 400 unit's album, The Nashville Sound. The album received a Grammy Awards for Best Americana Album. Additionally, "If We Were Vampires" won the Grammy for Best American Roots Song.
At the 2018 UK Americana Awards, Emily Barker's album, Sweet Kind of Blue, was nominated for Best Album of the Year.
At the 2019 Grammy Awards, John Prine's The Tree of Forgiveness (engineered by Ross-Spang) was nominated for Best Americana Album, Best American Roots Song,
At the 2020 Grammy Awards, Iron & Wine / Calexico received two nominations with their Ross-Spang produced album Years to Burn. That same year, Don Bryant received a nomination for Best Traditional Blues Album forYou Make Me Feel, mixed by Ross-Spang.
At the 2024 Grammy Awards, Ross-Spang had seven nominations, and earned two trophies during the ceremonies. He co-produced Blind Boys of Alabama's "Echoes of the South" which won in the Best Roots Gospel Album. Ross-Spang also co-engineered Jason Isbell’s “Weathervanes” LP, which won for Best Americana Album, while the track "Cast Iron Skillet" won for Best American Roots Song.

## Selected discography

| Year | Album | Artist | Credits |
| 2024 | Resurrection Fern | Bailey Bigger | Mixing | 2024 | Resurrection Fern |
| 2024 | Dr. Dog | Dr. Dog | Mixing |
| 2024 | Soul Provider | Elizabeth King | Co-Write, Mixing, Guitar |
| 2024 | Peacemaker | Vera Sola | Mixing, Engineer |
| 2024 | The Hypos | The Hypos | Mixing |
| 2024 | Vanity Project | Cyrena Wages | Producer, Engineer, Mixing |
| 2023 | Echoes of the South | Blind Boys of Alabama | Co-Producer, Engineer, Mixing |
| 2023 | Jubilee | Old Crow Medicine Show | Co-Producer, Engineer, Mixing |
| 2023 | Who Can See Forever | Iron & Wine | Mixing |
| 2023 | Weathervanes | Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit | Co-Engineer |
| 2023 | Come Back to Me | Peter One | Co-Producer, Engineer, Mixing |
| 2023 | Angels in Science Fiction | St. Paul and The Broken Bones | Producer, Engineer, Mixing |
| 2023 | Lori | Iron & Wine | Engineer, Mixing |
| 2023 | Elvis on Tour | Elvis Presley | Mixing |
| 2023 | Twenty on High | Drayton Farley | Engineer, Mixing |
| 2023 | Should've Learned by Now | Lucero | Co-Producer, Engineer, Mixing |
| 2022 | Whatever You Need | Johnny Ray Daniels | Guitar |
| 2022 | Wellswood | Thomas Dollbaum | Mixing |
| 2022 | Welcome to Club XIII | Drive-By Truckers | Mixing |
| 2022 | The Devil Don't Like It | Dedicated Men of Zion | Guitar |
| 2022 | The Alien Coast | St. Paul and The Broken Bones | Producer, Mixing, Additional Engineering |
| 2022 | Made in Muscle Shoals, Vol. 2 | The Revivalists | Recording |
| 2022 | I Got a Love | Elizabeth King | Guitar |
| 2022 | Paint This Town | Old Crow Medicine Show | Producer, Engineer, Mixing, Recording |
| 2022 | Avondale Drive | Nicki Bluhm | Composer |
| 2022 | This Mess We're In | Arlo McKinley | Producer, Mixing, Engineer |
| 2021 | Never Too Late to Call | Paul Thorn | Producer, Engineer, Mixing |
| 2021 | When You Found Me | Lucero | Producer, Engineer, Mixing |
| 2021 | Living in the Last Days | Elizabeth King | Guitar, Mixing |
| 2021 | Headwaters | Alexa Rose | Mixing |
| 2021 | Dark in Here | The Mountain Goats | Producer, Engineer |
| 2020 | From Elvis in Nashville | Elvis Presley | Mixing |
| 2020 | You Make Me Feel | Don Bryant | Mixing |
| 2020 | Waiting Out the Storm | Jeremy Ivey | Mixing |
| 2020 | Tiny Little Movies | Will Hoge | Mixing |
| 2020 | Live at Alice Tully Hall (January 27, 1973 - 2nd Show) | Lou Reed | Mixing |
| 2020 | Die Midwestern | Arlo McKinley | Producer, Engineer, Guitar, Mixing |
| 2020 | The Unraveling | Drive-By Truckers | Engineer, Mixing |
| 2020 | The New Ok | Drive-By Truckers | Engineer, Mixing |
| 2020 | Nobody Lives Here Anymore | Cut Worms | Producer, Engineer, Mixing |
| 2020 | Made in Muscle Shoals | The Revivalists | Engineer |
| 2020 | Getting into Knives | The Mountain Goats | Producer, Engineer, Mixing |
| 2020 | The Unraveling | Drive-By Truckers | Mixing, Recording |
| 2020 | Bone Structure | Ron Pope | Mixing |
| 2020 | Josh Ritter & The Milk Carton Kids | Josh Ritter, The Milk Carton Kids | Mixing |
| 2019 | Down To The River | The Allman Betts Band | Producer, Engineer, Mixing |
| 2019 | 99 Cent Dreams | Eli "Paperboy" Reed | Producer, Engineer, Mixing |
| 2019 | The International Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, August 23, 1969 | Elvis Presley | Mixing |
| 2019 | Call Me Lucky | Dale Watson | Mixing |
| 2019 | Front Porch | Joy Williams | Engineer |
| 2019 | The Flood In Color | Joe Pug | Engineer |
| 2019 | The Dream And The Dreamer | Jeremy Ivey | Mixing |
| 2019 | Years To Burn | Calexico, Iron & Wine | Producer, Engineer, Mixing |
| 2019 | In League with Dragons | The Mountain Goats | Engineer |
| 2018 | The Tree of Forgiveness | John Prine | Engineer |
| 2018 | Lonesome as a Shadow | Charley Crockett | Producer, Engineer, Mixing |
| 2018 | Don't Let The Devil Ride | Paul Thorn | Engineer, Mixing |
| 2018 | Ancient Noise | Patrick Sweany | Producer, Engineer, Mixing |
| 2018 | To Rise You Gotta Fall | Nicki Bluhm | Producer, Engineer, Mixing |
| 2018 | Elvis Presley: The Searcher (Original Soundtrack) | Elvis Presley | Mastering, Mixing |
| 2018 | Encore | Anderson East | Engineer |
| 2018 | Among The Ghosts | Lucero | Engineer, Co-Producer, Mixing |
| 2018 | To The Sunset | Amanda Shires | Engineer |
| 2018 | Once In A Blue Moon | McKenna Bray | Engineer, Mixing |
| 2018 | Elvis Was A Love Affair | Dale Watson | Mixing, Recording |
| 2018 | Produced By: Matt Ross-Spang | Erin Rae, Margo Price, John Prine, Al Green, William Bell | Producer |
| 2017 | The Nashville Sound | Jason Isbell | Engineer |
| 2017 | All American Made | Margo Price | Producer, Engineer, Mixing |
| 2017 | New Lore | Sean Rowe | Producer, Engineer |
| 2017 | Walk into a Storm | The Lone Bellow | Engineer |
| 2017 | Sweet Kind of Blue | Emily Barker | Producer, Mixing |
| 2017 | Love Light Orchestra | Love Light Orchestra | Producer |
| 2017 | 639 Madison | Susan Marshall | Producer |
| 2017 | Weakness | Margo Price | Producer |
| 2017 | This Son Is A Stranger To You | Rich Minus | Producer, Tracking |
| 2017 | Paper Cowboy | Margo Price | Producer, Engineer, Mixing |
| 2017 | West Coast Town | Chris Shiflett | Mixing, Recording |
| 2017 | Eli Paper Boy Reed Meets High & Mighty Brass Band | Eli Paper Boy Reed | Producer, Engineer, Mixing |
| 2016 | The Bird and the Rifle | Lori McKenna | Engineer, Mixing |
| 2016 | American Band | Drive By Truckers | Engineer |
| 2016 | Hollow Bones | Rival Sons | Engineer |
| 2016 | Midwest Farmer's Daughter | Margo Price | Producer, Engineer, Mixing, Wah Wah Guitar |
| 2016 | Por Favor | Brett Dennen | Engineer, Mixing, Recording |
| 2016 | Southern Family | Various Artists | Engineer, Mixing, Recording, Stomping |
| 2016 | Way Down in the Jungle Room | Elvis Presley | Mixing |
| 2016 | Memphis Ukulele Band | Memphis Ukulele Band | Producer, Mixing, Ukulele [Baritone], Mellotron, Percussion |
| 2016 | My Piece Of Land | Amanda Shires | Engineer |
| 2016 | Ain't Who I Was | Bonnie Bishop | Engineer, Mixing |
| 2016 | Shine On Rainy Day | Brent Cobb | Mixing, Recording |
| 2016 | The Things That We Are Made Of | Mary Chapin Carpenter | Mixing, Recording |
| 2015 | Future Nostalgia | The Sheepdogs | Engineer |
| 2015 | Things That Can't Be Undone | Corb Lund | Engineer |
| 2015 | Something More Than Free | Jason Isbell | Engineer |
| 2015 | Decorations Of Red | Susan Marshall | Producer, Engineer |
| 2015 | Trinity My Dear | Mark Edgar Stuart | Engineer |
| 2015 | First Comes The Night | Chris Isaak | Engineer |
| 2014 | Fighting Demons (Sun Studio Session) | The Fluffy Jackets | Engineer |
| 2014 | Hillbillies and Holy Rollers | Jason D. Williams | Engineer, Mixing |
| 2014 | Scaredy Cat | Grace Askew | Engineer |
| 2014 | If You.... | Dale Watson & Hillbilly Casino | Engineer |
| 2013 | The Sun Studio Session | The Howlin' Brothers | Engineer |
| 2013 | Grey Goose: A Tribute To Leadbelly | Daniel Eriksen, Sting Sjøstrøm | Engineer |
| 2013 | Let It Rock: The Chuck Berry Tribute | The Refreshments | Engineer |
| 2012 | Live From The Legendary Sun Studio | Grace Potter & The Nocturnals | Engineer, Mixing |
| 2012 | Monsters | Onward, Soldiers | Mixing |
| 2012 | The Sun Session | Grand Marquis | Engineer |
| 2012 | Neptune City | Nicole Atkins | Engineer |
| 2011 | The Sun Sessions | The Texas Two/Dale Watson | Engineer |
| 2011 | Shiloh | Sean Martin | Engineer, mixing |
| 2011 | Beyond The Sun | Chris Isaak | Assistant Engineer |
| 2011 | The Sun Session | The Border Blasters | Recording, Engineer |
| 2009 | Glass Half Full | David Brookings | Producer |
| 2007 | Obsessed | David Brookings | Assistant Engineer |
| 2007 | EP | The Splints | Engineer |
| 2005 | Chorus Verses The Bridge | David Brookings | Engineer |