Award winning producer, songwriter and musician Mark Addison has a penchant for creative exploration, and it guides his work.
His production credits include such diverse records as Irish superstar Mundy’s album Raining Down Arrows, which debuted at #1 on the Irish charts and achieved platinum status, Matt the Electrician’s Animal Boy, Ian Moore’s And All The Colors, Guy Forsyth’s Love Songs For And Against, releases by Maia Sharp and albums by Sara Hickman, Band of Heathens, Bob Schneider, Jess Klein and Will Sexton among others. He’s also the production wizard behind current Austin folk-pop project Onetwothreescream.
A prolific writer, Addison has penned tunes for such artists as Joan Baez, Edwin McCain, Kiss’ Gene Simmons and Cher, and he’s co-authored songs with Maia Sharp, Willy Porter, Paul Thorn, Freedy Johnston, Italian superstar Zuccero and others.
Addison was born in London, England and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. Early lessons in piano and music theory gave way to guitar and rock music, and Addison eventually ended up co-fronting The Generators, a popular Cleveland group that became the model for “The Barbusters” in Paul Schrader’s film “Light of Day.”
After a move to Los Angeles in the late 80’s, Addison formed The Borrowers, one of the first American groups to bring acoustic instruments into the forefront of modern rock music.
Addison relocated to the Austin area in the 90’s, eventually building a studio adjacent to his house on a small rural tract of land southeast of the city. At the urging of producer friend Joe Chiccarelli, he purchased a 1979 Quad Eight Pacifica, a little-known mixing desk at the time. His efforts to research and spread the word about the console along with that of other Quad Eight evangelists eventually helped revive the company, which now makes limited-edition and custom components.
Addison’s extensive songwriting chops inform his production style; he’s also a big fan of vintage gear and likes to keep numerous toys around the studio to inspire the artists he works with. Tucked into his mixes you’ll hear toy pianos, bouzoukis, gym whistles, guitars played with drumsticks and, very rarely, the occasional dog bark, thanks to Eddie, Harley, Magnolia and Major, the studio dogs.
