Vance Powell


Vance Powell is an American six-time Grammy Award winning record producer, engineer and mixer. His credits include Phish, Chris Stapleton, Jack White, Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown, The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather, The White Stripes, Arctic Monkeys, Wolfmother, Deadly Apples, Seasick Steve, Black Prairie, The Revivalists, Tinariwen, JEFF the Brotherhood, Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes, and Martina McBride, among many others.

Life and career

Powell made his start in live sound, touring with local Missouri bands as a front of house engineer. In 1986, he conducted his first professional studio recording session as an engineer at Rick Massey's 'Massey Studio', stepping in for the main engineer who was sick at the time. That same year he became the studio's engineer. In 1990-'93 he took a position at Lou Whitney's Column One Studio in Springfield, MO. as second engineer, recording scores of regional bands and artists. Shortly after, Powell moved to Nashville, TN, accepting a position as a monitor engineer for Tammy Wynette. The position turned into Production Manager/Front of House Engineer, which he did until 1997, when he joined global sound reinforcement company, Clair Brothers Audio.
In 1998 he started a long relationship with Jars of Clay taking a front of house position that continued through 2002. During that time several recording projects with them emerged, including their full length 2002 release "The Eleventh Hour".
In early 2002 John McBride asked him to help build and run Blackbird Studio, a single room semi-private facility for his wife, country music superstar Martina McBride. The single room semi-private facility soon became an eight room world class facility hosting projects such as Neil Young's “Heart of Gold” motion picture soundtrack and The Dixie Chicks' six time Grammy Award winning “Taking the Long Way”. Powell remained the Chief Engineer at Blackbird for seven years.
Projects outside of Blackbird soon beckoned, and Powell began working extensively with Jack White's groups including The Raconteurs, The White Stripes, and The Dead Weather, as well as many of White's production jobs such as Wanda Jackson's "The Party Ain't Over", as well as Jack White and Alicia Keys' production of "Another Way to Die" from the James Bond film Quantum of Solace.
Powell is the co-owner of Sputnik Sound, a recording and mixing facility he set up in 2006 together with producer/engineer Mitch Dane. Powell met White for the first time in 2006, when he worked on Danger Mouse and Daniel Luppi's Rome album, on which White guested. Recent Sputnik Sound projects include Phish, Tinariwin, Seasick Steve, Leagues, Bobby Bare, Jr., Red Fang, De Staat, Diarrhea Planet, A Thousand Horses, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Wolfmother, Arctic Monkeys and Chris Stapleton. Powell is managed by Global Positioning Services management in Santa Monica, CA.

Awards

Powell has won four Grammy Awards for his work on the albums listed below.
The production, engineering and mixing discography for Vance Powell is as follows.
YearArtistAlbumLabelProducerEngineerMixer
2020PhishSigma OasisJEMP Records
-
2018ClutchBook of Bad DecisionsWeathermaker Music
-
2015Tyler Bryant & The ShakedownThe WaysideVervatos/Republic
2015The RevivalistsMen Amongst MountainsWind-Up
2015Chris StapletonTravellerMercury
2015JEFF the BrotherhoodWasted on the DreamInfinity Cat
2015Elle King"America's Sweetheart" from Love StuffRCA
2015Seasick SteveSonic Soul SurferBMG
2015The Whistles & The BellsThe Whistles & The Bells+180
2014TinariwenEmmaarANTI-
2014Daniel Ellsworth & The Great LakesKid TigerDeer Head
2014Black PrairieFortuneSugar Hill
2014The Dirty Guv'nahsHearts on FireSummertown
2014Peter Bradley AdamsThe Mighty StormI Me Mine
2014Bobby Bare, Jr.UndefeatedBloodshot
2014Dirk PowellWalking Through ClayBloodshot
2013The AlmostFear Inside Our BonesTooth & Nail
2013Insane Clown PosseForgotten Freshness, Vol. 5Psycopathic
2013Sturgill SimpsonHigh Top MountainHigh Top Mountain
2013De StaatI ConCool Green Records
2013Seasick SteveHubcap MusicThird Man
2013Moon TaxiMountains Beaches CitiesBMG
2013LeAnn RimesSpitfireCurb
2013Kings of LeonLive At The O2 RCA
2013Various ArtistsThe Great Gatsby O.S.T.Interscope
2013Caitlin RoseThe Stand-InATO
2013Red FangWhales and LeechesRelapse
2013North Mississippi AllstarsWorld Boogie Is ComingSongs of the South
2013Tyler Bryant & The ShakedownWild ChildCarved
2013LeaguesYou Belong HereBufalatone
2012Jack WhiteBlunderbussThird Man
2012The WhigsEnjoy the CompanyNew West
2012Keb' Mo'Keb Mo/Keep It SimpleSony
2012Andrew OsengaLeonard, the Lonely Astronaut1010 Distribution
2012Andrew PetersonLight for the Lost BoyCentricity
2012Buddy GuyLive at LegendsRCA
2012The KicksTonight Changes EverythingThe Kicks
2012PujolUnited States of BeingSaddle Creek
2011Red FangMurder the MountainsRelapse
2011Deadly ApplesPetty
2011Danger Mouse & Danielle LuppiRomeRome
2011Chris ThileSleep with One Eye OpenNonesuch
2011Wanda JacksonThe Party Ain't Over
2011Bobby Bare, Jr.A Storm, A Tree, My Mother's HeadThirty Tigers
2011Johnny GimbleCelebrating with FriendsCMH
2010The WhigsIn the DarkATO/Red
2010Buddy GuyLiving ProofJive
2010The Dead WeatherSea of CowardsWarner Bros.
2010John CowanThe Massenburg SessionsKoch
2010Karen ElsonThe Ghost Who WalksXL
2010Andrew BelleThe Ladder101 Distribution
2010The White StripesUnder Great White Northern LightsWarner Bros.
2010HillsongYahwehEMI
2009The Dead WeatherHorehoundIndependent
2009Seasick SteveMan from Another TimeRykodisc
2009John RichSon of a Preacher ManWarner Bros.
2009Jars of ClayThe Long Fall Back to EarthProvident
2009Willie NelsonWillie and the WheelBismeaux
2008Jessica SimpsonDo You KnowEpic
2008JewelPerfectly ClearValory
2008Jack White & Alicia Keys"Another Way to Die" from Quantum of Solace O.S.T.Capitol
2007Jars of ClayChristmas SongsNettwerk
2007The White StripesConquestWarner Bros.
2007Caedmon's CallOverdressedIno/Columbia
2006Poor Rich FolkLove Is A BulletIndependent
2006Matt DuskBack in TownDecca
2005Big & RichComin' to Your CityWarner/Reprise