TOM LAUNE -- A Biography
Tom Laune moved to Nashville, TN in 1992 after a seven year stint as a staff engineer at Ardent Studios in Memphis, TN. “Ardent was where I cut my teeth... I learned a lot about the fine art of capturing an organic sound that is both warm and exciting at the same time”. "Getting to work with former Stax artist's greats like Mavis Staples and recording "The Memphis Horns" was a great honor for me". Laune has engineered and mixed projects for artists as diverse as Bruce Springsteen, Keith Richards, Joe Walsh, Micheal McDonald and Dave Barnes to name a few. The new millennium brought with it the opportunity to step up to producer when he co- produced with Micheal W. Smith on his platinum selling smash Worship. This success further solidified Laune’s position in the business as a bona fide “A-call” when making records. Artist after artist sought him out to put his signature sound on their records.
Recently Laune has embarked on starting a boutique record label called "Tar and Feather" records. He is passionate about developing new talent and sees a gaping hole in the music industry that was once "artist development". Please visit www.tarandfeatherrecords.com
In 1998 he embarked on a studio building project, which resulted in him opening Bridgeway Studios in Franklin TN. This private studio boasts a full-blown Solid State Logic G+ Special Edition 48 channel console. His Special Edition SSL is of only three super premium SSL's in the United States. His studio also has full Pro Tools HD and an analog 16 track 2" MCI for getting the ultimate in fat analogue tone. Bridgeway has become a big part of Laune’s success story. “It allows me to increase the value for the artists I work with,” he explains. “And it makes my workflow easier and more productive because I built it the way I want it and it is always maintained properly.” Some of those extra’s that he “splurged on” include an impressive collection of analog gear including many tube mic pre’s, e.q’s (including a mint Pultec EQP-1A) and compressors. Bridgeway studio also boasts a mic collection including a Tracy Korby modified Wunder CM7 for that lush vocal sound he is known for.
Jimmy Abegg painted this picture of me during a tracking session with Rich Mullins on The Liturgy, Legacy and a Ragamuffin Band record.