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Tchad Blake is an audio engineer and producer, primarily known for his creative, world-class mixing. His work on records by The Black Keys, Sheryl Crow and Suzanne Vega have won him several Grammy awards.

The list of artists he has worked with is seriously impressive, from Peter Gabriel to Crowded House, Tom Waits, The Pretenders, Fiona Apple, Arctic Monkeys and many more.

It just so happens that Tchad lives in the Welsh hills a short trip north, so when my friend Emanation put us in touch I was really excited to sit down and chat with an industry legend, putting a body and a face to a name I saw pop up on the back of my Pearl Jam and Joseph Arthur CDs growing up.

Tchad is humble, gracious and a very funny guy, happy to share stories from his life in music. From the early days as an LA studio assistant, to forming a long-term partnership with producer Mitchell Froom, moving to the UK, working at Real World and settling down in Wales with his wife Jackie to raise their two boys.

For those local to the Powys area, and for those interested, a shout out to the fantastic organisations Tchad mentions towards the end of our chat:

Mid-Powys Youth Theatre
The Willow Globe
Impelo Dance Centre

Big thanks to Tchad for making the time to talk with me. I hope you enjoy this conversation. Breathe deep and go well,

Jody