"Sometimes dreams don't come true, and I'm at peace with that" - A Conversation with Mark Fredson
We caught up with Mark Fredson to talk about his latest album, Company Man, the gear that shapes his sound, the challenges of building a music career, dream collaborations and much more.
Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mark Fredson has worn many musical hats over the years, blending theatrical pop, outlaw country, and now, a polished, synth-laced indie-pop sound on his latest album Company Man.
We caught up with him to talk about the making of the album - from leveling up his gear and production, to the struggles of balancing artistry and survival, to his thoughts on Spotify’s impact on the industry, dream collaborations, what’s next in his musical journey, and more.
Eugenia Roditis, Musicngear: "Company Man" feels like it came from a very personal place, especially with how it wrestles with growing older and figuring out where music fits into all that. How did your move back home to the Pacific Northwest shape the storytelling and sound of this album?
I wrote the songs while still in Nashville, but I think they were all informed, at least subconsciously if not overtly, by a feeling of change in my life and a need for a change. The only song that explicitly addresses the move is the last song, "That's That," which I wrote after I made a firm decision to leave Nashville. It's a tearful goodbye of sorts, but it's about putting away childish things and trying desperately not to be the last one at the party, which is more sad than knowing when to call it.
Musicngear: You mentioned upping the production level on this album, investing in new gear, and recording at higher bit rates. Can you walk us through the gear setup you used and how that influenced the sonic texture of "Company Man"?
I used my friend's Universal Audio Apollo x4 interface, which is a major level up from the Focusrite I was using. To warm up the vocals, I invested in a Universal Audio Solo 610 pre-amp that I ran all my vocal mics through. I also tracked all the live bass through it as well as all the keyboards and guitars. It's really just great for everything. I used my Roland JX-3P with its accompanying PG-200 for a lot of the synth work, my favorite probably being those big chords on the title track.
Also, the organ sound on that synth is dope, and I used it on the chorus of "Love You So Bad." That's how that song ends, with me manually manipulating the cutoff knob of the PG-300 for the JX-3P organ sound. I bought a new Roland Juno-X keyboard, which, despite its lack of low end, has a really great arpeggiator and vocoder sound, both of which I used on the album.
I also bought a few great Arturia plugins, as well as a Universal Audio Moog plugin, which both find their way onto the album. The bass on "Me and Sarah" is a preset on the UA Mini Moog plugin called "Taurus Drone" that I just fell in love with. I just really wanted this album to sound as professional as possible. A lot of that comes from the players that I was lucky enough to have on the album, and the rest is just trying to level up the gear level to just add that extra bit polish.
Musicngear: If you had an unlimited budget to buy any gear, no restrictions whatsoever, what would your dream setup look like?
I'd love to have a tape machine, a big EMI TG12345 MK IV mixing console, or something similar. Do I know how to use those? No, but I'd make it my life's work to learn.
In addition to those two major items, I'd just love to have a million synthesizers. Every one in the book. I'm kind of surprised I don't have a Roland Juno-106 yet, but that's on the list for sure, as well as an Emulator, a Yamaha DX-7, a Moog or two, a Yamaha Grand Piano, a Hammond B-3, and a Yamaha CS-80.
The list goes on, but you get the idea, get me every analog synth and keyboard ever made, basically.
Make it your life, give it everything you have and more, lose your mind a little bit, turn your whole life into an anthropological experiment that you can potentially turn into a song
Musicngear: Your discography spans outlaw country, theatrical pop, and now a kind of polished, layered indie-pop rock. If you could collaborate with any artist right now, regardless of genre, who's on your dream list? And what's a venue or festival you haven't played at but would love to?
I don't know what it would look like, but to get the chance to sing with Aldous Harding would blow my mind. I absolutely love Destroyer as well and would lose my shit to just be in the same room as Dan Bejar.
I haven't really played at any festivals, so anyone would do!
Musicngear: You explore the tension between art and survival beautifully on "Company Man." Has that been a personal struggle too - trying to make music your livelihood? What's been the biggest obstacle, and what advice would you give to artists facing the same kind of pressure?
It's always been my dream to make music my livelihood, but sometimes dreams don't come true, and I'm at peace with that. It doesn't mean I can't keep making music.
To artists trying to do the same, I'd just say make it your life, give it everything you have and more, lose your mind a little bit, turn your whole life into an anthropological experiment that you can potentially turn into a song. Make it the most important thing in your life, and just don't stop doing it. If you do that when you're young, and you persist and persist, maybe it'll happen.
If not, at least you know you tried.
Musicngear: Given that Spotify pays musicians mere pennies while raking in billions, do you believe the music industry would be better or worse off if the platform disappeared overnight?
100 percent, we'd be better off if Spotify didn't exist. People would go back to discovering music via word of mouth, radio, and physical products they actually have to pay for. There's no doubt in my mind we'd be better off without Spotify. But at least the canvases look cool?
Musicngear: If from now on, you had to choose only one format to release visuals for your music, what would that be? Official music videos or TikToks/Shorts/Reels? And why?
Official music videos, hands down. For one, every song deserves to be heard in its entirety. And for two, the art form is just so much more creatively inclined. It's less about vitality and more about making a beautiful visual companion to accompany the song.
Sometimes dreams don't come true, and I'm at peace with that. It doesn't mean I can't keep making music
Musicngear: Now, let's get weird - someone discovers a time capsule out of your backyard in 2075 and finds a hard copy of "Company Man." What do you hope they understand about the version of you who made it?
That I was going through it and questioning whether the path I'd chosen to take with my life was the right one. But I hope they'd also understand that that very person who was in the midst of a slight crisis chose to make an album about it, which means that his decision to dedicate his life to music wasn't totally in vain.
I would hope that they could trust that I made the music for the right reasons, that it was coming from an honest place.
Musicngear: If you could instantly gain any superpower to enhance your live performances, which one would you choose?
Be a really good dancer.
Musicngear: Netflix taps you to write the theme song for a completely unhinged new series. What's the show about, and what's the name of your track?
Show's probably about murder in a small town in Washington. The song is called "The Dark Side of the Water."
Musicngear: What's the next big milestone you're aiming for? More streams, bigger shows, landing a major festival slot? And what steps are you taking to get there?
I think I want to write an album about my hometown of Port Angeles, Washington. Kind of like a 'Greetings From Asbury Park' or one of Sufjan Stevens' two state-centric albums, but in my own style. This place is rich with eccentric details, beautiful landmarks, dark underbellies, etc. It's a big undertaking, but it's an exciting prospect.
Other than that, a big milestone for me in the next year is getting my Associate's Degree from the local community college and hopefully starting something resembling an adult career. Trying to keep my expectations grounded, ya know?
Connect with Mark Fredson
Facebook // Instagram // Spotify // Bandcamp
About Eugenia Roditis
Eugenia's passion for music was ignited from an early age as she grew up in a family of musicians. She loves attending concerts and festivals, while constantly seeking fresh and exciting new artists across diverse genres. Eugenia joined the MusicnGear team in 2012.
Contact Eugenia Roditis at eugenia.roditis@kinkl.com
In this section of the blog we host interviews with established but also up and coming artists we love and recommend as well as music industry professionals with tons of useful information to share.
Interested in an interview, writing a story as a guest or joining the Musicngear team as a Contributing Author? Contact us at info+blog@musicngear.com
