Audeze interviews musical chameleon Abe Stewart

A prolific musical chameleon and champion of the music industry for 15 years, Abe Stewart is as disciplined as he is talented. Mixing projects for some of the worlds best, his skills have attracted names such as Khalid, Michael Franti, Nahko, Rayvon Owen, American Idol, The Voice and countless TV/Movie placements. His work has be featured all over the music landscape with Artists, TV shows, Networks, Labels and Radio. Abe spends his days mixing for some of the best in the business out of his Los Angeles studio.

"The first thing I noticed was how much sonic detail you are missing with cheaper headphones. It sounds wild, but I truly don’t feel the need to reference on monitors." - Abe Stewart

Here's our chat with Abe:

Can you pick out any highlights from your work that you're particularly proud of?

Hmm, that's like asking for a favorite movie! Most recent is Michael Franti’s new album Big Big Love. I mixed several songs on that and was a huge fan of his mid 2000’s hit "Say Hey (I Love You).” That was the song of the summer for me and he has a remix that I was able to mix. Pretty cool full-circle moment for me.

How would you define your main role on most of the projects you work on these days?

I think of myself as a closing pitcher. Like most of us, the job is every hat possible. Some days I’m simply giving confidence to the artist that they are making a great sound! Other times I’m literally re-recording the bass, tuning the vocal, replacing the snare, being a therapist for a band member, chasing a stem down, trying to sort which is the final vocal on the session… all before touching a fader.

How did you get started in music? What kind of music did you listen to while growing up and how has that progressed?

I grew up in Wisconsin and couldn’t find anyone to play in a band, so I started learning all the instruments to my favorite songs. The lack of a band forced me to record all the instruments and this led to the never ending rabbit hole of recording, mixing, producing, and monetizing the craft. After high school I opened a small project studio in Milwaukee which failed, haha (no music business in Mke). I ended up moving to LA the day I turned 21 and basically just hustled to meet as many creatives as I could. Within a few years, I had enough clients to pay the bills as long as I kept my overhead low. I continue to build my network and grow year after year. As far as the music I listened to… I probably have a different story than most creatives. I grew up pretty sheltered from ’secular’ music, so it was a lot of Christian bands like Switchfoot. Eventually I found artists like Green Day and Blink 182, but to this day people bring up classic bands and I’ll have no idea who they are haha! Makes for some good studio laughs.

Can you name any factors that influenced the course of your musical life? Heroes, role models, moments, interactions, etc?

My first year in LA I worked for a backline company. Although I hated the job, the gig gave me access to all the big recording studios. I would change out of my work shirt, so nobody knew the reason why I was there... I could network better! Quickly it gave me proximity to a few super producers, so I was able to see how real players operate.

Can you briefly describe a moment of frustration from your past work, and what you may have done to overcome the obstacles? Would you approach it differently now?

Hmm, too many tools in the shed. Plugins are great, but option anxiety is a real thing. Get good with using less and your mixes will improve. It took me so long to realize this, but I only keep 15-20 plugins installed at a time. Think of the process on the macro. If you need compression, about any great compressor will work these days… need a brighter snare, use any solid EQ to brighten the snare. Simplify the gear and focus on the ear.

Is there any gear you find yourself turning to most when working on a project? What are some of your favorite tools/instruments recently?

I’m pretty much entirely in the box. I have so many projects going on that the idea of bathing hardware settings seems like a nightmare. That said, I get a lot of repetitive movement pain from a mouse, so I emailed SSL and grabbed the new UF8 and UC1. They’ve been great! Very handy to get a tactile feel and of course the SSL plugins are top shelf.

Do you have any words of wisdom for people who might aspire toward a similar path for their own careers?

1) Everyone has a different situation, but for me, money management. Half of the reason I’ve been able to get past first base was managing money well. Don’t spend on gear that doesn’t have a REAL ROI. I try to think “will my wife hear a difference” and if that's a no, move on. I’ll tell you what, she will notice the bill though. ;)

2) Don’t be afraid to monetize yourself!

How long have you been working with headphones, and how do you typically use them in your workflow?

Since the pandemic. I’ve always been envious of jobs where you can work from anywhere, so once the pandemic started I forced myself to start mixing on open back headphones. Eventually I had no need for speakers and sold them… Yes, I’ve had no speakers for years and very happy clients! My thought is that until you have a serious room with proper acoustics, the speakers are so colored it doesn’t make sense. But even with that, I think I prefer the headphones for the freedom of travel (which I love).

Do you have any additional comments or stories you want to share?

Mixing can be a lonely job. Remember to stay healthy, go on walks, workout, eat right, get sun etc. Don’t be a hermit.

How have your Audeze headphones affected your work?

I travel a lot, so being able to work on the road is essential for my client base. The first thing I noticed was how much sonic detail you are missing with cheaper headphones. That was quite eye (ear, ha) opening! It sounds wild, but I truly don’t feel the need to reference on monitors.

Can you tell us what you've been working on with them recently?

Lots of fun stuff! Michael Franti’s new album ‘Big Big Love’ released and I mixed a number of songs on that. It reached #4 globally. In addition, I mixed a couple Pop and RnB albums for different talented people!