Matthew Lemburg: a Career of Recording and Creating
Matt Lemburg is a recording engineer, performer, and songwriter here in Amarillo currently working at MajorSeven (Designed by the Russ Berger Design Group) and serving as lead musician for A Church Called MORE. Matt's passion for his craft has allowed him to be doing it for 35 years, and we were able to pick his brain on his process and business.
Photo by Amber Howe
Matt had been playing guitar for a short period of time before getting his first piece of recording gear, causing him to develop both skills simultaneously. Around 1989 was when Matt first got a 4 track cassette machine, and he was hooked on mastering his craft ever since. This would have been at age 17 or 18 Matt said, and has since led to an amazing career.
Matt shared a lot about his younger brother Benjamin, and how the two helped each other grow along the way. They grew up in a musical household where both parents were musicians and shared their music taste with the boys. Matt cited The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Simon & Garfunkel, and Motown as their early influences. The musical brotherhood between the boys provided help as they both learned to record, they were able to share gear, and they also played in a band together. Their band is said to have gone through 4 name changes and recorded 8-9 full albums, which has helped Matt grow along the years. Today, the brothers still work in tandem sharing files across Dropbox to work together from Amarillo Texas to Las Vegas Nevada. You can find their latest release “Arms Length” by Western Ether on streaming platforms today, it is what Matt called his proudest recording!
As a musician himself, he loves to write songs and grow on various instruments. His skill on guitar, keys, drums, and even flute have helped him in the studio for both recording and also being able to communicate effectively with artists. Matt recently had a gig at Stoex Design Gallery, which he really enjoyed. We love to see a fellow musician that is using his skills to help others in his scene.
Matt has been recording out of the Major Seven recording studio at MORE, but his history goes way back. Beginning this journey in California where they were born and raised, Matt and his brother Benjamin were both fans of a man named Kevin Prosch and his music as far back as the 80s. Kevin had an album called “Tumbling Ground” by his band Black Peppercorns. Matt and Benjamin were big fans and decided to reach out to him by sending him a cassette tape demo. Soon after, Kevin gave them a call and the brothers began making trips to Amarillo to record. Kevin was the lead musician at the church and was a great mentor to Lemburg. MORE finished the studio around 2005, with Matt officially moving to Amarillo in 2008. Matt now is the current lead musician, filling the shoes of his mentor Kevin in an awesome full circle moment.
Design made by Annabel Reyes-Clark
Lemburg has been working with several local artists, including Black Tie Revolt, Logan Ellis, Ben Cargo, Rhett Uhland, and Tia Hunt. These artists are from various genres and walks of life, which Matt mentioned is one his favorite things about the job.
“I love the variety and I love all kinds of different music”
Matt’s latest release of his work is Black Tie Revolt’s “Second Chances”, a rock n roll single geared towards fans of dirty guitar tones and powerful lead vocals. When asked about his experience on this song, he left us a quote:
“I loved recording with those guys, they are super talented and well rehearsed when they come in. Fast and efficient while knowing what they want, and I really appreciate that.”
Matt stressed that these little details on being prepared make a major difference in the quality he is able to put out, as well as saving time and money for the artists. It is important to rehearse well and come into the studio with a gameplan.
“Rehearsal is everything, especially when you are paying by the hour.”
Matt tends to look for the right fit of both artists and songs. He loves his current position because he has the freedom to decide who he wants to work with, and can focus on quality over quantity. He mentioned that he looks for artists that have music he believes in, and believes he is able to impact in the best ways. Demos aren't always needed, but being prepared is. Being prepared and easy to work with go a long way for Matt and many engineers alike, so keep that in mind as you prepare to record your next hit!
Design by Kathryn Roach
Matt's hands down favorite engineer that he has been inspired by is Daniel Lenois, a French Canadian producer who is known for working with U2 and Bob Dylan. An honorable mention was Glyn Johns who is credited with helping produce the Led Zeppelin sound and for his contribution to Abbey Road. A fun fact is that Glyn Johns son, Ethan Johns, produced the “Tumbling Ground” album that inspired Matt and Benjamin to first reach out to Kevin Prosch. We are able to already see how these influences have affected his work, and it is awesome to hear.
When asked what artist would be his dream artist to work with, we were pleasantly surprised to hear his choice. Matt had said it was absolutely Beck, and the reasons were that Matt loves Beck’s style and creativity, and can tell that Beck really knows how to work in a studio setting.
Matt's advice for younger people in the industry was quite straight forward. He stressed the importance to “do it the hard way”, and to learn and endure the tricky gear, and often cheaper quality gear when starting. It is through the in-the-moment problem solving where you will truly learn, so just get started and be willing to “do it the hard way”. Make the decision to finish your songs before you be a perfectionist for too long and delay your work.
“The whole industry wants you to think that certain tips/tricks or pieces of gear will solve your issues, but it is really you and your ability to convey what you hear in your head.”
You can find Matt and his work over at mattlemburg.com, and get a better taste of the diverse talents he works with. You can reach out to him via email at mattlemburg@gmail.com.
Keep up with more of Amarillo’s music industry via Loud and Heavy Booking.
