Biography

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This insane way of making a living just gets more and more fun and interesting as time goes on…   It has taken me all over the the US, Canada, South America, Central America, the UK, Europe, Eastern Europe, Australia, Japan, Mexico, the Bahamas, Cuba, New Zealand…   

I have played and made records with people that everyone has heard of, I’ve played and made records with people that no one has heard of.  I have signed major-label record deals, I have walked away from major-label record deals.  I have played festivals for 80,000 people, and I have played smoky bars for 8 people… and everything in between.  I've recorded in musty basements, I've recorded in multi-million-dollar studios.  I treat ALL of those situations with the same high level of professionalism.  Every gig and every session is an important one.  

I can produce your single or your album.  
I can mix them too.  
I can play drums on your single or your album, even if you're on the other side of the world.....   

I can play on your showcase or your tour. 

I can also drink your coffee and eat your food.  

And people still actually PAY me for this!  

Pretty cool, eh? I think I’ll keep doing it.

I have been self-producing my own bands and producing, engineering and mixing for other bands since the mid-1990’s.

My experience includes numerous releases for major-labels such as MCA, Roadrunner, Island Def-Jam, Atlantic, Wind-Up, Universal, Warner Brothers, and others. Many of the recordings I have taken part in have enjoyed extensive FM radio and digital/internet streaming, TV and film licensing, and some have included Billboard Magazine-charting singles.

Some bands and artists that you may recognize, for which I’ve either produced, co-produced, engineered, assisted, or mixed: doubleDrive, Injected, Mastodon, Eye Empire, Shinedown, Aaron Lewis (Staind), Scott Stapp (Creed), Kristian Bush (Sugarland), The Dreaded Marco, Monstro, a slow boat to china, Navajo Joe, Superhooligan, The Scragglers, Greedy White Citizens, Siberia My Sweet, The Futura Bold, Uberstout, Poynte, Dangerous New Machine, John Henry Velez, Speed X (featuring members of Black Label Society and Queensryche), Echoes End, Urban Grind (featuring DJ Hurricane), Mike Martin, Dixie Duncan, Brian Schramm, Emily Vance, and also members of Black Label Society, Queensryche, Seether, Evanescence, Dark New Day, Danzig, Beastie Boys, Static X, Bloodsimple, Fozzy, Stuck Mojo, Jackyl, Train, Lynrd Skynrd, Tremonti, Brother Cane, Blackberry Smoke, Indigo Girls, Yacht Rock, Sugarland, Dragon Force, Megadeth, and more!

I’ve had the pleasure of working with and befriending quite a few amazing producer/engineers during my recording career, including Jeff Tomei, Michael Barbiero, Nick Dadia, Jack Joseph Puig, Ben Grosse, Butch Walker, Michael Wagner, John Kurzweg, and others. Making music in various studios on a wide variety of projects with these people of such undeniable talent has always been an honor and a pleasure. Just being a sponge around them, absorbing as much of their knowledge, techniques, and “mojo” as possible along the way, has been a VERY valuable part of my musical development as a producer and engineer AND as a player and writer. I apply countless big and small things that I learn during such sessions almost every day, and I also learn something new on almost every one of my own sessions as well. I believe in being an eternal student of my art, never merely resting on yesterday’s accomplishments.

As a producer and a recording or mix engineer, I never strive to have a set-in-stone, signature “production style”, or a definitive trademark “sound”, as some tend to do. This is because I believe that every recording should be the absolute best version of THAT band, THAT artist, and THAT song, that it can possibly be. All gear and technical knowledge aside, getting a great PERFORMANCE from an artist is always priority one! Achieving such results always requires a different, open-minded, customized approach… not cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all techniques and rules.

Producing or mixing someone’s music should NOT be merely an excuse for putting one’s own self-serving sonic stamp on it. There are producers who subscribe to that approach, but I’m not one of them. If you work with me as a producer and/or mix engineer, your recording will NOT sound like Mike Froedge. It WILL sound like the best possible version of YOU and your music that can be achieved at that time.

The one approach that I DO consistently apply on every project is to create a relaxed, creative, no-pressure vibe and atmosphere. We all write and play music because we enjoy it, love it, and have fun doing so, right?... A studio experience should be no different! Making a recording should not be a stressful, high-pressure experience, and I go to great lengths... whether working at my own studio or elsewhere... to make sure that artists are in a comfortable environment, with amazing-sounding and appropriate gear at their disposal, and most importantly, that they are in an inspired state of mind. Great music is always the result!

I do what I do because I enjoy the entire creative process. 

I enjoy seeing a fellow artist’s vision for their music come to life. 

I enjoy helping to make ANY kind of music the best it can possibly be.

It’s your music. 

If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right, isn’t it?