Meet Austin Gordon | Singer-Songwriter & Mastering Engineer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Austin Gordon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Austin, how does your business help the community?
The music industry has been in a constant state of change, ever since it was created. As technology has moved forward, people’s music has become their brands, their brands their identities, and identities their legacies, which have far outlived them. Music today is even more about making a statement than it has ever been. Historically, Mastering Engineers played a very technical, almost back-of-house kind of role, with the majority of creative decisions being left to artists, producers, and recording and mixing engineers. While that is still largely true, what has changed is the expectation of what a Mastering Engineer can offer an artist. As the name sort of implies, Mastering Engineers can be thought of as extremely well-read, knowledgeable, and simply proficient in all things audio and current in the music industry. This means understanding how a song will compete in the commercial market, how it will sound up against the current hits, what it needs to stand out, and the list goes on. This presents an opportunity – one in which a Mastering Engineer can offer an artist an understanding of the landscape, how to position themselves for success, and ultimately finish a release that will be the best representation of their art. In this way, I see Commonwealth as a vehicle for artists to complete their vision, and in the process utilize our resources to build a team and ultimately achieve whatever vision of success they dream of. By tapping into the power of their community, we can offer the same resources to the folks around them, which in turn will result in more great music being made, to the benefit of everyone. With more music, we all win.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve been involved in music professionally for well over a decade, and have had an incredible number of experiences up until this point, all of which I believe helped me get to where I am now. I’ve had hands in all the different facets – audio engineering, venue management, music publications and journalism, performance, and music business, too. What I have learned can be summarized down to just a couple of key things. This work isn’t worth doing if it isn’t authentic to yourself, and the world benefits from the music community working together toward a common goal – more great music in more people’s hands. Nowadays, whether it’s my work with Commonwealth Mastering or the music that I make myself, what I want people to know is that I believe in the art, and will forever be committed to the success of its creators.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
So many great places! One of the things I think Dallas really does well is access to experiences, and food. There’s so much to do – go visit the Dallas Museum of Art or the Perot Museum, go for a walk or bike ride at White Rock Lake, go bar-hopping in Lower Greenville, explore the beautiful architecture and shops in the Bishop Arts District, and so much more. For nightlife, I’m personally partial to the Lower Greenville and East Dallas/Lakewood neighborhood over somewhere busier like Frisco, Las Colinas, or Deep Ellum. For food, you can’t go wrong with Pepe’s and Mito’s in Deep Ellum for Tex-Mex, Terilli’s in Lower Greenville for Italian, or Loro in Addison for Asian-Fusion. If you’re a music fan, Spinster Records in Bishop Arts is also the place for vinyl record and music memorabilia shopping.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shout out my partner Alyssa Snow, who has been by my side throughout this crazy journey I’ve been on for the last several years and has given me the space, freedom, and support to figure it out as I go along. She has believed in me from the start, and I’ll never be able to thank her enough for all of the love and encouragement she has given me. I am beyond grateful.

Website: https://commonwealthmastering.com

Instagram: @commonwealthmastering

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/commonwealth-mastering/

Twitter: @austincgordon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commonwealthmasteringdfw

Image Credits
Cortnie Dee Photography