A 25-year music veteran; Anthony’s audio production work has been nominated for three Grammy awards, reached gold record status, and placed in various TV shows and commercials. He has remastered various albums for icons such as Johnny Cash, Tony Bennet and Roy Orbison. As band leader and songwriter, producer, and engineer, he led his band A&L to success topping various charts across the world. They had nine top 20 songs on various U.K. Indie music charts. They received radio play in over 70 countries throughout Europe and the USA.

Did music ever play a role in the early years of your life?

Music was in my life from an early age. I started playing the trumpet in third grade. Then I discovered the Beatles due to the monstrous coverage of John Lennon’s death. That got me hooked on pop music and song structure. I begged my parents to let me take guitar lessons. Then I discovered Van Halen and really started working on my guitar playing from a technical perspective.

How would you describe the music you produce?

That depends, I have produced many styles for other artists. My own music is all over the place. From Rock to Country to EDM. There are a few key elements that occur in all my music. I love a good melody, one that is easy for the listener to comprehend and sing along too. I love harmonies. That’s the Beatle influence. I will layer voices throughout the song. I can sing them, but I have found that having a go to singer with a better range really delivers the harmonies that I am envisioning.

You’ve remixed and remastered over 450 albums. Do you feel like your style has evolved since the beginning of your career?

Yes, and that was before the age of 30 when I was in New York City. Those years were very influential in shaping my musical language. I was exposed to so much timeless music that I built up an archive of ideas that I could pull from when creating. An example of this was remastering the Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey big band records. That has helped shape my own horn arrangements. Over the years, I have been exposed to even more modern styles. I am always evolving. You must in this business.

What’s been your favorite project/artist to work with so far?

One of my favorite memories was working with the band Lifehouse. They came through our studios in San Francisco to do a live set and interview. I recorded acoustic versions of their two big hits Hanging By a Moment and Somebody’s Song. I gave them a CD of the songs at their concert. That night I received a call from the band from their tour bus telling me how much they loved the versions. That was fun!

You were once in a band called A&L that reached so much success, your music was constantly heard on radio stations all over the world. Can you tell us about the band and your experience? What was it like topping the charts with each single?

That was an amazing experience. It started with no expectations. I was working with Lana Marie on a few jingles that I was producing. I wrote our first song Get Me Drink during a meeting. I asked her to sing on it. I ended up pitching it to Jim Beam and they sponsored our video. That helped the song get out to the public and charting in Europe. A&L stands for Anthony and Lana. We ended up releasing 9 singles with our song Singing My Life Away reaching #3 on the Indie UK charts. It was played on major station all over the world. I loved hearing it being introduced on German radio. I don’t know what was said, but it sounded great.

What skills are most useful in the music industry?

Your technical skills are very important, whether you play an instrument, sing, manage or work in the studio. You need to know your craft. But you also need to be able to work with people. Having interpersonal skills is key. People like to work with people that they like, make them feel good. Learn to get along with others in addition to your other skills will help you succeed in this business.

What was the first concert you went to and who did you see perform?

My first concert was the Canadian band called Triumph in 1983. They were a three-piece rock group that I was really into during high school. My ears rang for three days.

What advice do you give someone just starting a career in music?

You must love music and be ready to work very hard. It is a very competitive industry. Plan on wearing many hats, like a psychology hat while engineering and producing. When dealing with people and their creations, being able to understand their actions good and bad will benefit you.

Any plans for the coming months?

I am working on a few personal projects. And I am always writing new music. I have a few clients that I am working with this summer. I keep saying I’m going to shoot a music video for my song Love is The Answer. So, I better get to that.

LINKS

grammy nominated producer anthony casuccio talks music career