John Denison Keane (born January 21, 1959) is an American record producer and musician based in Athens, Georgia, who has worked extensively with R.E.M., Indigo Girls and Widespread Panic. He owns and operates John Keane Studios in Athens, his hometown, which opened in 1981.Discogs - John Keane Studios - profile and discography

Early life

Keane began playing guitar at age 8 and developed an interest in recording music after receiving a cassette recorder on his 12th birthday. In a 2005 interview, he recalled: "Later I got another one and figured out how to overdub by bouncing tracks from one machine to the other while playing along. I'd do stuff like play both lead guitar parts to Allman Brothers songs, and layer vocal harmonies. When I got a four-track, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven."Interview with John Keane, Athensmusic.net, July 23, 2005

Professional career Keane started in 1981 with an assortment of road-worn PA gear that belonged to Phil and the Blanks, a local band he was playing with at the time. He bought a TEAC reel-to-reel four-track tape machine which he mounted in a shopping cart and started making demos for local bands and taking them to the local college radio station for airplay.

Gradually the hobby evolved into a profession, and in 1985 Keane decided to attend The Recording Workshop in Chillicothe, Ohio. Shortly after that he bought an Amek Matchless console and an Otari 16-track tape machine and began to produce records for acts in the burgeoning Athens music scene such as the Indigo Girls, Widespread Panic, Vic Chesnutt, The Barbecue Killers and many others. His neighbor Peter Buck of R.E.M. began to bring many artists into the studio for collaboration, such as Warren Zevon, Robyn Hitchcock, Nicki Sudden, Billy Bragg, The Troggs, Richard Butler, and Nancy Griffith, to name a few. The other members or R.E.M.—Mike Mills, Michael Stipe, and Bill Berry—all brought bands into the studio, at 165 Hillcrest Avenue, to make records.

By the early 1990s, John Keane Studios had upgraded to an Otari 24-track, a Pro Tools rig and a Trident 80-B console.

His studio is still in operation today. In the early 21st century, he undertook recording projects with R.E.M., Randall Bramblett, and Widespread Panic's Dirty Side Down album, for which he received a Grammy nomination in 2011.

Association with Pro Tools

Keane has participated in many music conference panels as an expert on subjects such as record production, home recording, and Pro Tools. These include South by Southwest in Austin, Texas; The Tape Op conference in Portland, Oregon; Athfest in Athens; and the Cutting Edge in New Orleans. He has taught a Pro Tools course for the University of Georgia's Music Business Program, and is the author of the popular Pro Tools book, The Musician's Guide to Pro Tools (McGraw-Hill). He has also created Online Pro Tools, a series of Pro Tools instructional videos.

Record production discography Project Artist Credit Release Date"No One Needs Help Anymore" Polar Waves Producer 3/3/2017"Lil' Bear" Ugly Cousin Producer, Engineer, Mixing 10/30/2015Hard Working Americans Hard Working Americans Mixing 1/21/2014"Before The Feast" Grassland String Band Mastering 2014The Essential Indigo Girls Indigo Girls Producer 2013Wood Widespread Panic Mixing 10/16/2012Subject to Change Without Notice Jimmy Herring Producer, Engineer, Mixing 8/21/2012Where It Hits You Jim White Mastering, Mixing 2/21/2012Apollo Stockholm Syndrome Producer, Engineer, Mixing 2011That Other Mile/Light of the Night Randall Bramblett Remastering 2011Live in the Classic City II Widespread Panic Producer, Mixing 9/28/2010Dirty Side Down Widespread Panic Producer, Engineer, Mixing, Mastering 5/25/2010Love Is a War The Corduroy Road Producer, Engineer 2009Balm In Gilead Rickie Lee Jones Engineer 11/3/2009Just One Drop The Corduroy Road Producer, Engineer 4/16/2009Valdosta 1989 Widespread Panic Mastering 2/24/2009New Day Jimmy Landry Engineer 2/17/2009Bar Band Americanus Charlie Pickett Producer, Engineer 10/7/2008Carbondale 2000 Widespread Panic Mixing 6/10/2008Angel Songs Tim Prince Producer 2007East of the Sun Tuatara Engineer 7/12/2007Intermission Robert Forster Producer, Engineer, Mixing 6/18/2007Chest Fever Widespread Panic Producer, Engineer 1/30/2007ShadowBoxing Blue Flashing Light Engineer 2006Volume 2 Billy Bragg Engineer 10/17/2006Rich Someday Randall Bramblett Mixing 7/11/2006Green Winter Love Tractor Mixing 4/11/2006The Workhorses of the Entertainment/Recreational Industry The Workhorses of the Entertainment/Recreational Industry Mastering 4/11/2006Sandbox Michael Houser Producer, Engineer, Mixing, Mastering, Graphic Design 1/24/2006Dog Days BR5-49 Producer, Engineer, Mixing, Mastering 1/10/2006Friendly Fire Bill Mallonee Mastering, Mixing 2005Rarities Indigo Girls Engineer 6/14/2005Live at Myrtle Beach Widespread Panic Producer, Mixing 2/22/2005Wear N' Tear Tishamingo Engineer, Mixing, Mastering 2/1/2005Mouthfeel Magnapop Mastering 1/25/2005Need James Evans Engineer, Mixing, Mastering 2004Jackassolantern Widespread Panic Producer, Mixing 9/28/2004Dear Life Bill Mallonee Producer, Mastering, Mixing 9/21/2004In the Mood Corey Smith Mastering 9/15/2004Über Cobra Widespread Panic Producer, Mixing 7/13/2004Holy Happy Hour Stockholm Syndrome Mixing 6/29/2004Night of Joy Widespread Panic Producer, Mixing 3/23/2004Ain't No Horse Widespread Panic Producer, Engineer, Mixing 3/9/2004Tishamingo Tishamingo Producer, Engineer, Mixing 2/17/2004Must I Paint You a Picture? The Essential Billy Bragg Billy Bragg Engineer 10/28/2003Bad Day R.E.M. Engineer, Mixing 10/1/2003Ball Widespread Panic Producer, Engineer, Mixing 4/15/2003Defector John Hermann Mixing 2/11/2003Live from the Backyard Widespread Panic Mixing 2/4/2003To Understand: The Early Recordings of Matthew Sweet Matthew Sweet Producer 10/1/2002Door Harp Michael Houser Producer, Engineer, Mixing 9/24/2002Coast to Coast The Cowslingers Producer, Engineer 7/30/2002Live in the Classic City Widespread Panic Producer 6/11/2002Co-Balt brute. Producer, Engineer, Mixing 4/9/200289/93: An Anthology Uncle Tupelo Producer, Engineer, Mixing 3/19/2002Visiting Normal Town Big Wooden Radio Engineer, Mixing, Mastering 9/25/2001No More Mr. Lucky Randall Bramblett Producer, Engineer, Mixing 7/10/2001Don't Tell the Band Widespread Panic Producer, Engineer, Mixing 6/19/2001Reveal (R.E.M. album) R.E.M. Engineer, Musician 5/14/2001Imitation of Life R.E.M. Engineer, Mixing 4/30/2001Set the Record Straight ID-X Producer, Mixing, Composer 4/10/2001Smiling Assassin John Hermann Mixing, Percussion 4/10/2001Insulation Something 5 Producer 2000Another Joyous Occasion Widespread Panic Producer, Mixing 6/6/2000Draggin' The Line R.E.M. Engineer 10/26/1999End of Romance Charlie Mars Producer, Engineer, Mixing 10/12/1999Kulanjan Taj Mahal Engineer 8/3/1999'Til the Medicine Takes Widespread Panic Producer, Engineer, Mixing 7/27/1999Straight Away John Keane Producer 6/15/1999Who Died & Made You King? Doubting Thomas Producer, Engineer 10/26/1998Up R.E.M. Engineer, Mixing 10/26/1998Let's Kill Saturday Night Robbie Fulks Engineer 9/15/1998See Through Me Randall Bramblett Mixing, Mastering 8/4/1998Calling Sara Lovell Engineer 6/30/1998Light Fuse, Get Away Widespread Panic Producer, Mixing 4/12/1998Barrel Chested Slobberbone Mixing 8/12/1997Help Wanted Love Needed Caretaker Mount Pilot Producer, Engineer, Mixing 8/12/1997Love Among the Ruins 10,000 Maniacs Producer, Engineer 6/17/1997Fantastic Distraction Dime Store Prophets Producer, Engineer 5/19/1997The Lonesome Death of Buck McCoy The Minus 5 Engineer 5/5/1997More than This 10,000 Maniacs Producer, Engineer 5/5/1997Picnic Robert Earl Keen Producer, Engineer 4/29/1997Bombs & Butterflies Widespread Panic Producer, Engineer, Mixing 2/4/1997Albino Alligator Michael Brook Engineer 1/17/1997About to Choke Vic Chesnutt Producer, Mixing 1996Hip Hazel Virtue Producer, Engineer 1996New Adventures in Hi-Fi R.E.M. Engineer, Mixing 9/9/1996E-Bow the Letter R.E.M. Engineer, Mixing 8/27/1996Lay It Down (Cowboy Junkies album) Cowboy Junkies Producer, Engineer 2/27/1996Blister Soul Vigilantes of Love Producer, Engineer 1995Horsebreaker Star Grant McLennan Producer, Engineer 1995Tornado Alley Terry Lee Hale Producer, Engineer, Mixing 1995At the Hands of Our Intercessors Buzz Hungry Engineer 10/30/1995Nine High a Pallet Brute. Producer 9/12/1995Is the Actor Happy? Vic Chesnutt Producer, Mixing 5/23/1995Private Stock The Grapes Producer 3/14/1995Beautiful Light The Fleshtones Engineer 1994Spillage Mercyland Engineer 1994Normaltown Catfish Jenkins Engineer 11/15/1994Flyer Nanci Griffith Engineer 9/13/1994Ain't Life Grand Widespread Panic Producer, Engineer, Mixing 9/6/1994Drunk Vic Chesnutt Producer, Engineer 1993Bottle Rockets The Bottle Rockets Engineer 9/18/1993Swim Madder Rose Engineer 9/6/1993Happiness Lisa Germano Engineer 7/27/1993the Lion Sleeps Tonight R.E.M. Producer, Engineer, Mixing 2/5/1993Don't You Know The Troggs Engineer 1992Killing Floor Vigilantes of Love Engineer 1992Out There Original Sins Engineer 1992The Survivors Parade Ellen James Society Engineer 1992Automatic for the People R.E.M. Engineer 10/5/1992March 16–20, 1992 Uncle Tupelo Engineer 8/3/1992Kitty Dashboard Saviors Engineer 7/20/1992Rites of Passage Indigo Girls Engineer 5/12/1992Lefty's Deceiver The Jody Grind Engineer 4/3/1992Athens Andover The Troggs Engineer 3/1/1992First We Take Manhattan R.E.M. Engineer 19918 Track Stomp Chickasaw Mudd Puppies Engineer 1991A Green Little Pill Insane Jane Mixing 1991Country Boy's Dream Normaltown Flyers Engineer 1991Don't Try This at Home Billy Bragg Engineer 9/17/1991Perspex Island Robyn Hitchcock Engineer 8/6/1991Out Of Time R.E.M. Engineer 3/12/1991Green Cat Island Run Westy Run Engineer 1990I Belong to You Nikki Sudden Engineer 1990Little Vic Chesnutt Engineer 1990One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Treasure The Jody Grind Producer, Engineer 1990Reluctantly We Ellen James Society Engineer 1990White Dirt Chickasaw Mudd Puppies Producer, Engineer 1990I Walked With A Zombie R.E.M. Producer, Engineer, Mixing 1991Chain Pylon Engineer 10/4/1990Nomads Indians Saints Indigo Girls Engineer 9/21/1990MacDougal Blues Kevn Kinney Engineer, Mixing 1/21/1990Indigo Girls Indigo Girls Engineer 2/28/1989Drum Hugo Largo Engineer 1988New Experience Michelle Malone Producer, Engineer, Mixing 1988No Time The Squalls Producer, Engineer 1988Green R.E.M. Mixing 11/7/1988Space Wrangler Widespread Panic Producer, Engineer 2/4/1988Strange Fire Indigo Girls Producer 7/28/1986Lifes Rich Pageant R.E.M. Engineer 7/28/1986Fables of the Reconstruction R.E.M. Mixing 6/10/1985 The Normaltown Flyers The Normaltown Flyers Engineer 1981

Musician discography